Lance Bouma - a long term contract ?

[killer_carlson]

I think you give him term because if you don't you could end up with the Denis Gautier types who suddenly refuse to take the body with an interest in extending their careers. They become 1/10th of the player they were.

Sign him to a 3 to 4 year deal. He will still be under 30 by the time the deal is up. It's worth the risk.

[crapshoot]

It's not completely out of the question to see Bouma put up around 20 goals in a season at some point. He's probably gonna get 13-14 goals this season and is only about to turn 25 years old. Even if 10-15 goals is his ceiling you better hold on to that guy as he is the type of glue that keeps a successful team together.

[DoubleF]

I like the idea of locking him up to a nice little deal long term to eat up his best days. I can't imagine 1.5-1.9 mil being a crazy gamble.

I'd rather overpay Bouma and a few other heart and soul guys half a mil each than bring on a single guy and hand him a mil in overpayment.

That being said, I also understand why some posters don't want to lock up long term either.

On a side note, Treliving seems to be pretty good at contracts per another thread, so I wouldn't worry what he cobbles together.

[Caged Great]

You need great bottom 6 forwards just as much as you need great top 6 forwards. Bouma is one of the league's best 4th liners. He has as much of an impact on the Flames success as anyone else in the lineup as he can change the momentum through his effort on the PK or by chipping in offensively. In my mind, he's a core player and should be locked up for a long while (4-5 years)

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I think you give him term because if you don't you could end up with the Denis Gautier types who suddenly refuse to take the body with an interest in extending their careers. They become 1/10th of the player they were.

Sign him to a 3 to 4 year deal. He will still be under 30 by the time the deal is up. It's worth the risk.

I think that is exactly why you don't give him term.

Who's more likely to throw his body around - a guy who's playing for contracts every year or the guy who's locked up for four years and getting paid no matter what he does?

I like the guy, but he's a guy who you don't spend big bucks or go crazy on term. There are guys similar to him all throughout the league - just go through our division - Belesky on Anaheim (although he has 19 goals this year), Chipchura on Arizona (although a centre), Hendricks on the Oilers, Nolan/Clifford on the Kings, McGinn/Desjardins on the Sharks, Dorsett on the Canucks.

He's a guy the fans love, but unless he's going to pot you 15 goals a year... he's easily replaceable.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Guys like Bouma, Jooris and Byron are exactly the type of player you want to develop into bottom six role players.

Good speed, all heart, play physical, team first mentalities. Also, play a solid 200 foot game, and while not likely to be offensive superstars, aren't completely inept in that department and can chip in some depth scoring here and there.

Plus, despite being really important parts of your team, they never put up the huge offensive numbers that result in them eating up huge portions of your cap space.

Hopefully Wolf and Ferland can mold into that type of player for the Flames as well.

I can't speak for everyone, but I think most of us hope Ferland turns into more than a bottom 6 role player.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I think that is exactly why you don't give him term.

Who's more likely to throw his body around - a guy who's playing for contracts every year or the guy who's locked up for four years and getting paid no matter what he does?

I like the guy, but he's a guy who you don't spend big bucks or go crazy on term. There are guys similar to him all throughout the league - just go through our division - Belesky on Anaheim (although he has 19 goals this year), Chipchura on Arizona (although a centre), Hendricks on the Oilers, Nolan/Clifford on the Kings, McGinn/Desjardins on the Sharks, Dorsett on the Canucks.

He's a guy the fans love, but unless he's going to pot you 15 goals a year... he's easily replaceable.

i'd agree with you if he was older than he is now. He'll be 29 in four years with potentially another contract or two after that.

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

A 4 year deal includes 2 UFA years, no way it'll be for $1.5M IMO.

$1.5, $2, $2.5, $3M = $9M total, $2.25M per

a little more if he keeps the goals coming

This seems a bit more likely and I would be all over this type of contract for him. That gives him 4 years to compete hard and show that he can withstand any major injuries considering how hard he plays and throws his body around. And 4 years from now, we should be sitting in a good spot in the playoffs (IMO) and he will be a big part of shutting guys down and the PK.

Love this guy and I don't believe he will regress at all in the next 5 years, so lock him up.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Bouma is a 4th liner, and will probably stay a 4th liner. He still might have some upside, but any improvements he makes should be matched by the Flames roster improving as a whole, which will likely keep him on the 4th line.

And I think giving more than $1m and 2 years to a 4th liner is <I>generally</I> a poor idea. Keeping a good salary structure is important in a salary-cap league, even during a rebuild. And paying your fourth liners 3-5 times the league minimum (like many here are suggesting) is not a prudent salary structure.

I'd go with around $1m for 3 years. I think thats plenty generous for an RFA whose main on-ice contribution at the NHL level is getting hit by pucks.

If he only wants 2 years at that price so he can get to UFA sooner, then that's great. Nothing would make me happier than having to match a $5m offer because Bouma has become a 25 goal scorer. But realistically, he'll probably be back as a UFA looking for another $1m-$2m deal.

As for right now, he's an RFA 4th liner, and should be getting RFA 4th liner money.

[ForeverFlameFan]

^ 1m is insulting.

[Erick Estrada]

I often think guys like Bouma are the hardest type of players to quantify in dollars when talking contract. On one hand they bring a lot to the table that can't be quantified in goals and assists. On the other hand you always have to be careful you don't overpay forwards that aren't top 6 quality because if their game ever takes a step back you are stuck with a bad contract that's extremely difficult to move.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I often think guys like Bouma are the hardest type of players to quantify in dollars when talking contract. On one hand they bring a lot to the table that can't be quantified in goals and assists. On the other hand you always have to be careful you don't overpay forwards that aren't top 6 quality because if their game ever takes a step back you are stuck with a bad contract that's extremely difficult to move.

If his offensive upside continues to grow I see him as a Glencross replacement on the 3rd line.

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

^ 1m is insulting.

completely agree.

To find a solid third liner which in modern NHL is quite difficult. A guy who plays a strong two way game, our top pk'er, and is has skill to plot goals and make great plays is the definition of a great bottom 6 player, and on top of that, you can still insert him into your 4-6 and not worry that he doesn't have the foot speed to keep up.

Bouma is a major asset and it would be ridiculous to think otherwise. My vote would be a 3-4 year @ $2-$2.25mil.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

^ 1m is insulting.

Dwight King a much bigger, and better version of Lance Bouma. He has outproduced Bouma at every level, doubling his AHL production, and has 50% higher ppg in the NHL.

Coming off a 15 goal season, and his second Stanley Cup championship (in which he scored 11 points in 26 playoff games), LA re-signed Dwight King for 3 years at $1.9m.

They are the same age, and at the same phase of their career, contract-wise. You'd have to wake up pretty early in the morning to convince me that Bouma is worth even close to King, never mind significantly more.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

If his offensive upside continues to grow I see him as a Glencross replacement on the 3rd line.

Except Glencross can deliver more from the 3rd line in the NHL than Bouma could as a 20 year old in the WHL.

Bouma has never been a point-producer, in any league. Expecting him to become one in the NHL, and paying him based on that expectation is wildly optimistic.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

If his offensive upside continues to grow I see him as a Glencross replacement on the 3rd line.

I don't think his offensive upside is of a 20 goal player like Glencross. I would be pretty surprised if Bouma ever breaks the 20 goal mark as he's probably received more top 6 ice time than he will ever get going forward.

[Buff]

Players like Bouma should get no longer than three year deals. Anything longer and you can risk the player feeling like he is more important to the team than what he is. Long term deals go to the likes of Giordano and Monahan. Probably Gaudreau if he keeps it up over the next couple of years and also to Bennett if he proves to be the player we all think he'll be. 3rd and 4th line players are a lot easier to develop and/or acquire and you don't need to needlessly handcuff yourself because you gave a 3rd or 4th liner too much term. Once you start offering the guy longer term, he is going to start demanding higher pay, because as I already stated, he'll think he is a more important part of your core than he really is.

Interesting note on Bouma. He scored his 1st career NHL goal in the same game that Iginla scored his 500th career goal.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Another interesting note on Bouma:
He has never scored 20 goals in a season in any league since he was 14.

[dino7c]

Paul Byron misses a break away chance and the flames lose 1-0 CUT HIM!

Bouma scores 2 goals after months of very little offensively RESIGN HIM NOW!

lol CP

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Paul Byron misses a break away chance and the flames lose 1-0 CUT HIM!

Bouma scores 2 goals after months of very little offensively RESIGN HIM NOW!

lol CP

Even if Bouma didn't score the 2 goals, he's still valuable to the team. The thread was definitely created after he had a fantastic game the other night, but there is more to Bouma than just scoring.