Offseason Changes - What will they look like for Calgary?

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

I take it your goal for this lineup is to guarantee a 30th place finish next year.

Unless Calgary trades for Crosby, more than likely the flames will be drafting top 3 in 2014. I am fine with that and i hope fans are patient.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by #-3

well 30th again it is.

thanks Kevin Lowe.

Lets face it, Feaster will have to work miracles to get this team into the playoffs next season.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Unless Calgary trades for Crosby, more than likely the flames will be drafting top 3 in 2014. I am fine with that and i hope fans are patient.

I worry about management more than the fans.

[ALI]

Draft:

Mackinnon 1r F
Morrisey 1r D
Lazar 1r F
DE la Rose 3r F
Bjorkstrand 4r F
Geertsen 5r D
Savage 6r D
McAdam 7r G
Reno 7r D

Do not re-sign:

Roman Cervenka
Anton Babchuk
Joey MacDonald
Steve Begin
Krys Kolanos
Bryan Cameron
Akim Aliu
Chris Butler
Gaelan Patterson
Danny Taylor

Retiring:

Miikka Kiprusoff

Sign RFA's:

T.J. Brodie
Mikael Backlund
Lance Bouma
Mark Cundari
Paul Byron
Chris Breen
Brady Lamb
Brett Carson

Sign UFA's:

Brian McGrattan
Karri Ramo
Carter Bancks
Leland Irving
Michael Testwuide
Greg Nemisz
Ramage
Granlund
Horton
Obyrne
Ference
Raymond

trade Jackman and Stajan

Team:

Glencross Mackinnon Horton
Tanguay Cammy hudler
Baertschi Backlund Stempniak/Horak
Raymond Bouma/Reinhart Bancks/MacG

/= means like switch every amount of games

Giordano Ference
Wideman Brodie
Obyrne Carson/Breen/Ramage

Ramo
Irving

25 players 2 player would have to call up: Breen and Reinhart will be injury replacements

[Jake]

I tried to make this realistic, while also addressing team needs. The Flames need RWers, a center, stay at home D, and intensity/toughness... wow we need a lot.

Draft:
Nathan MacKinnon (2nd choice- Drouin, 3rd choice- Jones, 4th choice- Barkov).

Do not re-sign:
Pros: Cervenka, Begin, Babchuk, MacDonald
Farm: Carson, Cameron, Bancks,

Resign:
Pros (1-way): Backlund, Brodie, Butler, Ramo, McGratton (1 year)
Farm (2-way): Byron, Cundari, Breen, Bouma, Aliu, Taylor

Free agency:
You never know who will sign where, so these are a crapshoot.

Filppula: 4 years/ 5 million per year
Clarkson: 4 years/ 4.5 million per year
Stalberg: 4 years/2.5 million per year
Regehr: 2 years/3 million per year

Trades
I tried to make these realistic, but that is always subjective... I don't think Tanguay or Sarich are tradable right now.

I think the Flames need to trade a smaller LW to get tougher. Cammalleri has a NTC so he will probably want to go to a good team, and the Devils need some forwards for next season and have cap space. Still, he may be difficult to move at $6 million even for just 1 season.

Cammalleri to Devils for a 2014 2nd

Several teams need cap relief, especially the Flyers. Meszaros is a UFA after next season, has no NTC, and a $4 million cap hit.

2014 3rd to Flyers for Meszaros... wouldn't mind trying to get Grossman instead if he would waive his NTC for Calgary (why would he do that though )

2014 Roster:

Tanguay-Filppula-Clarkson
Glencross-Backlund-Stempniak
Stalberg-Stajan-Hudler
Baertschi-MacKinnon-Jackman
Extras: Horak, McGratton, B. Jones

Brodie-Wideman
Giordano-Meszaros
Butler-Regehr
Extras: Smith, Sarich, Breen

Kiprusoff (ya I hope he comes back)
Ramo/Berri

Looking at that roster, the Flames could actually use Iginla back. RW is weak and there are not many RW UFAs out there. Some may think the idea is ridiculous, but I think it is worth consideration depending on the contract he wants. I hope they could compete for a playoff spot, but it won't be easy.

[Bingo]

I'll be curious what they do with the min to max of the cap ... they've always been a near the cap team.

I think i read somewhere (though it was tough to find) that the min is 44.3 next year and the Flames don't need to do a whole lot to get over that hump. Initially I was worried that with Iginla, Bouwmeester and Kiprusoff gone they'd have to sing junk to get to the minimum (also gives them the opportunity to take other team's garbage along with picks in the summer) but that may not be the case.

It will be interesting

[Dion]

The interesting situation will be the players made available by teams due to compliance buyouts and wether there will be any young players the Flames might be interested in.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Dion

The interesting situation will be the players made available by teams due to compliance buyouts and wether there will be any young players the Flames might be interested in.

Any young players bought out will be a long ways from being positive difference makers. Some Comeaus perhaps.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by timbit

Any young players bought out will be a long ways from being positive difference makers.

I don't expect them to be positive makers. We need more prospects and if there are some good ones why not sign them?

[bubbsy]

i really hope management is patient and realize, while swallowing their pride, that the roster they have built is complete and utmost garbage, for every position, and turning things around quickly is likely a gamble that won't work.

I am not going to guess what they do, but i do bet that CP will mull over the phrase "post apex players" when analyzing the UFAs/Trades targetted in the offseason.

[bucksmasher]

As much as I like Regher I would not want to see his bad defensive habits back on this team. Ya he's a bull around his own net but he makes some pretty bad plays moving the puck forward. I wouldn't want to see Brodie or any other young D picking up his bad habits. Its so bad that teams dump the puck directly to Regher and then steal it back 20' from the goal.

[genetic_phreek]

This is my line-up:
Glencross - Backlund - Horton
Baertschi - Mackinnon - Hudler
Stalberg - Stajan - Horak
Bouma - Reinhart - McGrattan
Byron

Giordano - Brodie
Breen - Wideman
Smith - Butler
Exelby

Ramo
Khudobin
Kipper

note: bolded are the ones that would be new to the lineup, not just new to the team.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by bucksmasher

As much as I like Regher I would not want to see his bad defensive habits back on this team. Ya he's a bull around his own net but he makes some pretty bad plays moving the puck forward. I wouldn't want to see Brodie or any other young D picking up his bad habits. Its so bad that teams dump the puck directly to Regher and then steal it back 20' from the goal.

Totally agree with you. It's time to try new guys and no more bringing back old guys.

[Jake]

I see Horton in a lot of rosters here. If healthy, he would be a great addition, but I'm skeptical he will be able to stay healthy based on the last couple of seasons.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by Jake

I see Horton in a lot of rosters here. If healthy, he would be a great addition, but I'm skeptical he will be able to stay healthy based on the last couple of seasons.

Yeah you're right about his injuries but this is best case scenario if he's healthy. He can skate, has a great shot, and he's a big physical guy that we're lacking right now. Plus, he's still a couple years away from 30.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'll be curious what they do with the min to max of the cap ... they've always been a near the cap team.

I think i read somewhere (though it was tough to find) that the min is 44.3 next year and the Flames don't need to do a whole lot to get over that hump. Initially I was worried that with Iginla, Bouwmeester and Kiprusoff gone they'd have to sing junk to get to the minimum (also gives them the opportunity to take other team's garbage along with picks in the summer) but that may not be the case.

It will be interesting

The interesting part is what teams will do to get under the cap.

Notables,

Vancouver- 15 players signed- $1.4m in cap space
Philadelphia- 18 players signed - $2.2m in cap space
Tampa Bay -19 players signed- $3.3m in cap space

There will be a lot of good players available due to this 64.3m cap. and I think you'll see a tonne of offer sheets on RFA's as well.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Jake

I see Horton in a lot of rosters here. If healthy, he would be a great addition, but I'm skeptical he will be able to stay healthy based on the last couple of seasons.

Calgary had two assets. Cap space and risk tolerance. Horton is exactly the kind of player we should target. The risk of injury is the only reason he might be in reach.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

If MacKinnon does indeed make the jump next season, and the Philly trade is unrealistic, you could run with a lineup like

Tanguay - Backlund - Hudler
Glencross - Stajan - Stempniak
Baertschi - MacKinnon - Horak
Byron - Bouma - McGrattan

Flames will be drafting from the top again with this line-up. I can't stand the idea of watching the whole season of the hockey we are seeing now. How can anyone see Backlund on the first line? He is OK but, seriously, top line? Third, at best. The sad reality is Flames do not have top-tier prospects in the pipeline. This is nobody's fault. Just a reality of playing in the middle for several seasons. There are good UFA's coming available this summer. I hope Feaster gets busy and signs 2-3 big and serious players to build the team around. I really do.

[The Voice of Reason]

I fully expect the Flames to go hard at replenishing the roster during the summer with an eye on completing for a playoff spot next season. This could be doing something like picking up Brad Richards on waivers when the Rangers attempt to amnesty his contract, or picking up some other high priced/under achieving talent that the high spending teams of the league (Flyers, Canucks, Blackhawks, etc.) are trying to jettison to get under the cap next season.

I don't believe that the current front office has the patience or desire to do a rebuild. I also predict that the Flames strike out in the UFA market, ending up severely over paying someone like Clarkson or Ryder just to make a splash.

[Mister Yamoto]

I hope the Flames stay away from bought out players. Out of Mcarty, Amonte and Bertuzzi only Bertuzzi was OK. And he was just OK.

If another team is willing to pay the player to stay away, that tells you all that you need to know.