[Signing] Stajan signs 4yrs $3.125Mil AAV contract extension (limited NTC)

[badradio]

I was excited to get rid of this guy finally... one year i could deal with... 4 is atrocious... On the bright side, we could use him as trade bait if he starts playing well... (hope there isn't a NTC)

[BigFlameDog]

Haha....some of you guys are hilarious....did you want to go full Oiler? Never go full Oiler.....take what they do and do different things, keep some leadership.....a vet or two.

Hell...maybe even keep one who wants to be here...like 4 years of Stajan impacts anything. helps push the rookies to be better and earn their spots. in year 4 he will be a 4th line part time center hopefully and helping the young guys learn the game...who gives a shat.

[troutman]

Does it say anything that he wants to be here for four more years?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Flames_F.T.W

I'm more curious why this was done now? Why not wait a few months?

Identify the players you want to keep around, and you get the deals done to keep them around. This is in keeping with the plan they announced at the start of December.

[dammage79]

Burke doesn't like giving out NTC's IIRC. Or is that someone else...

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by Zach

I see him as disposable. Flames have some good young prospects that should be able to replace him though...

No one on the Flames have played as many games in the NHL as Stajan. You need to have a veteran Centre on the team. You maybe if your lucky might sign someone this summer that's at the same level of Stajan, yet probably overpay for him.

Our prospects either don't play the same type of game as Stajan (Monahan, Granlund) or have the potential to be as good as Stajan in 3-4 years (Reinhart, Colborne, Knight). Hopefully either Knight or Reinhart show that they can make the jump to a 3rd line centre position in the next 2 years, then the Flames have an asset in Stajan to trade for a position they need when they are closer to the playoffs.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Don't mind me for being pissed off. I've gone to all of the games at home this month and have had it with watching the garbage that we've been playing. I want change. You don't change by keeping one of the worst players on the team for the next 4 years.

You change by cycling the bad players out and give new players a shot. It's not like we don't have depth on the farm. Corban Knight could step in an do a comparable job to what Stajan is right now. It's not like Matt is doing an awesome job right now.

No Corban Kight couldn't, he isn't even playing full time center in the AHL, and he'll like play wing in the NHL.

Signing Stajan does not prevent Corban knight from pushing him out the line up.

I've been to every home game this month too, this hockey sucks. This is what a rebuild is things get bad. It's ok to be pissed off and want change, but change will take time. Your reaction is fine if the Flames do re-sign all our UFA's and launch the exact same line up next year...............but we are a long way from that happenning, so why be mad about it until it happens. The Flames were always going to have to bring back some players, the unfortunate truth is we don't have that many NHL ready prospects yet who can step in, especially at center. Veterans need to be signed to fill roster spots still and create competition, and because of everything we just talked about, no one is from outsidet he organization who has choice (ie. UFAs) is going to be selecting Calgary while we re-build. So our best options to fill the "veteran need" are likely players still with the club.

If Burke is gonig to have to bring back a few or a couple of our UFAs, he's chosen wisely by picking a center to be one of them. Positionally that is where we need to create the most competition and fill holes cause our center prospects..........quite frankly suck. Monahan and Colborne are our only two real options who manage NHL minutes and they aren't being hurt by Stajan's ice time.

Burke needs to clear some space on the wing, and given he said he'd retain at most 1/2 of our UFAs, this move makes me more confident that he'll make space on teh wings which is great.

I don't want to watch this same team next year either, but between now and deadline a few players will be re-signed and a few more will be traded. Change is on the way, but you couldn't have honestly expected every person not under contract after this year and over 25 to be moved out. This rebuild is going to take longer than that cause our prospect base is still really weak if we are being honest with ourselves.

[cannon7]

Guess we gotta make the cap floor somehow...

[Machiavelli]

He is just a passable third line centre.

Lengthy contract for what someone who will effectively be a placeholder.

Phaneuf trade just keeps on giving....

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Flames_F.T.W

I'm more curious why this was done now? Why not wait a few months?

If it falls through he's a UFA and you get nothing for him as a rental trade deadline deal?

Not a huge fan of the move, don't hate it, but the timing made sense.

[Hockey_Ninja]

The money is fine, but the term...Ugh. At least we'll still be able to post the Matt Damon pic for a while longer.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Guess we gotta make the cap floor somehow...

It's a slight decrease in his cap hit, so we're going to have to make it up elsewhere.

[Dan403]

You never go Full Oiler.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Yup, that's exactly what it means, because no player has every been traded, or demoted or anything like that in the whole history of the NHL.

Well I was being sarcastic, but what I said is far more accurate than people using adjectives such as "great" and "high-quality" to describe anything about Matt Stajan as a hockey player.

But are you suggesting that I should be happy that the silver lining in a player signing is that he can be traded or demoted? Colour me thrilled at that pointless revelation.

[Murph]

This signing didn't have to happen now, and ideally would have been made by the new GM.

The way I see it, this is a sure sign that the team currently employing the guy Burke wants as GM isn't letting him go until the season is over.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by saillias

It's a slight decrease in his cap hit, so we're going to have to make it up elsewhere.

A whole lot less difference than a trade for a pick/prospect. We have to keep some vets, and Stajan is a decent choice.

[Flames_F.T.W]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

If it falls through he's a UFA and you get nothing for him as a rental trade deadline deal?

Not a huge fan of the move, don't hate it, but the timing made sense.

It just seems like they could have re-signed him at any point... I'm not against signing him now, just wondering if having him locked up could affect trades/moves going forward.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by Flames_F.T.W

It just seems like they could have re-signed him at any point... I'm not against signing him now, just wondering if having him locked up could affect trades/moves going forward.

Probably if anything it makes trades easier going forward because you start to know which veterans are going to be staying with the team and which need to be moved. Better than blindly trying to sell off everyone and see what you have after it's all done.

[Frank MetaMusil]

So far Burke has acquired Westgarth and re-upped Stajan. Just wait until Butler gets another contract........



Feaster would have been crucified for this signing.

[ComixZone]

Four more years of a hockey player that you can't win hockey games with. Terrible.

2 years for more money would have been fine. 4 is garbage. Bad signing. Stajan has consistently shown he can't be a top 9 player on a winning team. I'm bummed. Bad signing.