Offseason Changes - What will they look like for Calgary?

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by blankall

Meh..Baertschi is the equivalen of a top 5 pick. With that pick, we got the tank without having to tank.

I know that. We need more than just Bart and our 1st pick this year to build an elite core.

[Roof-Daddy]

Pretty crazy the cap flexibility this team has for next year.

If you:

1. Count all the current contracts
2. Count all the young guys currently on the roster now
3. Count all the RFA's that will probably be re-signed, and include the close to NHL ready guys

....by my count, that's a 22 man roster with roughly $15 million of cap space left over.

That includes Kipper as well, who may be traded or retire.

Hopefully management doesn't muddy that up by handing out any awful contracts.

[Poe969]

and that includes keeping both Tangs and Cammy (I honestly can't see either of those two on the team going forward)

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Trades:
Alex Tanguay to Chicago for Niklas Hjalmarsson

Sign:
Nathan Horton 5.0 million for 3 years
David Clarkson 4.0 million for 2 years
Anton Khudobin 2.0 million for 4 years

2013-2014:
Cammalleri-Mackinnon-Horton
Baertschi-Backlund-Clarkson
Glencross-Stajan-Hudler
Bouma-Reinhart-Horak

Hjalmarsson-Giordano
Brodie-Wideman
Breen-Butler

Khudobin
Ramo

2014 Trade Deadline:
Mike Cammalleri for a 1st round pick
Jiri Hudler for a 1st round pick

2014 Off-Season:
Draft Aaron Ekblad

2014-2015:
Baertschi-Mackinnon-Horton
Gaudreau-Backlund-Clarkson
Glencross-Stajan-Horak
Bouma-Reinhart-Arnold

Hjalmarsson-Brodie
Giordano-Ekblad
Wideman-Wotherspoon

Khudobin/Ramo
Brossoit

2015 Trade Deadline:
Matt Stajan for a 2nd round pick
David Clarkson for a 1st round pick
Dennis Wideman for a 1st round pick

2015 Off-Season:
Draft Connor McDavid
Sign Patrick Kane for 7.0 million for 5 years

2015-2016
Baertschi-Mackinnon-Kane
Gaudreau-McDavid-Horton
Granlund-Backlund-Horak
Bouma-Reinhart-Arnold

Brodie-Ekblad
Giordano-Hjalmarsson
Wotherspoon-Seiloff

Brossoit
Gillies

Then you sit back and wait for these guys to develop (around 2 seasons) with a prospect pool that is filled with young guys. 5 year plan and we are contending!

Other guys in the system:
Mark Jankowski
8 First Round picks
Many other draft picks and guys like Agostino and Hankowski

we arent gonna be bad enough to draft ekblad or mcdavid with those teams. Chicago wont lose Kane. Gettingone of Horton/Clarkson would be a smart move this offseason if we can pay them enough to come to this sinking ship.

[Mattman]

We could have done this at the deadline but it still works at the draft day:

Taungay
Cammy
Butler
2014 2nd

For

Silfverberg
Lehner

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Mattman

We could have done this at the deadline but it still works at the draft day:

Taungay
Cammy
Butler
2014 2nd

For

Silfverberg
Lehner

no chance the senators trade Lehner.

[Husky]

No clue why clarkson is even being mentioned. Hell be 30. Plus after his crazy start he has something like 2 or 3 goals in his last 20 games. Pass!

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Mattman

We could have done this at the deadline but it still works at the draft day:

Taungay
Cammy
Butler
2014 2nd

For

Silfverberg
Lehner

Says who? The Sens aren't trading two very promising young players for a couple of over the hill veterans.

[Dime_On_Flames]

Originally Posted by Husky

No clue why clarkson is even being mentioned. Hell be 30. Plus after his crazy start he has something like 2 or 3 goals in his last 20 games. Pass!

A Prust type, heart and soul kind of player with way more offensive upside, in his prime.... what's the problem?

These are exactly the type of players you want to mentor the young guys. He's captain material.

[Ashasx]

Clarkson is like a far worse skating Glencross with a harder shot.

[killer_carlson]

Ill take whatever draft picks we get if RFA Butler signs elsewhere.

[Roof-Daddy]

I think Tanguay would be a good fit in Columbus. He's a very similar player to Prospal (who is a scheduled UFA) but Alex is 5 years younger. The Jackets have a very solid D, and Bob looks like the real deal, but IMO they could use an upgrade to their top six LW, and maybe a setup guy for recently acquired Gaborik.

I have literally no idea what his value would be in a trade, but the BJs might be willing to part with the LA first rounder for immediate and long term (multiple years) forward help, which IMO is exactly what Tanguay could be for them.

They'd probably rather find a younger guy to fill that role for them if possible, especially at the cost of a first rounder, but you never know I guess. To pick up a fourth 1st rounder in this draft would be unreal though, even if three of them would be in the 20 to 30 range.

If the 1st is too steep, the BJ's do still have their 2nd rounder so maybe something coul be worked around that plus a prospect or a gritty 20-25 year old player.

[Husky]

Originally Posted by Dime_On_Flames

A Prust type, heart and soul kind of player with way more offensive upside, in his prime.... what's the problem?

These are exactly the type of players you want to mentor the young guys. He's captain material.

And will most likely command 4+ million. Pass.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Husky

And will most likely command 4+ million. Pass.

What does that matter? Curious, because I don't see the team in any cap issues in the next couple years and I don't see them using their remaining cap space on any impact player that will bring them to the promise land.

If you've watched Kiprusoff get run game in and game out this season, and dirty hits go unanswered night after night you got to agree there's a need for more team toughness, no? I don't want the Flames rebuild stalled because their up and coming players get injured or become afraid to go into the dirty areas after being pummelled too often. Grab someone who will take exceptions to late hits and unnecessary plays before filling the rest of the roster with 20 year old 170 pound kids.

Clarkson seems to fit a role where he can play on a line with the youngins but still produce some form of offense while bringing toughness.

My only concern is, like Glencross, when he's hot he forgets what he's suppose to bring to the team and begins to believe himself a reincarnation of Gretzky. But when he's playing his game, he's all about that gritty, hard work playstyle that I would love to see rub off on the kids coming up (no double entendre in that last sentence...)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Ill take whatever draft picks we get if RFA Butler signs elsewhere.

Because the alternative of icing an AHL defense is better? Butler is the least of this team's problems and actually an underappreciated player around here.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Because the alternative of icing an AHL defense is better? Butler is the least of this team's problems and actually an underappreciated player around here.

I wouldn't even tender Butler a qualifying offer and let him walk and sign another 3rd pairing defenseman instead.

[Ryan Coke]

Butler is an example of getting too concerned with age. Sure he is the 'right' age in his prime, but it doesn't change the fact that he is a very replaceable player.

I don't hate him, and it won't bother me if he is here next year. But as the team starts to improve, he is a guy you want to try to find a better replacement for.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Butler is still getting better as time goes by.

It takes YEARS for guys who are alreay physically mature and to improve substantially at the NHL level, and I think Butler has been doing this, slowly but surely. He will likely peak as a solid 2nd pairing guy, at which point he will likely bring some value to the organization (either through trade or with a good contract).

Flames fans better get used to the concept of having patience with a player over the course of several seasons, or this is going to be an even more painful rebuild than it needs to be.

[Ryan Coke]

Yeah, he is ok. But he is not particularly good at anything either. He isn't big and strong, certainly not physical, not a good shot, not a great puck mover, and merely an ok skater. To me there is nothing about his game that makes him irreplaceable, and it has nothing to do with letting young players develop. I've got lots of patience to let Brodie make mistakes, because he has so much upside.

Like I said, he is fine for now, but with a limited upside he is a guy that eventually you try to improve the talent level at his position to make him expendable.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I wouldn't even tender Butler a qualifying offer and let him walk and sign another 3rd pairing defenseman instead.

That'd be horrific asset management.

Sign him and then trade him if you wanna get rid of him.