[CP Story] CP List: Top Free Agent Signings - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bingo · 03-07-2015, 02:00 PM

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2015/03/c...gent-signings/

Good rank?

What changes would you make?

AC · 03-07-2015, 02:08 PM

Great list. I'd put Darren McCarty with the Amonte mention as they both signed the summer of 2005.

I remember I was flying back to Calgary from Nova Scotia, hadn't been able to get any hockey news then saw the signings on the front covers of all the newspapers in the Calgary Airport. I was blown away that we were able to attract pretty significant free agent names.

Honourable mention to Bob Boughner. Maybe just because I was a big fan of his as a Flame.

devo22 · 03-07-2015, 02:15 PM

Really like the list. I think I'd already put Wideman ahead of Bouwmeester, but other than that - great job!

Hudler was a fantastic signing, he's earned every penny of that contract both on and off the ice. Re-signing Hudler should be a priority come summer, I really hope him and the Flames find a number that works for both sides. Treliving will be quite busy, with several key players either becoming RFA (Gaudreau, Monahan, Colborne) or UFA (Giordano, Hudler, Russell, and Hiller if they keep him over Ramo) in 2016. Hope Treliving can lock up a few of those as early as possible.

wingmaker · 03-07-2015, 02:17 PM

Interesting to think about.

Bouwmeester wasn't technically a free-agent signing, as they traded for him and signed him before July 1st.

At what point does Hiller enter the conversation? I know that he isn't even the clear number one here, but I think that there is an argument to be made that his presence this year has been instrumental to the current success of the club, even as a foil to Ramo as well as for his own performances. So if we are looking at the impact of the signing, he has had more of an impact than Amonte or even Hamrlik.

killer_carlson · 03-07-2015, 02:18 PM

1) I was going to say Boughner as well. He signed during the darkest of times in franchise history. He put us on the map as a potential destination.

Tough to describe an equivalent now. Imagine Arizona without doan or OEL, more limited budget, no salary cap, drama about relocating, limited to drafting whl players on the hopes they would take a discount to stay here once they made the team, etc.

And then imagine signing a guy coming off of a decent season who could probably have signed anywhere in the league. I suspect we were top bidder, but still it was important.

And the guy delivered as advertised.

2) I'd move Hamrlik up as the highest defenceman FA signing for the franchise. One of the top hockey IQ players we've ever had. No surprise that Phaneuf had his career best years alongside a guy like that, never to be duplicated since.

3) I'd put McCarty in ahead of Amonte as well.

dustyanddaflames · 03-07-2015, 02:18 PM

Great write up - maybe would have had Bouwmeester ahead of Tanguay simply because that was the first time I felt like we were major players in the FA market. After we traded for his rights and signed him, pretty cool feeling to think it was game on and anyone was attainable. How many times can you say your favourite team got the biggest fish?!?! It didn't pan out the way we all thought it would, but it was a statement signing, and I love the hell out of it :-)

Roof-Daddy · 03-07-2015, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingmaker

Bouwmeester wasn't technically a free-agent signing, as they traded for him and signed him before July 1st.

By that criteria, neither was Wideman.

Personally, I would call them both UFA signings, as they only had to wait a few days to hit the open market, but opted to sign here anyways.

flames_fan_down_under · 03-07-2015, 02:23 PM

Absolutely a great list. Hudler is easily the best free agent signing of all time. Owen Nolan gets honourable mention from me only because he was one of my favourite players of all time and I couldn't believe he was playing for the Flames. It was only one season though.

Da_Chief · 03-07-2015, 02:25 PM

Amonte Ewww, he should not be on any top 10 lists related to Flames.

You can kind of put Gio in there but I guess if you're looking at established players before they sign here then that won't work. Bertuzzi would be easily up there ahead of Amonte for me.

wingmaker · 03-07-2015, 02:25 PM

Also, I feel like Sarich should be higher on the list. He played a long time with the Flames, and was considered a solid top 4 defenceman at the time he signed. Easy to remember only his last couple years with the Flames, but he made an impact on a perennial playoff team for the first few years.

AC · 03-07-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devo22

Hudler was a fantastic signing, he's earned every penny of that contract both on and off the ice. Re-signing Hudler should be a priority come summer, I really hope him and the Flames find a number that works for both sides.

For fun, here's the initial Hudler free agent signing thread:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=118776

Enoch Root · 03-07-2015, 03:35 PM

lol - Oiler fans... The best thing about this thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by demzor

Hemsky 2 yrs @ 5 is the worst signing ever

Hudler for 4 yrs @ 4 is a good signing?

You guys are nutty.

Since those signings:

Hemsky: 93G, 18G, 28A, 46P with Edmonton
............ 79G, 13G, 26A, 39P with Ott and Dal
Total:... 172G, 31G, 56A, 85P

Hudler: 179G, 50G, 85A, 135P

Second best thing about that thread: the TSN poll where fans voted Schultz a better pickup than Hudler.

Third best thing: all the people (including an article by Wilson) talking about Hudler having a high shooting percentage and being due to regress back down in points.

Last year in Det: .52 PPG
2012/13: .64 PPG
2013/14: .72 PPG
2014/15: .87 PPG

Hackey · 03-07-2015, 03:43 PM

Did not realize how bad our free agent signings have been over the years.

OutOfTheCube · 03-07-2015, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

lol - Oiler fans... The best thing about this thread:

Since those signings:

Hemsky: 93G, 18G, 28A, 46P with Edmonton
............ 79G, 13G, 26A, 39P with Ott and Dal
Total:... 172G, 31G, 56A, 85P

Hudler: 179G, 50G, 85A, 135P

Second best thing about that thread: the TSN poll where fans voted Schultz a better pickup than Hudler.

Third best thing: all the people (including an article by Wilson) talking about Hudler having a high shooting percentage and being due to regress back down in points.

Last year in Det: .52 PPG
2012/13: .64 PPG
2013/14: .72 PPG
2014/15: .87 PPG

Hindsight though, right.

It's the same when you go through the draft pick threads and it's someone like TJ Brodie or Gaudreau and someone says "Dang I was hoping we would take *some player that never made the NHL* here".

For every signing that works out you'll find lots of people putting it down, just like for every signing that ends up being terrible you'll find lots of people praising it at the time.

Enoch Root · 03-07-2015, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Hindsight though, right.

It's the same when you go through the draft pick threads and it's someone like TJ Brodie or Gaudreau and someone says "Dang I was hoping we would take *some player that never made the NHL* here".

For every signing that works out you'll find lots of people putting it down, just like for every signing that ends up being terrible you'll find lots of people praising it at the time.

Not really.

Drafting 18 year olds is a crap shoot.

Signing 28 year old NHLers is a little different.

Predicting Hudler would be better than Hemsky wasn't that difficult.

devo22 · 03-07-2015, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC

For fun, here's the initial Hudler free agent signing thread:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=118776

MUCH more positive than the Russell thread, that's for sure

FlameZilla · 03-07-2015, 04:15 PM

Jonas Hiller has done a lot to solidify our goaltending this season. I think he could eventually deserve a spot on that list.

Can we do a waiver wire list as well? I vote Schlemko as #1!

devo22 · 03-07-2015, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

Can we do a waiver wire list as well? I vote Schlemko as #1!

who else have they claimed so far? Can't be too many guys. I remember Joey MacDonald, Blake Comeau and Lawrence Nycholat, that's about it to be honest ... not too difficult for Schlemko to get #1 on that list

OutOfTheCube · 03-07-2015, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Not really.

Drafting 18 year olds is a crap shoot.

Signing 28 year old NHLers is a little different.

Predicting Hudler would be better than Hemsky wasn't that difficult.

And yet look at this post, from the first page of that thread:

Quote:

Would have preferred to take a chance on Mueller or Semin.

Which received EIGHT 'Thanks'.

Not as easy to predict as everyone thinks...

Pierre "Monster" McGuire · 03-07-2015, 04:24 PM

Nice list Bingo. I pretty much agree on all fronts, although I'd put Boughner in Amonte's spot. I have a soft spot in my heart for him and his nastiness.