Do You Want Kipper Back Next Year? (not for purposes of trading him)

[St. Pats]

Get on with it. Don't look back now that the rebuild has started. No Kipper. No Tanguay. If they can move Cammy then send him packing as well. Keep vets that play solid two way hockey. Dump the rest.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by FAN

I don't understand. If Feaster thinks that one of Ramo, Berra, or MacDonald will step up and become the team's #1 goaltender next season and Feaster isn't going to go out and acquire another potential #1 goalie if Kipper isn't coming back, how does Kipper coming back mean the team is another season away from seriously looking for our next starter? Kipper coming back doesn't mean he'll play 70 games. He might not even play 60. The team will find out whether Ramo or Berra would be ready to be the next starter next season with or without Kipper.

As for Kipper's cap hit. The chances are the team won't be up against the cap next season even with Kipper on the roster.

You answered your own question. Feaster is unable to go out and acquire a #1 goalie if Kipper comes back. Plus, if Kipper is on the roster he is likely the number 1. And Kipper as the number 1 plays too many games. You can just say play him less. But Kipper wants to play and his team mates want him to play. Putting you in a lose lose situation.

Isn't Bernier/Ramo a better combination for a rebuilding team? Kipper gets in the way of that (and other) possibilities.

As for the cap, that is one of the very few assets we have. The combination of compliance buyouts and the dropping cap give us one of the few opportunities we have to turn things around. So spending close to 6 million (almost 10% of our cap) on a backup is a bad bad bad idea.

People that want Kipper back are just clutching onto the past. There is no good hockey reason to keep him. I mean if the guy was good this season then I could understand it. But a rebuilding team holding onto a 37 year old goalie who was one of the worst starters in the league this season doesn't make any sense.

[FanningTheFlames]

Nope, I completely agree with what Worth said -- we need to move forward. I would add to this a comment from another thread about how Kipper was always the first off the ice at practice. Should we even want him here if his heart is not really in it?

[Oling_Roachinen]

I feel it was his right to play the retirement card to prevent any trade due to the structure of the contract. But to play it and not retire after having his send off seems like it would cheapen his time here a bit. I'm sure I wouldn't complain if he came back and had an amazing season but I'd vote "nah." Time to move forward, leave the old guard behind.

Still think he would be a great fit on the Island.

[Rapidfire999]

Nope. I love Kipper but this team needs to move on and let the young guys prove themselves by being allowed to play A LOT

[GoFlamesGo89]

voted yes based on the fact that I still think he has lots in the tank as he showed at the end of the season. If he performs like he did a the beginning of the season though, I think he'd have to be benched.

[Bourque's Twin]

It's a new era for the Flames and it's time to move on.

[Robbob]

If he is willing to come back being paid 1.5 million then sure why not (which he probably would not do). We could probably use his 5 mil cap hit to get above the floor. If he wants an extension then I lean to no because any extension will be a guaranteed cap hit regardless if he plays or not since he is over 35.

Personally I would rather use his cap space to take on another teams problem contract for high draft picks in the next draft.

[kyuss275]

Poll neds another answer: yes, but he can not be treated like he has a NMC.


I don't get why if Kipper comes back and Ramo and others show they are worthy, that Kipper can not be traded?

[Miniac]

Yes

[wretched34]

With the team in full rebuild mode, he needs to retire.
Call this season an "off" season, because historically he has been an elite goaltender, but do you risk a $6M cap hit on what could be another "off" season, as he has no will to play for a losing club anymore? That cap space can turn into 2 or 3 young guys looking to break out in the NHL. Or 1 top UFA in his prime.
Aside from the cap hit, he'd also be eating up minutes, which doesn't help the development of our future. Rammo and Berra need to be given a shot, what's the worst that can happen? We finish 5 spots lower then we did this year?
As a fan, I fully expect another losing season, but at the same time, I expect to see the team start moving in the right direction, and having Kipper in net is not.
MacDonald showed this year that he can backstop this team just as well as a declining Kipper, posting just as many wins, in fewer games, with a lower GAA and higher SV%.
if Rammo and Berra are both given 20 starts, that should be more than enough to see which one is ready, or if both are. If one prevails, he stays and plays 1A/1B with macD, if both prevail, MacD is moved. If both fail miserably, MacD carries the load, and we draft high again.

[taxbuster]

(Sadly) voted no....not because I really don't want him back, but because the "goodbye" night was sooooooo emotional. It was a great way to say "Thanks!" to the best goalie we've ever had. The feeling in the 'Dome was incredible and there is really no way to top that, short of a Cup.

Do I want him back next year? Yes - for a visit when his number is retired.

[Cowperson]

If he has the same glassy-eyed, disinterested, "I've already checked out" look he had earlier in the year, then "No."

If he has the "I'm back and its cool to be here" look he had in the last few weeks of the year, then "Sure."

Just depend which guy wants to come back.

Cowperson

[driveway]

I believe that legacy is important in sports. If Kipper wants to play next year I would be happy to have him on the team. I don't want to offer him an extension, but if he wants to play he's earned it.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Love Kipper, but no thank you. With McDonald signed, I think both Kipper and the organization have moved on.

[edn88]

Goalies are like Sith lords. There should only be two, a master and an apprentice.

I would like Kipper to come in and play half the games and have one of the young guys come in and learn the craft.

If Kipper wants to retire and fish all day, then I am fine with McD playing that role.

[FAN]

Originally Posted by kehatch

You answered your own question. Feaster is unable to go out and acquire a #1 goalie if Kipper comes back. Plus, if Kipper is on the roster he is likely the number 1. And Kipper as the number 1 plays too many games. You can just say play him less. But Kipper wants to play and his team mates want him to play. Putting you in a lose lose situation.

You missed my point. As I said, "Of course, bringing Kipper back is based on the assumption that Feaster won't be acquiring a long-term #1 goalie solution and plan on going with Ramo, Berra, and MacDonald" to start the year. If Feaster acquired Bernier or a proven goalie like Miller, then ya I would hope Feaster convinces Kipper to retire. But if Feaster thinks the team is set in goal with Ramo, Berra, and MacDonald, then I want Feaster to convince Kipper to come back another year. I don't believe bringing back Kipper will have any effect on Feaster's ability to bring in the next #1 goalie once the season has started because realistically, if Ramo or Berra isn't the solution and there's a potential #1 goalie available, Feaster might make a trade out of desperation to save the season whereas with Kipper there, Feaster knows he has the offseason to address the problem. It would be foolish to think that bringing back Kipper would mean Feaster isn't on the lookout for the team's next #1 goalie.

As for Kipper's playing time. Who cares if Kipper wants to play. It's ultimately Hartley's decision and Feaster and Hartley better be on the same page as far as giving guys like Ramo enough playing time to audition for the role of the team's #1 goalie after Kipper.

[kipperfan]

Yeah, I would have him back – I am biased though as he is one of the few individual players I’ve ever cheered for. Crazier things have happened, but I see basically 0-1% chance Berra comes over and makes the team out of training camp next year – especially due to the fact that they likely wouldn’t put him in a backup situation at the NHL level, so he would have to come in and win the starting job – not going to happen. Macdonald is a backup, 1b at best, no chance he carries the mail. Which leaves Ramo, who is unsigned and at this point nobody can be sure he will ever sign a deal with the Flames/come to North America.

In my perfect world we put Macdonald on waivers or trade him for a ham sandwich or something, bring back Kipper for one more year, bring Ramo over and insert him in a 1b role behind Kipper’s 1a (with the hope Ramo move into the 1a role, pushing Kipper into the 1b as the season plays out). Bring Berra over and have him start the season as the starter in Abbotsford – if he excels and an NHL goalie fails or gets hurt, he gets his cup of coffee. If he pulls an Ortio and simply can’t cut it, start giving Brossoit some work and see how he looks and potentially send Berra back to Europe. Not sure how Danny Taylor fits into that mix, or if he does at all, but I do like the guy and wouldn’t mind seeing him re-signed (two way obviously).

[foofighter15]

I hated myself for doing but it but I had to vote no. Obviously I don't want to see him go and I think he would be a great leader in the locker room next year but he wasn't himself this year and I'd much rather he go out having a shaky shortened season than a rough full season.
Let the man fish.

[Parallex]

Nope.

Time to close out the Sutter Era and fully move on. Keeping him around does nothing. He had his moment with the fans let's let that moment be his send off.