[Signing] Flames sign Chris Butler (1yr, $1.7mil) and Chad Billins

[Roof-Daddy]

lol, I don't know why anyone would freak out over the Butler signing.

The Flames qualified him, so obviously a signing was imminent.

Weren't the Butler haters mentally prepared for this?

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The average NHL salary was $2.5 million last year. Butler is making 2/3rd the average salary.

Then it's a pity that I don't think he's 2/3 of an average player. I gave Butler the benefit of the doubt last year because Butter had him playing a top pairing role to which he is wholly unsuited, last year he got bottom pairing duties and he still sucked.

[davidbjordan]

how long before someone calls Billins letang/keith light?

[jlh2640]

The whipping boy returns ! Lets hope he helps us to be as awful as I expect.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Butler isn't as bad as people make him out to be. This place can be a real peanut gallery sometimes.

The average NHL salary was $2.5 million last year. Butler is making 2/3rd the average salary.

Butler is 2/3 of an average dman in the NHL. so overpaid at $1.7mil.

Unless he got a bonus for setting NHL records...

[_Q_]

Oh man... the Butler hate has always confused me.

He's not Lidstrom or Chara, but he's a decent enough #5 defenceman and gets paid as such.

I like this signing (the Butler one at least, not really sure who Billins is)

[Frank MetaMusil]

Why not go with Breen full time?

I don't get Feaster's love for this guy, he's like Blake Comeau on D that hits less.

I gotta agree with the minority, Butler sucks.

[mrdonkey]

Butler reminds me of those unflavoured rice cakes you buy at the store. They're cheap and they probably won't hurt you, but you're essentially paying for air.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Oh man... the Butler hate has always confused me.

He's not Lidstrom or Chara, but he's a decent enough #5 defenceman and gets paid as such.

I like this signing (the Butler one at least, not really sure who Billins is)

I don't get the hate either. He's not a solid top-4 by any means, but he can step into that role to fill in during injuries.

The issue is probably that he was at one point on the top pairing with JBo. As long as he's not being used on the top pairing for long periods of time, Butler is a good young d-man.

[MissTeeks]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Why not go with Breen full time?

I don't get Feaster's love for this guy, he's like Blake Comeau on D that hits less.

I gotta agree with the minority, Butler sucks.

Minority? Are we reading the same thread?

[Ulrith]

Originally Posted by blankall

The issue is probably that he was at one point on the top pairing with JBo. As long as he's not being used on the top pairing for long periods of time, Butler is a good young d-man.

I think that's the first time I've heard "Butler" and "good" in the same sentence.

On the bright side...Sam Reinhart?

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Then it's a pity that I don't think he's 2/3 of an average player. I gave Butler the benefit of the doubt last year because Butter had him playing a top pairing role to which he is wholly unsuited, last year he got bottom pairing duties and he still sucked.

No he didn't. He had a few brutal games just like everyone else on the team, but he was solid for the most part after the first few games of the season. I wouldn't want to see him on the top pairing again, but he's an adequate bottom pairing guy. I'd much rather keep him for a year until younger guys are ready to step in rather than going out and overpaying on a long term deal for a better D-man.

[puckluck2]

The Butler love is confusing. Who cares how much he makes? At league minimum I wouldn't want him and even of he donated his services for free I'd have no use for him.

In the words of Craig David every time Feaster takes one step forward he takes two steps back.

[Enoch Root]

Decent signings - Butler hate is unjustified.

Butler being in the top pairing with Bouwmeester, deserves hate. The Butler of last year, in a 5/6 role, does not.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Why not go with Breen full time?

I don't get Feaster's love for this guy, he's like Blake Comeau on D that hits less.

I gotta agree with the minority, Butler sucks.

Because Butler is a better player right now. He's been good enough to play for the last two USA World Championship teams yet Flames fans feel a slow skating AHL defenseman is better?

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by blankall

I don't get the hate either. He's not a solid top-4 by any means, but he can step into that role to fill in during injuries.

The issue is probably that he was at one point on the top pairing with JBo. As long as he's not being used on the top pairing for long periods of time, Butler is a good young d-man.

Yup, I would actually be fairly comfortable with Butler playing as the #4 defenceman on this team. He's decent enough, honestly.

I actually do sometimes question whether or not CP are as knowledgeable about hockey as they claim to be. Because if the guys name isn't Brodie, you think all defencemen suck.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Why not go with Breen full time?

I don't get Feaster's love for this guy, he's like Blake Comeau on D that hits less.

I gotta agree with the minority, Butler sucks.

Breen will get every opportunity - Feaster think she is ready.

However, he is also concerned that his injury might keep him from being ready to challenge for the opening day lineup

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Minority? Are we reading the same thread?

Haha, I was going based off of the mantra "He's not a top pairing guy, but a good depth guy" that many have expressed here. It's probably not the minority.

I just don't see any positives with the guy. He's unnecessary roster filler.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

I don't get Feaster's love for this guy, he's like Blake Comeau on D that hits less.

He's like Blake Comeau in that Brent Sutter gave him too much responsibility in 2011-12, and then he became a whipping boy who got a lot more criticism than he deserved in 2013. Neither guy is a game changer, but they both were fine as long as they were played in the proper roles.

Originally Posted by _Q_

...if the guys name isn't Brodie, you think all defencemen suck.

And when Brodie sucked for a few weeks this past season, he was just going through a rough patch, but when Butler sucked for a game, it was proof that he's a useless hockey player. I just don't get the need to have a whipping boy.

[Bertuzzied]

Feaster is just trying to save face with one of the worst trades in Flame history.

It's not my money and we aren't close to the cap so he can do a babchuk or sarchy all year by sitting in the pressbox .