2014/2015 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

What? What am I missing here? We trade a decent young center, high pick in a deep draft, and one reasonable contract and one iffy contract for two bad ones? Wtf?

Okay I will play your game.

We trade one 33 year old goalie who lost his job in the playoffs, a 22 year old center who has yet to stick in the NHL, a pick that has a 25% chance of even playing in the league, and a bad contract of a 30 year old player who is frequently scratched for a former Stanley cup winning 30 year old goalie and a player who just turned 23 and has 2 30+ goal seasons under his belt.

Looking at my deal again I doubt the canes consider it

[Jason14h]

If you call the Canes about Skinner they hang up and laugh unless one of our 5 untouchables are involved.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

If you call the Canes in 2012 about Skinner they hang up and laugh unless one of our 5 untouchables are involved.

Fixed your post.

If you meant it to apply currently, you're really out of touch. Skinner is on the verge of permanent injury. He's damaged goods.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Are you trying to claim that Coburn is a better defenseman that Wideman? Brayden Coburn? Are you serious?

Just in these playoffs alone, Wideman has 3 more points (In 10 less games!) and played 10 minutes per game more. There is no aspect of the game that Coburn is better than Wideman. Other than size, but Coburn doesn't even play that big.

In his last four regular seasons COMBINED, Coburn had ONE more point than Wideman had this year alone.

What on earth could Wideman have done this year to earn some respect. Russell and Wideman were one of the best FIRST pairings in the league from the time Gio went down until the Flames were knocked out. There is no way any team in the league has Wideman on the 3rd pairing.

Nothing matters except points.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by codynw

Nothing matters except points.

Lots of things matter besides points. None of which coburn is better at.

[Red Menace]

Wideman sure doesn't get much respect from some of you. He was probably the team MVP for us last season. Once Gio went down he was probably more responsible for us making the playoffs than anyone. Sure, he isn't the best guy defensively, but neither are many of the top offensive blueliners across the league.
I'm sure he just had his career season and he will only decline from here, but moving him down to the bottom pair with Engelland is only going to expose his deficiencies that much more.
I'm all for adding another good D-man; but I am not sure it would be wise to move Wideman down at this point, he can still contribute, and needs a good skating partner to do so.

[Jason14h]

If you meant it to apply currently, you're really out of touch. Skinner is on the verge of permanent injury. He's damaged goods.

The Canes are not trading Skinner for a package of C level prospects/players.

After Brodie, Gio, Bennett, Monahan, and Johnny (Can throw Hudler in as well) what player on our team holds any value to Carolina that they would consider for Skinner?

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Fixed your post.

If you meant it to apply currently, you're really out of touch. Skinner is on the verge of permanent injury. He's damaged goods.

This is not true. Skinner missed 4 games last year, 11 the year before, and 6 the year before. He did miss 18 in 11-12 but people talk like he is done and is always hurt which is not actually the case.

I wonder if they move Skinner because he makes $5.5M and a lot of teams would take that contract on no problem. They are looking to re-sign Staal next summer and have some other bad contracts on the books they won't be able to move. As a budget team Skinner is easily the most movable piece (assuming Staal is untouchable)

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

Wideman sure doesn't get much respect from some of you. He was probably the team MVP for us last season. Once Gio went down he was probably more responsible for us making the playoffs than anyone. Sure, he isn't the best guy defensively, but neither are many of the top offensive blueliners across the league.
I'm sure he just had his career season and he will only decline from here, but moving him down to the bottom pair with Engelland is only going to expose his deficiencies that much more.
I'm all for adding another good D-man; but I am not sure it would be wise to move Wideman down at this point, he can still contribute, and needs a good skating partner to do so.

I would say that the top line Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler are by far the main reason this team made the playoffs post Gio injury and it is hard to debate otherwise. Wideman was good but those 3 becoming the best line in the league the last month and a half of the season certainly is the main reason this team was able to win enough games to get in

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The Canes are not trading Skinner for a package of C level prospects/players.

After Brodie, Gio, Bennett, Monahan, and Johnny (Can throw Hudler in as well) what player on our team holds any value to Carolina that they would consider for Skinner?

Backlund? Colborne? Wideman? Russell? Bouma? Ferland? Jones? A package thereof?

[CGY12]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Lots of things matter besides points. None of which coburn is better at.

Coburn is better in his own end handling the cycle and controlling the front of the net. I like Wideman, he's a real strong offensive dman and has a good outlet pass but he is weak in his own end on the cycle and in front of the net, the Ducks series exposed that facet of the game.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I wouldn't go near Jeff Skinner. Just not the same player since he was concussed. Too bad, he was a great player with a bright future. Now it's just a lot of question marks.

[Galakanokis]

I don't think people are really knocking Wideman here when they suggest picking up a D man. The Flames need a big solid defender that can skate and move the puck to deal with the size and cycle of some of the Western teams. Anaheim rag dolled us for 5 straight games. We had zero answer for their down low play. IF, the Flames can land that guy and happens to push Wideman down a few minutes of defensive zone hockey what's the big deal? Favorable zone starts for Wideman and his production could actually improve if he is not battling down low on a consistent basis.

Do I see it happening? No, the price is to high. I see the Flames sticking with what they have.

Giordano-Brodie
Wideman-Russel
Engelland-Schlemko
Wotherspoon

[Roof-Daddy]

The Flames D is tough to wrap your head around.

They look so underwhelming as a group on paper, but it's hard to argue with the job they did last season, especially Wideman, Russell and Engelland who stepped it up huge when Gio went down. Yet you look at those three and want to upgrade at least one of them badly, even despite the strong seasons they had.

Ultimately a decent upgrade will be hard to acquire without handing out a terrible UFA contract to an older player or severely denting the prospect pool in a trade, so I think the Flames management has to ride out this D for now and hope some of our youth steps up over the next couple of seasons.

I'm pretty sure though, that if/when the Flames win a Cup (or at least contend for one) our top 4 D won't consist of Giordano, Brodie, Wideman and Russell.


Sure would have been nice to land Tyler Myers.

[DJones]

Ya I like Wideman but I would rather give him easier and more offensive minutes. Even if we got another guy it could be Wideman and Shlemko/Engellend as our second pairing. Russell and a defensive guy as a shut down third line would be nice.

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Okay I will play your game.

We trade one 33 year old goalie who lost his job in the playoffs, a 22 year old center who has yet to stick in the NHL, a pick that has a 25% chance of even playing in the league, and a bad contract of a 30 year old player who is frequently scratched for a former Stanley cup winning 30 year old goalie and a player who just turned 23 and has 2 30+ goal seasons under his belt.

Looking at my deal again I doubt the canes consider it

Ok, so the point was to get Skinner. And apparently to change in Hiller to get a goalie who is 3 years younger and who has lost significant time to injury over the last 4-5 seasons.

So I still don't see the point. As others have pointed out, Skinner is one hit away from retirement, and we pick up two large contracts, give up youth/picks, and one of our only top 9 forwards with size. Skinner is also small. Makes zero sense to me.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CGY12

Coburn is better in his own end handling the cycle and controlling the front of the net. I like Wideman, he's a real strong offensive dman and has a good outlet pass but he is weak in his own end on the cycle and in front of the net, the Ducks series exposed that facet of the game.

FYI Russell was the weak link against the Ducks not Wideman. Wideman has his warts but Russell was totally exposed against the Ducks as he was on the ice for the majority of their goals in the series.

[Sylvanfan]

If only you could fire up the Delorean, go back in time and trade for Johnny Boychuk or Nick Leddy.

This year I'm not sure which potential good #3 defenceman could become available. Realistically I think right now the Flames have Giordano as a 1, Brody as a guy who's a good 2-3, than you have Wideman and Russel who are both more of a 4-5 guy, and than the group of 6-8 types. Brodie still can grow into a 1-2 role for sure. But I think the team does need to cultivate a true #3 or try to find one. In time Brendan Hickey does look like he has that type of potential but he's still 3 years away if everything goes right in his development.

The one thing Chicago did have was two good young defenceman with a fair bit of NHL experience in place for when Kane and Toews joined the fray.

[CGY12]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

FYI Russell was the weak link against the Ducks not Wideman. Wideman has his warts but Russell was totally exposed against the Ducks as he was on the ice for the majority of their goals in the series.

I agree Russell was exposed but so was Wideman. Wideman's lack of foot speed and size got exposed by the Ducks, he couldn't handle the cycle or the big bodies in front of the net. He was forced to play a role that really isn't suitable to his game, going up against the other teams top players. Gio being out of the line up was really noticable during the series as it forced Russell and Wideman into a tough situation. I'm not only talking about goals against either, I'm talking about the series in general.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

This is not true. Skinner missed 4 games last year, 11 the year before, and 6 the year before. He did miss 18 in 11-12 but people talk like he is done and is always hurt which is not actually the case.

I wonder if they move Skinner because he makes $5.5M and a lot of teams would take that contract on no problem. They are looking to re-sign Staal next summer and have some other bad contracts on the books they won't be able to move. As a budget team Skinner is easily the most movable piece (assuming Staal is untouchable)

I didn't say injury prone. I said on the verge of permanent injury. We're not talking about a guy with bad knees. He's had severe concussion problems and this has been well documented. There has been a lot of talk the Canes may be looking to move him and my post wasn't just thrown out as a generalization, it was to Jason14h who was speaking like he's a piece the Canes wouldn't consider moving.