Treliving on Sportsnet 960. Jan 12 after 2pm

[T@T]

Originally Posted by FBI

Quick, email Sven tell him Treliving likes him!

No need, Sven can read.

Hi Sven

[puckedoff]

I'd maybe look to move Granlund, Jones, and any one of Diaz/Engelland/Smid if there was interest. Byron too but I doubt anyone would be interested.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Bouma should be an easy re-sign in the $2M range as he is still an RFA for the duration of the next contract.

$2 million? I agree he needs a raise but anything over $1.5 million would be an overpayment.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by heep223

We better have a plan to replace Wideman if he's moved. RH 4/5 d-man with a cannon and can run a PP and is a good guy in the room? When we are thin at NHL-ready D prospects? Wait why are we moving him again?

Sell high.

I'm not saying they should definitely move him, but that would be the reason. This team is still rebuilding. Wideman isn't going to be a piece of the puzzle of the final product, but he could get you an asset that will be.

[Enoch Root]

Also on Wideman, my thoughts as to why I put him on my trade list, were that you can get something for him and then replace him in free agency.

Do you get the same player? Do you get better? Worse? Does it matter a whole lot?

I really don't see him being as important as Hudler, Stajan or Giordano. If you can get a decent retrun, take it and go get a UFA in the summer to take his spot.

[Bingo]

Bottom line ... Wideman is #4 on the Flames, but really a #5 defenseman. If they could upgrade to push him into that role and keep him then fine. But at 5M a season that's pretty pricey for that role.

Getting to the floor is still an issue though I guess.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Also on Wideman, my thoughts as to why I put him on my trade list, were that you can get something for him and then replace him in free agency.

Do you get the same player? Do you get better? Worse? Does it matter a whole lot?

I really don't see him being as important as Hudler, Stajan or Giordano. If you can get a decent retrun, take it and go get a UFA in the summer to take his spot.

Last time I looked on Capgeek before it's demise, the only D man that could replace Wideman was Franson. Other than that it was pretty meh.

He'll be looking for more bank and is around the same age bracket as Wideman. So it'd be a wash I think replacing Wideman. Unless you go after Mike Green if he hits the market. That might not be the greatest idea in the world. He'll put up points, in the 45 games year he plays. Injuries are a thing with him.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

I'd maybe look to move Granlund, Jones, and any one of Diaz/Engelland/Smid if there was interest. Byron too but I doubt anyone would be interested.

Why Granlund? What's the rush to get him off our hands..If he's showing this much ability only his 2nd year of pro hockey, there is a lot of potential there.

The only way I'd consider parting with him so early is if it's part of a deal for a young d-man with top 2 potential. Otherwise, there's no need.

[calumniate]

I honestly think stajan may be looked at pretty hard, only because of Bennett, monahan, backhand, shore, jooris and colbourne

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Bottom line ... Wideman is #4 on the Flames, but really a #5 defenseman. If they could upgrade to push him into that role and keep him then fine. But at 5M a season that's pretty pricey for that role.

Getting to the floor is still an issue though I guess.

He is one of the league leaders in goals from a defenceman. He is on the first PP unit now as well. He isn't a 5th defenceman. He is an expensive 2nd pairing guy who is producing this year and delivering exactly what was expected of him when he was signed.

[heep223]

Ideally we need a #3 all-around d-man, pushing Wideman to #5 and Russell to #4. Subsequently spread the minutes out more.

They are hard to find. Do we have any prospects who could fit this bill? Wotherspoon maybe? IMO we are thin, there is potential in our later round d prospects but very very uncertain.

If we could find a legit #3 to slot in, I think we have the d-corps of a contender.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Why Granlund? What's the rush to get him off our hands..If he's showing this much ability only his 2nd year of pro hockey, there is a lot of potential there.

The only way I'd consider parting with him so early is if it's part of a deal for a young d-man with top 2 potential. Otherwise, there's no need.

I don't imagine him in the top 6 if we are contending (in 2-3 years maybe?) and I'd rather have someone bigger who is better in the face-off dot in the bottom six. We have center depth going forward and I would rather trade him while his potential has value. I just see him not having a spot to play his role on this team.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

He is one of the league leaders in goals from a defenceman. He is on the first PP unit now as well. He isn't a 5th defenceman. He is an expensive 2nd pairing guy who is producing this year and delivering exactly what was expected of him when he was signed.

If we keep Wideman for the duration of his contract then he needs to be a 3rd pairing guy 5-on-5, but QB of the PP. The guy has a great shot but he's a gong show in his own zone. We would get the best out of him if he played isolated minutes so his mistakes were marginalised, but then unleash him on the PP. Obviously in that scenario we would need to acquire a real 2nd pairing defenceman, or at least someone with that upside.

If Wideman is traded we need to find a replacement, if we indeed have designs on pushing for the playoffs. Without him on the team Engelland becomes a 2nd pairing guy and that is pretty terrifying. I can understand the desire to cash in on an asset at peak value, and Wideman could be near that with his goal output from earlier in the campaign. He'd be tough to replace (even considering he is a nightmare in his own zone).

Either way, one of the next moves Treliving makes needs to address the defence. Despite having 2 excellent players on the 1st pairing the defence is pretty weak.

[Harry Lime]

I brought this up in the Granlund thread, and there was some give and take there in terms of for or against. I won't rehash the reasoning, but in terms of getting a valuable piece for Granlund, I would have to agree with puckedoff. I isolated Minnesota as a target due to the goaltender problems that they have, and a deep defensive core.

Granlund, Hiller and Diaz for
Folin (likely 3-4 defenseman, strong minutes eater), Blum (whatever happened to Blum?) and Backstrom (one year left, like Hiller)

I don't think that this is a pie in the sky proposal (like targeting Dumba), but is reasonable on both sides, and addresses needs for both clubs. It's my one proposal a year, so I'll just let it simmer here.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

I brought this up in the Granlund thread, and there was some give and take there in terms of for or against. I won't rehash the reasoning, but in terms of getting a valuable piece for Granlund, I would have to agree with puckedoff. I isolated Minnesota as a target due to the goaltender problems that they have, and a deep defensive core.

Granlund, Hiller and Diaz for
Folin (likely 3-4 defenseman, strong minutes eater), Blum (whatever happened to Blum?) and Backstrom (one year left, like Hiller)

I don't think that this is a pie in the sky proposal (like targeting Dumba), but is reasonable on both sides, and addresses needs for both clubs. It's my one proposal a year, so I'll just let it simmer here.

Flames won't trade with the Wild.

Wild are 6 points back of the Flames. Flames have no incentive to give them a #1 goaltender and a top 9 forward that could make that difference and could lead the Wild into the final wild card spot for Backstrom, who is looking like he is past his prime, Blum, who has been on waivers twice in the last two years and Folin.

Only way the Flames do a trade is if the Wild massively overpay to the point where they can't say no.

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by heep223

Ideally we need a #3 all-around d-man, pushing Wideman to #5 and Russell to #4. Subsequently spread the minutes out more.

They are hard to find. Do we have any prospects who could fit this bill? Wotherspoon maybe? IMO we are thin, there is potential in our later round d prospects but very very uncertain.

If we could find a legit #3 to slot in, I think we have the d-corps of a contender.

I'm hoping we can move:
-one of Hiller or Ramo (whoever gets you more)
-Wideman (if someone will overpay) or Smid
-any of Bollig, Jones, Raymond (if anyone would take them)
-maybe one of Byron or Stajan although I would rather see them fill-out the roster until someone pushes them out

I'm hoping we can sign Johnny Oduya this summer, see him as a perfect 2nd pairing D for the next few years. The rest of the roster we can fill from within

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Flames won't trade with the Wild.

Wild are 6 points back of the Flames. Flames have no incentive to give them a #1 goaltender that could make that difference and could lead the Wild into the final wild card spot.

Only way the Flames do a trade is if the Wild massively overpay to the point where they can't say no.

Ah, point taken. Well, I guess this is dependent on how things play out before the trade deadline (creating separation), or whether Fletcher goes crazy (or desperate) and throws in a high draft pick as well.

Ideally it's a player like Folin I would like to see us targeting either way. A team with depth (in this case Suter, Brodin, Spurgeon and Scandella, with Dumba on the way) pushing out a low risk, young player.

Edit : Ahhhh, I actually had to tabs open and thought that this was the trade/speculation thread. My apologies if I was off topic.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Ah, point taken. Well, I guess this is dependent on how things play out before the trade deadline (creating separation), or whether Fletcher goes crazy (or desperate) and throws in a high draft pick as well.

Ideally it's a player like Folin I would like to see us targeting either way. A team with depth (in this case Suter, Brodin, Spurgeon and Scandella, with Dumba on the way) pushing out a low risk, young player.

Cliff Fletcher isn't prone to making panic moves, is he?

Anyhow, I agree with sureLoss and believe it would foolish to strengthen a team like the Wild, who are sleeping giants in the Western Conference. They're a solid goalie away from tearing the league apart.

I like Folin too, but we probably should have signed him out of the NCAA while we could.

Detroit is an interesting one: desperate for RH defencemen and running low on healthy goalies. A cheap, pending UFA like Ramo might be just the ticket for them while Howard heals up. Also, Wideman would make a lot of sense there, especially if we took on some salary. Still not sold on the idea of trading a goalie (or Wideman for that matter), but Detroit are a team to keep an eye on.

[Freeway]

I've been told Bennett doesn't get paid at all as a non-roster player.

EDIT: Your compensation as a non-roster player is based upon what you made in your prior year of service. With no years of service, he has no prior year to draw off of.

[saillias]

I'm not really sure they are (a sleeping giant waiting to tear the league apart) weren't they supposed to get there after signing Parise and Suter? Then again after picking up Pominville and Vanek? Is it possible they're just a poorly constructed, store-bought team with a country club locker room because they signed too many hometown guys who just want to live in Minnesota?

Not like their centre depth was ever that good either, even though Wild fans will talk your ear off that Koivu is a legit #1C.