Do not trade Iginla thread

[bubbsy]

seeing iggy be moved will be a sad day for all of us, no matter how much we are harping that it must happen.

That being said, the chance at refreshing the franchise with a new direction, plus the chance to see iggy on a team going on a deep playoff run, will be as rewarding (likely more) rather than watching this team and iggy spinning their wheels and sucking till he retires.

[kyuss275]

Iggy is my favourite player in the NHL but its time for change. This team needs to go in a new direction. I think the worst thing that could happen is if he signs a retirement contract,to stay with flames, for what Doan got or more. I really think he will cost $6 million a year. I rather see him traded to Vancouver or Edmonton ( my two most hated teams) rather than sign a retirement contract with the flames.

This is not a popularity contest or a retirement home, its time for the flames organization to do whats best for the future.

[Puppet Guy]

I think Iggy's been tired of being "The Man" for a few years. Send him somewhere where he can win the Cup without being the face of the team, and it'll revive him.

[Sheva #7]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

The dilemma I have is this.

Iggy didn't make Stempniak center the pick for a point blank chance that was a killer last game. Didn't make Butler cough it up behind the net vs Nashville. Didn't make Bouwmeester completely blind to Fisher cruising through the crease and waiting for the tap

The guy is the face of the franchise, best player, still draws the toughest competition, and again doesn't even have a center. He still wins board battles, plowed through guys last game. He does backcheck, and has broken up enough plays. He fights to spark the team...And no response.

Maybe he can not singlehandedly will them to wins. But he is not losing the games. He is still dangerous and contributing, not Iggy circa 2001-2009, but still the most dangerous player on the team. He is surrounded by losers.

Iginla was in the conversation about who has scored the most goals since the last lockout. And he plays for a team who gives the next highest dollars to a cream puff who has been on the ice for more goals against than any other player in the entire NHL the past 4 years.

It is hard to score the goals you need to win in this league. It is easy to have lapses that result in GA.

I don't want to see him traded because I know he is not the problem. He is still often the most dangerous guy on the ice and draws the toughest assignments. Which, even if he is producing a touch behind (short season, slow start, and he is sometimes streaky), should make it easier for the other lines. No C with a 2 way game and soft and/or stupid D are the problem.

We all know the C defensive game is way more important than the W, but you still hear comparisons to the 2 way game of Captains like Toews.

It is rare and a great story when a legend spends a career with a team. Sakic and Yzerman did it, but didn't play without supporting casts. Too bad that Calgary has made so many lousy decisions over the years that it and Iginla are being railroaded in to an unglamorous one.

The guy is not the problem on the ice, is a sure hall of famer, and has game left. But surrounded by a suboptimal lineup, and guys who can't elevate their game.

THIS. we need to change people around him, not him. Over the last few weeks, I saw the guy fight, backhchek and try his hardest to once again throw Flames on his back. To me, it looks like Iginla DOES care and does want to win here. All these nonsense talk that he's checked out is rubbish. Maybe the team has but not the captain, trade cream-puff Tanguay, lazy GlenX, prima donna Bouwmeester, and stupid Butler but do not move Iggy. The guy bleeds flaming C and we need to keep him.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Sheva #7

THIS. we need to change people around him, not him. Over the last few weeks, I saw the guy fight, backhchek and try his hardest to once again throw Flames on his back. To me, it looks like Iginla DOES care and does want to win here. All these nonsense talk that he's checked out is rubbish. Maybe the team has but not the captain, trade cream-puff Tanguay, lazy GlenX, prima donna Bouwmeester, and stupid Butler but do not move Iggy. The guy bleeds flaming C and we need to keep him.

They have changed the players around him. How many times do you want the flames to do that?

[flambers]

Sure I would like to see him retire with the Flames but the Flames are a struggling team....

They need to start over and the most marketable asset is the Captain.

I am not sure, he will resign with the Flames.... Who knows if the Ownership will ever allow Iginla to be traded.

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

They have changed the players around him. How many times do you want the flames to do that?

This is pretty much it.

The only two elements of the club that haven't changed since the '04 run have been Iginla and Kipper. Everything else has changed, from support players, to coaches to GMs and the team isn't getting better.

As much Iggy is an amazing person and the greatest flame of all time, it's time to move on. It's like watching one of those train wreck relationships where neither party wants to leave the other one and it's they're both not moving forward. It pains me to say it, but it's time to cut the cord and usher in a new era for the team.

[EddyBeers]

This thread reminds me of the I Believe thread from a month ago.

[Nasty]

10 days left until we officially become the oilers

[Reign of Fire]

I am with you, you don't move out a legend just cause management has screwed up all these years. Iggy should remain a Flame and retire with the team.

Plus I think Feaster and King are the ones that need to go...I don't trust them to do anything right.

[Reign of Fire]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

They have changed the players around him. How many times do you want the flames to do that?

They can keep doing that, but have they been successful in bringing in the right ppl. GMs have failed to surround him with the right people. Failed at the draft, failed in FA and failed in trading for the right ppl

[Nasty]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

They can keep doing that, but have they been successful in bringing in the right ppl. GMs have failed to surround him with the right people. Failed at the draft, failed in FA and failed in trading for the right ppl

As much as i agree with you, a star player should be able to make any player around him better and be able to continue the same success regardless of the players around him, like crosby and toews. I still agree that you cant put onus on just one guy about all the teams struggles

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

They can keep doing that, but have they been successful in bringing in the right ppl. GMs have failed to surround him with the right people. Failed at the draft, failed in FA and failed in trading for the right ppl

Iggy is going to be 36 next year, you can't build a team around a 36 year old.

Also were are these "greater players" going to come from? Even if there was a high profile UFA he would not sign with a team that has missed the playoffs 4 years in a row. The players they draft this year and drafted last year are going to be many years away from being top 6. Do you really think that the rest of the players on the team can garner back top 6 players in trade? Maybe JBO, but thats about it and then you need to fill in his spot somehow.

[LouCypher]

Like many here Ive watched him his whole career, ultimately I would prefer to see him raise the cup wearing a Flames jersey.

I wouldnt feel bad if he did re-sign and retire here. I would feel bad though if the team thinks they can win with him, without building and developing and drafting the right team to do it. Doing what they have been doing the past few seasons hasn't worked, they are no closer to being a contender then they were when we started missing the playoffs.

If he is traded it should be to make the team better in the long run, no stop gaps or shortcuts to winning.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

They can keep doing that, but have they been successful in bringing in the right ppl. GMs have failed to surround him with the right people. Failed at the draft, failed in FA and failed in trading for the right ppl

This is why I wonder if Iginla would ever leave Calgary, the bar for him is so low in this town he is still a hero on a last place team.

If the Flames do not have success it is because the right people were not brought in to help Jarome

What limited success the Flames have is because of Jarome

For years and years and years the wrong people have been brought in to help Jarome succeed, whether it is Langkow, Amonte, Bertuzzi, Huselius, Tanguay, Cammalleri, Jokinen, Bourque, Glencross, Kipper, Phaneuf, Regehr, Hamrlik, Aucoin, Stuart, Nolan, Leopold, Bouwmeester, they were all the wrong people.

If only the right people were brought in Jarome could have proceeded beyond the First round of the playoffs.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Maybe he can not singlehandedly will them to wins. But he is not losing the games. He is still dangerous and contributing, not Iggy circa 2001-2009, but still the most dangerous player on the team. He is surrounded by losers.

That's the thing,

For Example. The Home game this season when the Flames took Chicago to a shootout. In the 3rd period I could see for a couple shifts leading up to the go-ahead goal, Iginla and Cammaleri had decided they would take over the game. And they did, they were playing against some of the best players in the league and there was no question they would score.

He still can be impactful, But its just not happening often enough anymore. He needs a change to reignite him.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

I am with you, you don't move out a legend just cause management has screwed up all these years. Iggy should remain a Flame and retire with the team.

Plus I think Feaster and King are the ones that need to go...I don't trust them to do anything right.

Why would he want to do that? Just for the simple pleasure of saying he played for one team his whole career? If you were Iggy would you be satisfied knowing you're going to play out your last 2-3-4 years on a losing team with 0.02% chance of winning a cup? I know I wouldn't.

I just don't get the whole "don't trade Iggy" thing, in fact it seems kind of selfish to me. Iggy staying here is good for nobody except the fans that love him and never want to see him wear another jersey. It certainly doesn't help the Calgary Flames franchise, they are way too far off from being a contender to ever hope to have Iggy as a part of another magical run. And I don't think it helps Iggy either, unless the man simply has no desire left to win, one would think he would be enjoying himself much more on a contending team where he wouldn't have to carry the entire load.

It's time to move on, and I think (hope) that is now clear to both Iggy and the Flames.

[Reign of Fire]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Iggy is going to be 36 next year, you can't build a team around a 36 year old.

Also were are these "greater players" going to come from? Even if there was a high profile UFA he would not sign with a team that has missed the playoffs 4 years in a row. The players they draft this year and drafted last year are going to be many years away from being top 6. Do you really think that the rest of the players on the team can garner back top 6 players in trade? Maybe JBO, but thats about it and then you need to fill in his spot somehow.

I was talking about over the years, we haven't had one GM during Iginla's career that made the right moves to put a solid team together...the reason the team has missed 4 years in a row is cause the GMs have been terrible on this team. For ones they need to do their homework and bring in a GM that can actually build a team. Otherwise trading Igilnas and Kippers isn't going to solve anything. I have feeling we are going to become the Islanders of the West.

[Otto29]

The fact remains that this is not managements decision...its totally Iggy's decision. I don't want to see him go but after watching a few interviews he looks and sounds like a broken man. Not sure if going to another team is the answer. He has established himself and his family in the community here and that will play a bigger part in any decision than money or even a cup I think. Iggy is only a few year from retirement and he very well may take a hometown discount because this is his home town now.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

They can keep doing that, but have they been successful in bringing in the right ppl. GMs have failed to surround him with the right people. Failed at the draft, failed in FA and failed in trading for the right ppl

but this is why you can't keep Iggy.

We don't have young players that would allow Iggy to drop to the second line for sheltered minutes.

There is no one to step up, and the horrible strategy of trading picks (notably 2nd rounders) for "help now" players have absolutely crippled this organization's future (lousy, lousy drafting aside).

So, the choice is to leave Iggy, hanging in the wind, fans expecting him to carry this team on his 36yr old back, never having the chance to win the Cup, being the captain of a mediocre, rudderless team with no foreseeable plan in sight.

Is that what people want for Iggy. Hell, is that even what Iggy wants?