Minor League UFA's & RFA's - Who Should We Keep/Let Go

[wireframe]

I'm surprised that so many posters on this board are ready to get rid of Stone. He was great for the Oilers, great for the Heat when healthy, and would likely take a discount to stay in Calgary, his hometown. Granted, a discount for stone probably means under $1m.

I think Stone's style is very similar to Nystrom's. I think TK, Jackman and Stone would make an incredible fourth line.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I 100% agree. I really think Stone is awesome really. Plays hard, can score, will fight, and he is a Calgary boy.

I was actually really very happy to hear that we had signed him last year. Looking forward to him having a good camp this year and forcing his way on.

[Beerfest]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I'm surprised that so many posters on this board are ready to get rid of Stone. He was great for the Oilers, great for the Heat when healthy, and would likely take a discount to stay in Calgary, his hometown. Granted, a discount for stone probably means under $1m.

I think Stone's style is very similar to Nystrom's. I think TK, Jackman and Stone would make an incredible fourth line.

Id give Stone a one year 600-700K contract nothing more though.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

I was reading the The Hockey News' Draft Preview from 2003 and they sum up Ryan Stone's play very well:

Ryan Stone is as tough as they come and a player you don't want to annoy, unless you like a serving of leather lunch in the form of a glove in the face.

I loved watching Stone in Abbotsford and would like to see him make the big club. Like wireframe said, a TK/Stone/Jackman line would be one of the better fourth lines in the league IMO.

[Yanda]

Keetley is the new Brent Krahn, just ran out of time.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Yanda

Keetley is the new Brent Krahn, just ran out of time.

I don't really see the comparison at all. Krahn was derailed due to numerous knee injures his whole time with the Flames. Keetley didn't have the same injury issues. Krahn was a much better prospect, Keetley's always been a longshot.

They are both goalies out of the WHL drafted by the Flames who were over 6 feet tall, that's about all they have in common I'd say.

[Lunatik]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I'm surprised that so many posters on this board are ready to get rid of Stone. He was great for the Oilers, great for the Heat when healthy, and would likely take a discount to stay in Calgary, his hometown. Granted, a discount for stone probably means under $1m.

I think Stone's style is very similar to Nystrom's. I think TK, Jackman and Stone would make an incredible fourth line.

I like Stone, but I just don't see him making the big club and I'd like to see the Flames pick up some more offensively talented players for Abbotsford

[flamesaresmokin]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

There is no reason to keep Pelech - you are just wasting one of your 50 contracts at this point...

Totally agree. At this point there is no reason at all that Pelech should be retained. He was drafted 6 years ago, has only played more then 60 games in a season once and is not improving. Sad to say but this guys is done.

I'd like to say chucko should go as well but would be more willing to give him one more year to turn into something we can use at the nhl level. He's at least shown he can put up a few points at the ahl level.

[flamesaresmokin]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I 100% agree. I really think Stone is awesome really. Plays hard, can score, will fight, and he is a Calgary boy.

I was actually really very happy to hear that we had signed him last year. Looking forward to him having a good camp this year and forcing his way on.

Stone is exactly the type of player we need up here. As opposed signing veterans to two year contracts with million dollar cap hits that don't really do a better job of anything....besides being veteran.

[Beerfest]

Originally Posted by flamesaresmokin

Totally agree. At this point there is no reason at all that Pelech should be retained. He was drafted 6 years ago, has only played more then 60 games in a season once and is not improving. Sad to say but this guys is done.

I'd like to say chucko should go as well but would be more willing to give him one more year to turn into something we can use at the nhl level. He's at least shown he can put up a few points at the ahl level.

If you're saying the Flames should get rid of Pelech because he was drafted in 05 and has had injury issues, not sure why you would want to keep Chucko who was drafted in 04 and has his share of injury issues also.

[Thumper17]

I really think Feaster should clean house, our prospects suck.

Maybe let some of our ECHL guys try out the AHL for a season to see if they are any good. Maybe Tanguay will stick around if we sign his kid brother.

[Beerfest]

Originally Posted by Thumper17

I really think Feaster should clean house, our prospects suck.

Maybe let some of our ECHL guys try out the AHL for a season to see if they are any good. Maybe Tanguay will stick around if we sign his kid brother.

So you want Feaster to clean house, but give ECHL guys (who are likely worse) chances?

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Thumper17

I really think Feaster should clean house, our prospects suck.

Maybe let some of our ECHL guys try out the AHL for a season to see if they are any good. Maybe Tanguay will stick around if we sign his kid brother.

Calgary's ECHL guys are Hugo Carpentier, Bryan Cameron, Josh Meyers and Ryley Grantham. On an AHL team that was riddled with injuries and devoid of much offensive flair, these guys couldn't hack it.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Beerfest

So you want Feaster to clean house, but give ECHL guys (who are likely worse) chances?

How about signing some NCAA free agents or overage CHLers instead of sticking with the status quo? Believe that prospects like Pelech/Chucko have had their chance and the time has come to look at new faces who might be able to come in and show something. Granted, my source of information is limited towhat is in the Hockey News and internet websites but would be interesting if we could make some signings out of the college/overage chl ranks as the organization has a history (you do have to go a ways back) of finding prospects who became regular nhl players.

It's been eerily quiet on the off season front player personnel wise (understand on the pro level as most transactions put on hold until the cup final is over, but other teams have been very active with collegiate signings), with most announcements concerning the front office/coaching staff. Would be exciting to see some new blood come into the organization and worst come to worst, stock up the ECHL affiliate. Many of us lament the lack of quality prospects in the pipeline and it wouldn't hurt the organization to roll the dice on a couple of free agent pick ups. Some may work like Chris Breen appears to be, some may not like Bryan Cameron has shown to date (still time for him to develop though).

[Canada 02]

I'd be surprised if Pelech, Armstrong and Baldwin are not qualified

Stone might get a UFA offer; Chucko might get one partly because of his former 1st round status, the fact that he has consistently been among the best conditioned prospects at camp, and his last healthy season he put up 28 goals and 51 points

[wireframe]

Originally Posted by Beerfest

Id give Stone a one year 600-700K contract nothing more though.

I can't imagine Stone is asking for much more than that. He would probably accept a contract similar to Carson's, close to league minimum on a one-way deal. Of course, Feaster would have to unload one of the other centers, hopefully Stajan, before there would be any room for Stone on the big club.

[Beerfest]

Goalies

RFA - Leland Irving - Qualifed
UFA - Matt Keetley

Defenseman

RFA - Brendan Mikkelson - Qualifed
RFA - Matt Pelech
RFA - Josh Meyers
RFA - Gord Baldwin

Forwards

RFA - John Armstrong
RFA - Hugo Carpentier
UFA - Kris Chucko
UFA - Cam Cunning
UFA - Ryan Stone

[JiriHrdina]

So at this point I would predict Armstrong and Pelech get offers. The rest are cut loose.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

So at this point I would predict Armstrong and Pelech get offers. The rest are cut loose.

It's tough to say. Watching Baldwin last season, he seemed like he was just as good as Brad Cole in the previous season. They're both big hitters who play the shutdown defenseman role.

Brad Cole is a year older than Baldwin. I would suspect Feaster may give Baldwin one more year to see if he's worth it. Then, let him go if he isn't.

[Eddie Bronze]

Hugo Carpentier has signed a contract to play with Marquis de Saguenay in the LNAH.

Link: http://marquis.lnah.com/nouvelle.aspx?i=8255