2015/2016 - Predict the starting lineup

[Journey17]

I think that the forward lines are stacked so there is a trade to try to obtain a player in the ages of 24-28 who is a 2nd or 3rd line talent (eg Frolik/Stafford but they are UFAs) for a 2nd plus a 2nd tier prospect and one of our extra forwards who are RFA. I'm sure that there are other forwards who have fallen out of favor but have proven decent secondary scoring with size. I think Byron is gone as he has been passed by others and fits with the get bigger focus.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
XXX - Backlund - Jones
Bouma - Stajan - Shore
Ferland - Jooris - Colborne

Extra Raymond, Bollig (as much as I'd love to trade Raymond, I think he starts with the team then gets demoted/traded). By mid-season we see two young players up with the team (e.g. Poirer, Bennett). Bennett gets his chance to start with the team due to a pre-season injury.

For dmen, I bet that the Flames try to acquire one more dman. Maybe another Pens guy in Martin? The flames try to not be so top heavy in minutes and have some depth in case of the inevitable injuries.

Brodie - Gio
Rusell - Wideman
XXX(Martin) - Engelland

Extra - Schlemko/Wotherspoon

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Journey17

Bennett gets his chance to start with the team due to a pre-season injury.

You think that Bennett needs an injury to get a spot on the team? Doubt it.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Journey17

I think that the forward lines are stacked so there is a trade to try to obtain a player in the ages of 24-28 who is a 2nd or 3rd line talent (eg Frolik/Stafford but they are UFAs) for a 2nd plus a 2nd tier prospect and one of our extra forwards who are RFA. I'm sure that there are other forwards who have fallen out of favor but have proven decent secondary scoring with size. I think Byron is gone as he has been passed by others and fits with the get bigger focus.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
XXX - Backlund - Jones
Bouma - Stajan - Shore
Ferland - Jooris - Colborne

Extra Raymond, Bollig (as much as I'd love to trade Raymond, I think he starts with the team then gets demoted/traded). By mid-season we see two young players up with the team (e.g. Poirer, Bennett). Bennett gets his chance to start with the team due to a pre-season injury.

For dmen, I bet that the Flames try to acquire one more dman. Maybe another Pens guy in Martin? The flames try to not be so top heavy in minutes and have some depth in case of the inevitable injuries.

Brodie - Gio
Rusell - Wideman
XXX(Martin) - Engelland

Extra - Schlemko/Wotherspoon

Your missing LW is Bennett, unless he steps into a centre role. I think Bouma may be on the 2nd line. I also think Colborne won't be a fourth liner. Switch him and Shore.

I'd try out Schlemko and Engelland. I think Schlemko's a good enough puck mover to compensate for Engelland.

[Harry Lime]

There are definitely some interesting thoughts in here. I think that it is easier to figure out what Treliving probably won't do, than is likely. To that end, I would guess that trading for a player under contract for more than 1 or 2 years isn't very likely at this point. As much as I really like Jordan Staal, he is under contract for a billion years at 6M/per. The same thing goes with UFAs, as anyone that would be a definite upgrade would be looking for at least 3 years term, so they would have to be something special.

What I would like to see....

Trading Raymond to Phoenix at the draft for the rights to Tikhonov is something that I would like to see. Don Maloney is on record saying that he is looking for veterans under contract for next year, and Raymond has value to a team that doesn't play Calgary's style of hockey. That gives us one week of exclusive negotiation, and I think that Tikhonov would appreciate the level of interest by the club.

A defenceman on an expiring contract would also be nice to have. Carolina may be looking to shed salary, and JM Liles could be had for virtually nothing. There are probably a few players like that around the league. I would like this better than a UFA, as we are locked into Russell, Gio and Brodie, and need to develop some internal options for the bottom of the order.

Personal preference would be to trade Hiller to Buffalo for a pick and run with Ramo on a 2 year contract with Ortio as a 1B.

Otherwise, continue the course. No big changes, just Tikhonov (a big RW that can play up and down the line), an expiring Liles or some other to play a solid 5 role, and Ramo over Hiller. Don't lock into anyone new long term. Shore moves to centre, Jooris is the utility man.

[getbak]

Unless Bennett's play really falls off a cliff in October, he'll be in Calgary the whole season.

They've already started the clock ticking on his ELC, and if he isn't in Calgary next season, he has to go back to Kingston again (and like this season, if he is sent down, he can't be recalled until Kingston has played its last game), so I don't see that happening.

[FBI]

Yeah Bennett is full time with us next year.. He proved that already.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

The Flames need 3 d-men. Right now they have 5 NHL level d-men. Schlemko should be the level of the #9 guy... someone who can come in and play 10 minutes of an NHL game without having a total panic if on the ice when the puck is iced.

Very very doubtful that the Flames add a forward before they figure out what they have.

They made that mistake in 2014 bringing in Raymond (and Stetoguchi) rather than waiting to see how Gaudreau, Jooris, Granlund, baertshi, Rienhart and Ferland were going to work out.

If you think they need 3 who would you get rid of?

I know the Flames have a size issue on D.
But they are adding a Norris level Dman to their playoff roster.

They have 4 defencemen who effectively play a first line role at times this season, on a second round playoff team playoff team.

I also think Engelland was great in the second half of the season and why wouldn't you want him to stay in a roster spot?

Wotherspoon & Schlemko are young enough with allot of upside left, and slot in perfectly as a 7/8, and they both play different games depending on what your needs are.

I'm not sure what the status of Smid is, or if he will even be back.

To say they are 3 defencemen away is asinine.

At most you could say the Flames need a good physical 3rd pairing Dman, and could stand to trade Russel or Wideman in for more of a pyshical threat like Gelinas (just a name that has been out there).

That's 2 Dmen at most, and to add those guys the would pretty much need to get rid of Smid & Wideman or Russell.

I think they could also stand to add a vary good young 8/9 to their organization, to push Schlemko or Wotherspoon to earn their chances, I don't think that guy is in our organization but he could be (see Josh Jooris).

[Yanda]

I dislike so many of these lists

[CalgaryFan1988]

Always fun to guess.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - *Oshie
Ferland - Bouma - Colborne
Bollig - Stajan - Jooris
Shore

*Granlund, Raymond, Jones traded

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Wotherspoon - Engelland
Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio

* Hiller traded

[GioforPM]

Probable:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - Jones
Bouma - Colborne -Raymond
Ferland - Stajan - Bollig
Shore, Granlund



Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Wotherspoon - Engelland
Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio

What I'd like:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Ferland - Bennett - Belesky
Bouma - Backlund - Colborne
Jooris - Stajan - Jones
Poirier/Shore

Gio/Brodie
Franson/Russell
Wotherspoon/Wideman
Engelland

Hiller/Ortio (I think Hiller is better suited to mentor Ortio), and I would like Ramo signed and traded in that case. But I'm OK if Hiller is traded and Ramo stays as well.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Probable:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - Jones
Bouma - Colborne -Raymond
Ferland - Stajan - Bollig
Shore, Granlund



Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Wotherspoon - Engelland
Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio

You think it's probable that Ramo is signed and Hiller is traded but no other roster moves of significance are made? I think it's the opposite. I bet Ramo is let go and Hiller is retained mostly due to their respective contract situations. I also think Treliving is going to kick the tires hard on multiple targets in UFA, not to say he will land more than one or two. Last year he made a pretty decent splash, I'd be surprised if this year he doesn't go hard after a top 6 forward and a top 4 dman. We have more cap space than anyone and we have multiple, obvious holes to fill. I would bet a hefty sum of money that at least one new Calgary Flame, if not 2 or 3, are introduced in the first week of July signed to multiyear, $10m+ deals.

[Royle9]

It really bother's me seeing so many people jumping all over the Belesky train.
He screams David Clarkson, and honestly I don't seem him being an impact in the Chicago series anyway. Belesky was invisible offensive wise in the Winnipeg series, some how he came on fire against Calgary and now he's a "wish list" item for everyone.

I'd rather stay away, his miracle play in a UFA season will land him better cash then he's worth, we don't need the cap hit or the streaky/lucky play I'd rather push for someone else myself.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

You think it's probable that Ramo is signed and Hiller is traded but no other roster moves of significance are made? I think it's the opposite. I bet Ramo is let go and Hiller is retained mostly due to their respective contract situations. I also think Treliving is going to kick the tires hard on multiple targets in UFA, not to say he will land more than one or two. Last year he made a pretty decent splash, I'd be surprised if this year he doesn't go hard after a top 6 forward and a top 4 dman. We have more cap space than anyone and we have multiple, obvious holes to fill. I would bet a hefty sum of money that at least one new Calgary Flame, if not 2 or 3, are introduced in the first week of July signed to multiyear, $10m+ deals.

I don't think Treliving will go after UFAs this time around. He is not in win now mode. He is not upsetting the long term plans to fill holes next year with older guys requiring paydays and long term deals. There's really not too many holes to fill if the development plan is still intact he like said it was. And any trdeaways will be for more picks, prospects or young guys.

What do you mean by multi-year deals over $10M? Because that bet sounds enticing. Treliving hasn't signed a contract like that yet. The closest was Hiller, and that was only two years at a specialized position.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Royle9

It really bother's me seeing so many people jumping all over the Belesky train.
He screams David Clarkson, and honestly I don't seem him being an impact in the Chicago series anyway. Belesky was invisible offensive wise in the Winnipeg series, some how he came on fire against Calgary and now he's a "wish list" item for everyone.

I'd rather stay away, his miracle play in a UFA season will land him better cash then he's worth, we don't need the cap hit or the streaky/lucky play I'd rather push for someone else myself.

I'm not really jumping all over him, and I'm not sure why you are bothered much by posters with whom you disagree.

Sure, it may be bias in favour of a guy who played well against the Flames. But that worked out OK with Glencross. For me, it is simply a matter of a UFA who is in the right age range and seems to be trending upwards. I'm not suggesting for a moment he gets a Clarkson contract.

ETA: Based on the past 3 seasons he's an 18-30 goal and 30-55 point guy. He's defensively quite good.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm not really jumping all over him, and I'm not sure why you are bothered much by posters with whom you disagree.

Sure, it may be bias in favour of a guy who played well against the Flames. But that worked out OK with Glencross. For me, it is simply a matter of a UFA who is in the right age range and seems to be trending upwards. I'm not suggesting for a moment he gets a Clarkson contract.

ETA: Based on the past 3 seasons he's an 18-30 goal and 30-55 point guy. He's defensively quite good.

Wasn't directed just at you, in general quite a few people are overly impressed with the guy after 1 good series thus far.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, including you so no big deal I didn't mean to offend you at all.
This was just mine I'm not upset about it just shocked how quickly people paint this guy as a potential key target.

30-55 isn't bad, and I agree he COULD turn out to be a solid depth guy my biggest concern is the money he'll be demanding is going to be too rich to be worth it, we can find those 30-55 points else where hopefully.

[heep223]

From what I saw from Bennett in the defensive zone...he's going to be playing C next year.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by heep223

From what I saw from Bennett in the defensive zone...he's going to be playing C next year.

I hope so.

I hope we develop Bennett much in the same way we brought Monahan along.

Next year we can have Monahan, Stajan and Backlund sheltering Bennett. Have Bennett be the cornerstone of the 2nd PP unit, get him easier match-ups and see how he progresses from there.

I really don't want them to convert him to a winger, I also don't think they will.

[FBI]

I find it quite telling that of the 31 lineups we've posted in this thread, a grand total of 4 have Raymond on them.

One he's on the 5th line.
Two he's a player x / player y option
Only one lineup is he actually penciled in a spot.

Think the writing is on the wall for this guy. (hoping so anyway)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FBI

I find it quite telling that of the 31 lineups we've posted in this thread, a grand total of 4 have Raymond on them.

One he's on the 5th line.
Two he's a player x / player y option
Only one lineup is he actually penciled in a spot.

Think the writing is on the wall for this guy. (hoping so anyway)

I've defended him all year, because I don't think he's as bad as people make out, plus some of the criticism was pretty blind. Because he was a whipping bot, his mistakes garnered way more criticism than the same mistakes by others, and any good plays he made were overlooked.

That said, I included him on the probable roster because he's under contract and a difficult one to move at that. I think he's being squeezed out of the lineup and that's not a bad thing. If he can be traded, he probably should be traded.

On the third hand, with a little improvement, and a healthy season, he could snipe a few. If he starts to score like his best years, his speed is an asset and I cuold see him on a sheltered line with Bennett and, say, Ferland. Decent speed, 2/3 of a gritty line and a creative guy to get him the puck.

[buyakasha]

My very uneducated guess would be:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Ferland - Bennett - Colbourne
Bouma - Backlund - Shore
Bollig - Stajan - Jones

Giordano - Brodie
Russel - Wideman
Engelland - Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio