2014 UFAs - Who do you sign in the offseason?

[strombad]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Richards did not want to come to Calgary. No thanks.

He did though, he just wanted the Rangers more.

Good travel, fantastic city, closer to home.

Yeah, anyone would choose that team.

[herashak]

who gives stastny 8 mil? id say hes worth 5.5-6, might be able to get 7 from a desperate team.

[devo22]

he actually liked Calgarys offer a lot. In the end, he just prefered the Rangers because of Torts and some other factors.

[Jacks]

I'm in the camp of liking Richards too but only if we get some sweetener for taking that contract off their hands. I'd like to see Cammy go in a different deal for a first if possible. Richards contract is no problem for us, it's questionable if he will even play his last 3 years at 1M. Halfway through 2016 he would have positive trade value if our younger guys are pushing him down the line up. In the meantime he can help shelter the young guys coming up and we have an easier time making the cap floor for the next couple years.

That being said I'm not sure he would waive to come here, when he was considering us before we were not in full rebuild mode. Also you have to think that he would prefer the buyout and then he can sign again for another 5 years, 30+ million easily.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by strombad

He did though, he just wanted the Rangers more.

Good travel, fantastic city, closer to home.

Yeah, anyone would choose that team.

He never wanted to be a Calgary Flame and just used Feaster's offers to get more money out of NY where he was going to go all along. I can guarantee that if he was bought out and UFA he would still not come to Calgary. He wants to stay out East and I don't believe the Flames current situation would be desirable for a player of his age that probably wants a chance to win a cup before he retires.

I don't understand why so many fans are pining for the services of a player that doesn't want to play for the organization. We make fun of Oilers fans but some of you have to accept the optics of this team and that it's just not a desirable place to be at the moment.

[Poe969]

I think Richards would have come here when we were in "win now" mode but he won't come here on for a rebuild. If he did come here at a decent contract it would be good because I see him as more of a leader than any guys we have.

[cannon7]

Statsny is really overrated and I think most GMs know it. I'll be surprised if he gets $8M.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He never wanted to be a Calgary Flame and just used Feaster's offers to get more money out of NY where he was going to go all along. I can guarantee that if he was bought out and UFA he would still not come to Calgary. He wants to stay out East and I don't believe the Flames current situation would be desirable for a player of his age that probably wants a chance to win a cup before he retires.

I don't understand why so many fans are pining for the services of a player that doesn't want to play for the organization. We make fun of Oilers fans but some of you have to accept the optics of this team and that it's just not a desirable place to be at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I do not like Brad Richards and I don't want him on the Flames. I dislike him almost as much as Burrows. What I do want is the Flames to acquire undervalued assets, like getting Smid as it'll allow them to get through the rebuild at a faster pace, with more of a chance of it not being like Edmonton or the Islanders.

We have seen several bargain bin trades, with the acquisitions of Galiardi, Russell, Colborne, and Knight in addition to Smid. I'm sure that in each case you could get a lot more for them than what we paid (except Galiardi who you could get a 4th for).

Getting Richards falls in line with bargain hunting. Moving Cammalleri and acquiring Richards will net us basically equivalent players while adding a 1st + and maybe more for taking Richards off their hands. That to me seems like a decent low risk decent reward type move that might help us down the road.

If they don't go that route, that's perfectly fine by me as I won't have to acknowledge that he was ever a part of this organization (Bertuzzi), but it might be an opportunity to gain an asset for pennies on the dollar that could be useful in the process of turning this team into a contender in a few years.

[skudr248]

Statsny is NOT WORTH 8 MIL! Are you serious guys?

At best, I would say he will get in the ballpark of roughly 5.3 - 6.7 give or take with ~6.7 as his ceiling for someone wanting to fork out for him.

[Poe969]

The only way I pay Statsny that much is if it's a one year deal lol. I really wouldn't mind if we paid high on a couple of one or two year deals without NTC's.

If there are any guys looking for a second chance to prove themself then we sign them to a one year big money deal, give them first line and tons of PP minutes so they can prove that they're still worth it and then sign a long term deal.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by skudr248

Statsny is NOT WORTH 8 MIL! Are you serious guys?

it's not about what a player is worth (I think we'll all agree that Stastny definitely isn't worth that), it's about what desperate teams overpay in July. So yes, I am one of those who is "serious" and believes that Stastny could get a huge contract like that. If Boyd Gordon gets 3m per year, if Jeff Finger gets 3.5m per year, if David Clarkson gets 5.3m per year ... then yes, I do think some stupid team will pay Stastny 7-8m. Especially with the cap rising. Vanek, f.e., will easily get that, too.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He never wanted to be a Calgary Flame and just used Feaster's offers to get more money out of NY where he was going to go all along. I can guarantee that if he was bought out and UFA he would still not come to Calgary. He wants to stay out East and I don't believe the Flames current situation would be desirable for a player of his age that probably wants a chance to win a cup before he retires.

I don't understand why so many fans are pining for the services of a player that doesn't want to play for the organization. We make fun of Oilers fans but some of you have to accept the optics of this team and that it's just not a desirable place to be at the moment.

Well, you can go ahead and fail to understand why fans pine for a player who doesn't want to play for the organization, but personally? I'll never understand why some fans need to make up some fiction about the feelings of a certain player to justify their own feelings.

There is absolutely no record of Richards not wanting to be a Calgary Flame, zero. The only thing we know is that Calgary was on the short list, and that Richards preferred the Eastern Conference over the Western Conference. Quit passing off your own fantasy as fact and using it to ridicule the desires of other fans.

[d_phaneuf]

Stastny is a 2nd line center

anyone who gives him 8m will look forward to years of 8th and 9th place finishes

I wouldn't mind him at 5, but not at 8

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by strombad

Well, you can go ahead and fail to understand why fans pine for a player who doesn't want to play for the organization, but personally? I'll never understand why some fans need to make up some fiction about the feelings of a certain player to justify their own feelings.

There is absolutely no record of Richards not wanting to be a Calgary Flame, zero. The only thing we know is that Calgary was on the short list, and that Richards preferred the Eastern Conference over the Western Conference. Quit passing off your own fantasy as fact and using it to ridicule the desires of other fans.

It's a two way street though, there's zero evidence that Richards wanted to be a Flame either. I'd argue the fact he signed with the Rangers (as he stated, East Coast, close to Home and it's the Rangers) is the only reason anyone needs to back up their claim he never wanted to be a Flame.

Pretty cut and dry if you look at it that way.

I believe the Brad Richards ship has sailed though. And the pursuit won't start again by the Flames. Nor do I believe he would waive to come here. I don't have facts to back up my belief, just believe it's close to the truth.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It's a two way street though, there's zero evidence that Richards wanted to be a Flame either. I'd argue the fact he signed with the Rangers (as he stated, East Coast, close to Home and it's the Rangers) is the only reason anyone needs to back up their claim he never wanted to be a Flame.

Pretty cut and dry if you look at it that way.

I believe thought the Brad Richards ship has sailed though. And the pursuit won't start again by the Flames. Nor do I believe he would waive to come here. I don't have facts to back up my belief, just believe it's close to the truth.

Personally, I've never known a player to put a team on his short list and take meetings with that team right up until the very end if they are a team he absolutely does not want to play for.

I think this is more about semantics really, but to blow off the interests of other fans and compare them to Oilers fans because YOU (not you, but Chips up there) think Richards didn't want to be a Flame is ignorant.

All your example proves is that he always wanted to play for the Rangers more than the Flames, not that he didn't want to be a Flame.

[djsFlames]

Stastny - 6mil /2-4 years

Elliott - 3mil / 2 years (please let him walk!)

Promote Gaudreau and Ferland to fill out the roster. Boom, we're set.

Don't care if we're overpaying. We've got an insane amount of cap space and with trades upcoming we have to stay above the floor (so weird).

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He never wanted to be a Calgary Flame and just used Feaster's offers to get more money out of NY where he was going to go all along.

Are you his cousin or something? got anything to back that up?

I don't believe the Flames current situation would be desirable for a player of his age that probably wants a chance to win a cup before he retires.

You may be correct that he wouldn't desire the Flames current situation. He did however win a cup already, he picked up the Conn Smythe at the same time.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Jacks

You may be correct that he wouldn't desire the Flames current situation. He did however win a cup already, he picked up the Conn Smythe at the same time.

Iginla deserved the trophy that year.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Iginla deserved the trophy that year.

Kipper, more so

[kyuss275]

Steve Downie for me. I am tired of the flames having nobody in the top 9 that can be a pest, drop the gloves, and do a little scoring. I like McGrattan and all, but he pretty much gets 5 minutes a game and fights other 4th liners which does not do much for the top 9 players that are taking a pounding.

I know a lot of CP would like Stempniak extended, but i would throw his cash and some more for Downie. I think Downie would be a better RW for this team for the next couple of years.