Would you sign Brad Richards to a 3yr $3mil contract this summer?

[topfiverecords]

No Post-Apex players. /end thread

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

He should be a decent mentor to Lindholm/Monahan/Barkov if the Flames pick one of them.

i agree. The flames are still going to need a veteran center to mentor our young centers. At $3 million you can't go wrong, unless posters think Stajan should be that guy .

The problem with the thread is that he would probably sign with a lot of teams for $3million, but when it comes to the flames i am sure it would take more. At that stage i don't want him.

[Bertuzzied]

HELL NO! Bad Richards is Bad Richards

Besides Calgary is too far from PEI.... loser.

[Ozy_Flame]

The fact that he was benched in the conference semi-finals of the playoffs is all the reason I need to say no way.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

No Post-Apex players. /end thread

Good luck with making that happen. Find a team in the NHL that has 0 post apex players on it, don't think you can.

We need to fill our roster with NHL capable players, and we don't have enough prospects or current roster players who are NHL ready and pre apex to do that, so you are going to have to accept some post apex players. What you don't have to accept is giving up pre apex assets to get post apex players, that would be a foolish move by the Flames at this point.

[FlamesAddiction]

On 2nd thought, it might be worth it just to hope he comes around and we could flip him for a pick or prospect at the deadline. If he wants an NTC or NMC then absolutely no though.

[Phanuthier]

Its kind of funny to look back... dealt Regehr+2nd+salary dump (Kotalik) for Butler+Byron, to open up room to make a huge offer to Brad Richards. When that failed, tried to make an offer for Ryan Smyth.

Regehr - key defenseman for a pretty dominant LA team... got Buffalo 2 2nd round picks
Brad Richards - healthy scratch in playoff eliminating game, about to be bought out of a 12 year contract
Ryan Smyth - junk
2nd round pick - ???
Butler - we all know
Byron - in fairness to him, injured last year

In a league of only 30 GM positions, you have to think there's got to be a better GM candidate out there.

[Locke]

If he would be willing to sign here then I think we sign him. If for no other reason than to improve the centre position.

[FanIn80]

No. If we're going young, then we need to see what we have. The only way to do that is to put them on the ice when it counts, like the start of a new season for example. Once we figure out what we have to work with, in terms of a new core, then we can add pieces that we're missing.

It should be noted, however, that Brad Richards is not a piece that we'll be needing. If we're going to augment youth with experience, that's fine, but we still want players that will be able to keep up. 5-6 years NHL experience is good for that role. Anything over that is just going to be counter productive. I see no value in going with a young core, only to have to slow them all down to keep up with grizzled vet or two.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

No. If we're going young, then we need to see what we have. The only way to do that is to put them on the ice when it counts, like the start of a new season for example. Once we figure out what we have to work with, in terms of a new core, then we can add pieces that we're missing.

It should be noted, however, that Brad Richards is not a piece that we'll be needing. If we're going to augment youth with experience, that's fine, but we still want players that will be able to keep up. 5-6 years NHL experience is good for that role. Anything over that is just going to be counter productive. I see no value in going with a young core, only to have to slow them all down to keep up with grizzled vet or two.

That's fine and well, if you have reasonable prospects to fill the roles. We don't need to dive any deeper at Centre. We can't roll with a line up of Backlund, Reinhart, Horak and Byron up the middle for example. That will just slow down their and everyone else arounds them's development. They will be playing so far over their heads it will be useless. Pushing players up a notch or two during development is fine, asking a career AHL player outside shot at 3rd / 4th liner to take top 9 minutes on a regular basis does nothing for their development or the development of the other prospects playing around them. Do you actually think that will be helpful for Sven's development for example?

[Ashasx]

You can't go all youth with no good veterans. That's why the Oilers are so bad.

Richards is a Conn Smythe winner and a good role model for younger players to follow. If he's willing to sign here for a decent price, then we should sign him.

[handgroen]

yeah sure, what the hell.
still gonna put up nice numbers and would be good for him to play with sven, so sven can get his career off to a prolific start. Can't underestimate how much scoring is beneficial to young players confidence.

[BigFlameDog]

The contract was always ridiculous but maybe he suffers from Big Apple syndrome....might be one of those guys who needs to play in a place like TB or Dallas.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Yes, but not for much longer term or higher salary.

I'd go 2x4.5M

So the same dollars for less time?

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

No Post-Apex players. /end thread

You got to have some guys who have a clue....there will be, at least, some "post apex" players.

[DionTheDman]

You can't ice a team with just a bunch of kids. You still have to put a competitive team on the ice. With all the cap space we have available, and with holes in the lineup to fill, what do we have to lose? It's not like he's a perpetual loser/project player (Jokinen) or a player who only had a few great seasons, mostly playing with specific players (Conroy).

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by valo403

So the same dollars for less time?

It's going to cost more per year with shorter term. I'd prefer 2 years at that price since that's when we're going to start needing cap space.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

No. If we're going young, then we need to see what we have. The only way to do that is to put them on the ice when it counts, like the start of a new season for example. Once we figure out what we have to work with, in terms of a new core, then we can add pieces that we're missing.

It should be noted, however, that Brad Richards is not a piece that we'll be needing. If we're going to augment youth with experience, that's fine, but we still want players that will be able to keep up. 5-6 years NHL experience is good for that role. Anything over that is just going to be counter productive. I see no value in going with a young core, only to have to slow them all down to keep up with grizzled vet or two.

The 5-6 years experience guys you speak of that can come in to mentor also have to be able to play. There are not going to be a lot, if any, top 6 young ufa 27-30 that are going to want to come to Calgary.

Feaster is going to regret his no " post apex" player comment. He might be able to get away with it this year, but more than likely he will have to trade some/most of our expiring vets at the deadline. Unless he choses to go the Edmonton route of youngsters, which he said he did not, he is going to have no choice but to pay for "post apex" players come 2014 summer.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Its kind of funny to look back... dealt Regehr+2nd+salary dump (Kotalik) for Butler+Byron, to open up room to make a huge offer to Brad Richards. When that failed, tried to make an offer for Ryan Smyth.

Regehr - key defenseman for a pretty dominant LA team... got Buffalo 2 2nd round picks
Brad Richards - healthy scratch in playoff eliminating game, about to be bought out of a 12 year contract
Ryan Smyth - junk
2nd round pick - ???
Butler - we all know
Byron - in fairness to him, injured last year

In a league of only 30 GM positions, you have to think there's got to be a better GM candidate out there.

Especially if one of them has the same model of hindsight goggles as you do

[Plett25]

We're not going to spend to the cap, so there's lots of room to sign him.

I'd pay him whatever it takes for a 1 year contract ($5-6-7 million?) cross my fingers for a good season and trade him at the deadline for a 1st + prospect.