[Signing] Flames and Bouma settle on arbitration case (3 yrs, $2.2 mil AAV)

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I think it's a little on the high side but happy for him he got some security given the way he plays. Flames have him locked up for his prime years which is good.

Interesting considering before the deal was annouced I suggested the Flames sign him 2 million for 3-4 years and you seemed to disagree

[automaton 3]

Glad that a deal got done.

As many have said, fine with the term but the AAV seems a touch high but close enough.

Wonder how the UFA year factored into the negotiations and how much of an effect it had on the total contract #.

[Fire]

A little too much money, unless he can maintain his numbers going forward, but in the end you don't mind overpaying the heart and soul type guys. It's overpaying the Raymond type players that kill you.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by heep223

I don't know why there is such a huge fuss and so much debate about Gio and Bouma, and the goalie situation, when I feel like it's Hudler we should all be worrying about. Both the cap repercussions if he signs and the hole he'll leave if he walks.

Glad we will have booms for another 3 years, reasonable cap hit, win all around.

Hudler was replaced by Frolik..... with a half year to a full year overlap... let it sink in and get used to it.

[sempuki]

Paying a little extra change for heart, on-ice leadership, and the hope to can continue potting 15 goals per year. I think this is more than fair considering how he lays his body on the line every shift. You gotta pay for quality...

[Lanny_McDonald]

Cap hit it too high. If the Flames want to keep all their shiny toys, every little bit is going to help along the way. Treliving will have to work some magic in the near future or we're going to see Hudler or Giordano traded during the next few months.

[tvp2003]

Glad he is signed; getting a year of UFA included is a bonus.

The bigger question for Bouma will now be whether he plays (and Hartley uses him) in the same way he did last year (no holds barred, block every shot with his face), or whether he plays with slightly less reckless abandon in order to stay healthy and ensure he can contribute over the life of the contract.

Not suggesting for a minute that he should/will turn into a disinterested floater like Glencross, but I have to think that his goal (and that of the Flames) now is to maximize his ability and potential, not lay it all out on the line after signing a one year "show me" contract (like last year).

[Cheerio]

A couple hundred k to Bouma a million extra to Engelland a couple hundred I extra to Raymond adds up very quickly. All of a sudden we're paying 2 4th liners a 7th dman 8 million dollars. I would rather pay $8 mil/year to Gio than those 3. If we lose a key player next summer, it's contracts like these's fault.

[kermitology]

Tad high on AAV. I would have preferred 1.9, 2.0, 2.1.

[H2SO4(aq)]

whoops. accidentally clicked "both term and aav is bad" meant good.

can i change my vote? not a big deal either way, but I'm happy with this signing. I think it'll be a bargain by the end of it.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by New Era

Cap hit it too high. If the Flames want to keep all their shiny toys, every little bit is going to help along the way. Treliving will have to work some magic in the near future or we're going to see Hudler or Giordano traded during the next few months.

Seriously? You think Hudler or Gio will be traded because of Bouma?

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

A couple hundred k to Bouma a million extra to Engelland a couple hundred I extra to Raymond adds up very quickly. All of a sudden we're paying 2 4th liners a 7th dman 8 million dollars. I would rather pay $8 mil/year to Gio than those 3. If we lose a key player next summer, it's contracts like these's fault.

We're also under paying for players like Brodie, Hamilton and Russell so it's not the end of the world. Enough of those contracts will be off the books by the time our young guys need big contracts.

[troutman]

Pinder right. Boomer wrong.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Seriously? You think Hudler or Gio will be traded because of Bouma?

Who knows. Saad was traded because of Bickell.

Flames aren't that tight to that cap yet, but you have to be careful about giving money to bottom 6 players.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by codynw

Who knows. Saad was traded because of Bickell.

Flames aren't that tight to that cap yet, but you have to be careful about giving money to bottom 6 players.

Bickell is millions overpaid. Bouma is a few hundred thousand at most.

So ya 2 million makes a difference, 200k doesnt.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by codynw

Who knows. Saad was traded because of Bickell.

Flames aren't that tight to that cap yet, but you have to be careful about giving money to bottom 6 players.

Uhh, I'm not sure of that. Bickell or not, Saad at 6M long term would be a tight squeeze going forward. In a couple years time, when Bickell will be off the books, players like Teravainen, Dano, van Riemsdyk and Panarin will be up for new contracts. Granted, Dano wouldn't be on the team without the Saad trade. The difference between Saad's 6M and Anisimov's 4.5M in 2018 might be the difference between keeping those players together or not.

Regardless, Bickell was untradable with his 4M salary. Bouma wouldn't be at 2.2M.

[sureLoss]

Randy Sportak @SUNRandySportak
Bouma’s agent(s) are Steven Kotlowitz and Gerry Johansson and The Sports Corp., not Ritch Winter as some people are saying. #Flames

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

We're also under paying for players like Brodie, Hamilton and Russell so it's not the end of the world. Enough of those contracts will be off the books by the time our young guys need big contracts.

You always have cap space until you don't. Our cap situation next summer doesn't look too great in my opinion, and I don't think we can count on the cap going up either. The goal is to have underpaid player, if you overpay another guy because you're underpaying a player, there is no gain.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Bickell is millions overpaid. Bouma is a few hundred thousand at most.

So ya 2 million makes a difference, 200k doesnt.

2 million makes a difference and so does 200k. If you add up the amount that Raymond Bouma and Engelland are overpaid by you get ~3 million. That is a significant amount

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

You always have cap space until you don't. Our cap situation next summer doesn't look too great in my opinion, and I don't think we can count on the cap going up either. The goal is to have underpaid player, if you overpay another guy because you're underpaying a player, there is no gain.

Not even the wizard known as Treliving can underpay every player.. This went to arbitration and because of it his hands were tied. It's not like we had an option here.

Regardless, this is not a big over-payment and Bouma will be worth the money. It's not a bad thing to overpay for players that do everything in their power to win a hockey game. You underpay these players and they might not want to sacrifice their bodies the same way.