[News] Flames qualify 6 RFAs. Byron, Galiardi, Eddy, Martin, Roy do NOT receive offers

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Surprised how many want to dump Hanowksi after his first pro year when he actually had a pretty good year in the minors (31 points in 55 games), has size and had really improved his skating.

Some people have zero patience I guess. Kid is still very young and developing. Plenty of time for him to turn himself into a useful NHLer.

[bubbsy]

agreed. i was impressed how much better his skating looked this past season then his first game in the pro's..

[CaptainCrunch]

As a forward group we had mediocre scoring stats, and this is a team that was 4th worst in the league.

People are going to lose their spots. This opens up roster spots for some of the kids to come up to take the job.

I'm sad to see the kid go, he was all heart, but this is how we improve the team.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

I counted 34 on capgeek...could have miscounted though.

I count 34 (not including O'Brien) as well, but Klimchuk will slide again, so 33.

[mile]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

Who said anything about top 6? He's a great 3rd line checker and PKer.

Yeah, he isn't in direct competition with the smaller forwards in the top 6.

Out of the guys who regularly played in the bottom six for us last year, I would have ranked Bouma and Byron as the most effective players for us. I hope they try and re-sign him - in addition to his energy and penalty killing, his production wasn't bad at all (21pts in 47GP) and his work ethic is exactly what I want from other players. He consistently outworks and outmuscles players regardless of size.

[It's a great day 4 hockey]

Hard to believe that Byron could not have been qualified and used as a sweetener for a trade package. Makes wonder if Treliving has worked out something Cammalleri...

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by mile

Yeah, he isn't in direct competition with the smaller forwards in the top 6.

Out of the guys who regularly played in the bottom six for us last year, I would have ranked Bouma and Byron as the most effective players for us. I hope they try and re-sign him - in addition to his energy and penalty killing, his production wasn't bad at all (21pts in 47GP) and his work ethic is exactly what I want from other players. He consistently outworks and outmuscles players regardless of size.

maybe they feel there are options that fit the role just as well in the system (reinhart, knight, etc), or given the "extended role" comments we've heard, think a guy like bollig can give that 3rd/checking line the tenacity with the size to match?

[Phanuthier]

Now that it has been mentioned that it could possibly be to avoid arbitration, I think there is more to the story that will play out in the next week to month.... wouldn't be surprised to see Byron back with the Flames. Out of all the teams in the NHL, the Flames probably have the most interest in him....

[Savvy27]

Originally Posted by T@T

Byron played well in his last stint but lets face facts he's no St.louis, Ennis or even a Gerbe. when your 5'6 you need "serious" talent or/and a slot on the team.

This made me curious.

Byron
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM
2013-14 Calgary Flames NHL 47 7 14 21 27
PPG: 0.45

Gerbe
2013-14 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 81 16 15 31 36
PPG: 0.38

Ennis
2013-14 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 21 22 43 42
PPG: 0.54

I don't like watching Carolina or Buffalo so I'm not sure about how these guys are used, but I think that Byron might be a little underrated. The more I think about it, the more I think he'll get signed to a number under or around $1 million.

Gerbe has a 1.75 million cap hit and Ennis comes in at 2.8 million.

The Flames might have figured that he would use those guys as comparables and be awarded more than they were willing to give.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by It's a great day 4 hockey

Hard to believe that Byron could not have been qualified and used as a sweetener for a trade package. Makes wonder if Treliving has worked out something Cammalleri...

Don't think he had any trade value otherwise we would have moved him. Can't believe we gave up a 2nd rounder for him, that Regehr trade still bites.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by It's a great day 4 hockey

Hard to believe that Byron could not have been qualified and used as a sweetener for a trade package. Makes wonder if Treliving has worked out something Cammalleri...

I don't think he's be much of a sweetener in a trade package. If not qualified, I highly doubt he sees nhl time elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I loved watching him play, but I don't think other gms would pay much to get him

[Vedder]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Don't think he had any trade value otherwise we would have moved him. Can't believe we gave up a 2nd rounder for him, that Regehr trade still bites.

Yep. Plus the Kotalik angle which stemmed from another awful trade. Nothing to like about that deal at this point.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Surprised how many want to dump Hanowksi after his first pro year when he actually had a pretty good year in the minors (31 points in 55 games), has size and had really improved his skating.

Some people have zero patience I guess. Kid is still very young and developing. Plenty of time for him to turn himself into a useful NHLer.

I have watched him on several occasions now and I do not see a potential full-time NHLer out on the ice. He just really seems to have low hockey-IQ and continuously makes poor decisions with the puck. Whenever he was in the line-up and he had the puck I was always disappointed to watch him make a bonehead play.

Does that mean he can't get better? No. However, at 23 he is making choices I expect an 18 year old to make and I just get a bad feeling that he isn't going to turn it around. Points in the AHL are of little influence on my assessment, amateur as it may be.

[mile]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

maybe they feel there are options that fit the role just as well in the system (reinhart, knight, etc), or given the "extended role" comments we've heard, think a guy like bollig can give that 3rd/checking line the tenacity with the size to match?

Yeah, that is also a possibility - even if that is what they believe, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sign Byron and have him compete against the guys you listed for the spots. I'm not convinced that whoever is brought in will be able to match his work ethic and effectiveness.

The Flames have been patient with his development and have brought him up the right way. I don't want to see the payoff go to waste.

[Savvy27]

The Flames seem to have enough contracts to keep Hanowski around on a two-way deal to see what he develops into, while playing in a position that has almost no depth in the organization.

[bubbsy]

anybody have the list of players that are eligible to play on the Heat this year?

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

It is impossible for not signing Byron to be ridiculous. He's simply not good enough of a player for those strong of an adjectives to be thrown around on this situation.

I say he is more than a good enough player who is getting better all the time. He was a very effective player in any role Hartley put him in last season.

If the Flames don't sign him some team will and benefit from having him on their roster.

[Erick Estrada]

Surprised Cundari was qualified. Possibly the organization likes him better than Ward did. Also really surprise Byron wasn't qualified as he was a spark plug for this team in the 2nd half where they played their best hockey. I understand the organization already has a lot of small prospects but to me as long as a guy is effective in his role his size shouldn't matter and Byron played bigger than most of the Flames bigger forwards anyway.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

I say he is more than a good enough player who is getting better all the time. He was a very effective player in any role Hartley put him in last season.

If the Flames don't sign him some team will and benefit from having him on their roster.

Your standards aren't very high then.

On a side note, I was at McD's today and they had run out of mustard packages, it was a full blown catastrophe of epic proportions.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

wow... i'm surprised at the reaction here.

Yes, loved the player for his effort.

However, he was never going to be a top 6 forward here. Can a team that is destined to be small in the top6 afford to not have a painful bottom 6 to play against? There just isn't room for him, given the small make up of the team.

Tough to see the individual go, but in the end, it will be best for the team.

Personally I feel the same way, like when we traded Prust... Its about the character a player brings to the game. It makes players around him play harder, play better, not give up no matter what.

I just hope the will sign him anyways, if they don't I hope he has a good career in the NHL. To me the most important is a team and not the sum of its parts, so I hope the management know what they are doing.