2015/2016 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should be able to address one of those spots with one of the big wingers in the draft as the Flames are sitting on the 5th pick today and I don't expect that to change much between now and the end of the season.

Yeah I am a bit more optimistic than you when it comes to where this team finishes. Duhatchek always says you should judge a team based on their second quarter results. Flames went 11-5-1 in games 20-40. They are sitting bottom 5 based on the 8-14-1 start they had. The defense and goaltending (which was the reason for the bad start) have come around. I don't see this team being stuck in the bottom 5 and drafting one of the big wingers available in the draft

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should be able to address one of those spots with one of the big wingers in the draft as the Flames are sitting on the 5th pick today and I don't expect that to change much between now and the end of the season.

Then we are not getting one of the big wingers. By that I assume you mean one of Laine, Puljujarvi, or Tkachuk. One might be there but I doubt it, those guys are probably going 2,3,4.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should be able to address one of those spots with one of the big wingers in the draft as the Flames are sitting on the 5th pick today and I don't expect that to change much between now and the end of the season.

Landing one of those guys would set the Flames up very nicely. Obtaining a stud top 6 forward without giving up an arm and a leg and forking out huge dollars will be extremely difficult. A depth top 6 guy, depth d man, and a goalie I think is doable through trade and free agency or even from within if were lucky but another Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, or better caliber player most realistically has to come from the top end of the draft. I wanna see this team win a cup not fight to maybe make the playoffs so I don't see why some posters view the playoffs as some all mighty noble mission. It's a sport we watch for entertainment. I'm more concerned with winning than moral perception. This season we've shown we're not ready to contend and barely ready to make the playoffs. I don't see that as a failure at all. It's where the team is but we're a player or two away from actually taking that next step which is the exciting part to me.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Then we are not getting one of the big wingers. By that I assume you mean one of Laine, Puljujarvi, or Tkachuk. One might be there but I doubt it, those guys are probably going 2,3,4.

I disagree. I think someone in the top 4 will want a dman and grab Chychrun.

[Poster]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Landing one of those guys would set the Flames up very nicely. Obtaining a stud top 6 forward without giving up an arm and a leg and forking out huge dollars will be extremely difficult. A depth top 6 guy, depth d man, and a goalie I think is doable through trade and free agency or even from within if were lucky but another Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, or better caliber player most realistically has to come from the top end of the draft. I wanna see this team win a cup not fight to maybe make the playoffs so I don't see why some posters view the playoffs as some all mighty noble mission. It's a sport we watch for entertainment. I'm more concerned with winning than moral perception. This season we've shown we're not ready to contend and barely ready to make the playoffs. I don't see that as a failure at all. It's where the team is but we're a player or two away from actually taking that next step which is the exciting part to me.

So you endorse the Oilers model?

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Poster

So you endorse the Oilers model?

I don't really care what the Oilers do. I endorse the Flames winning a cup in the near future. We're sitting 26th in the league right now because thats how good we've played, not because we're following "the Oilers model." Do you endorse reality?

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Poster

So you endorse the Oilers model?

I prefer to think of it as the Kings/Blackhawks model.

[Poster]

Originally Posted by codynw

I prefer to think of it as the Kings/Blackhawks model.

Both those teams played to win during their rebuild, they never tanked like many accuse the oilers of and that the OP I replied to suggested was good strategy.

Flames fans should take pride in the fact their management chooses winning culture over tank nation.

Cheering to lose is the Oilers way.

[jschick88]

From Canucks Twitter:

Vancouver Canucks ‏@VanCanucks
#Canucks confirm the club is exploring trade options for Chris Higgins.

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning confirmed today that the club is exploring trade options for forward Chris Higgins.

“As part of our transition to a younger team, I can confirm we’re exploring trade options for Chris Higgins so we can create more roster space for our younger players to develop. Chris is a quality person who has been an important member of our team for nearly five seasons. Our focus has been on finding a positive new situation for him and we will continue to do so.”

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm...70ba565d62085f

Weird way to announce that he's available. Good luck trying to move him. Under contract for this year and next year for $2.5m.

[christoph186]

Haha I just read this and remembered... Vancouver is no good.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by jschick88

From Canucks Twitter:

Vancouver Canucks ‏@VanCanucks
#Canucks confirm the club is exploring trade options for Chris Higgins.

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning confirmed today that the club is exploring trade options for forward Chris Higgins.



http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm...70ba565d62085f

Weird way to announce that he's available. Good luck trying to move him. Under contract for this year and next year for $2.5m.

Canucks do realize they can just tell other GMs right? They don't have to put it out in the press.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Poster

Both those teams played to win during their rebuild, they never tanked like many accuse the oilers of and that the OP I replied to suggested was good strategy.

Flames fans should take pride in the fact their management chooses winning culture over tank nation.

Cheering to lose is the Oilers way.

Well in 2003/2004 the Hawks made the following trades to try to win

1) Steve Sullivan (their best offensive player) for 2 2nd round picks
2) Zhamnov (one of their best offensive players) and a 4th for a 2nd, a 23 year old Jim Vandermeer and a 19 year old Colin Fraser who was playing in Red Deer at the time
3) Ville Niemenan to Calgary for the immortal Jason Morgan and a conditional pick
4) Veteran Jon Klemm for Stephane Robidas (the closest thing to a hockey trade in the bunch)
5) Veteran Alexander Karpotsev for a 4th round pick

In 2005/2006 they made the following trades to try to win

1) Tyler Arnason (arguably their best offensive player at the time) to Ottawa for Brandon Bochenski in his 2nd pro season and a 2nd round pick
2) Jaroslav Spacek (arguably their best dman) to Edmonton for Tony Salmelainen (a prospect playing in Europe that season and unavailable to the Hawks) and a pick
3) Jim Dowd (longtime NHL vet at the time) for a 4th round pick
4) Traded a 3rd round pick and Matt Ellison for a 23 year old Patrick Sharp and Eric Meloche (AHL fodder) this was a hockey trade
5) Todd Simpson for a 6th round pick
6) Anton Babchuk for a 4th round pick and Danny Richmond

It would be be real stretch to say that the Hawks played to win

From 07 until 09 the Kings traded a number of top players for nothing that would help them win at the time.
Though not to the extent that the Hawks tanked.

I think it is important for a GM to be self-aware of where they are as an organization.

[Jay Random]

Thing is, the Hawks didn't make those trades to tank. They made those trades because Dollar Bill Wirtz was an incurable cheapskate and wanted to cut the payroll to the bone. At that time, they had no intention of contending for the Cup – not then, and not in the future.

[Monahan For Mayor]

Hahaha Vancouver... Way to keep up the morale in the locker room.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Thing is, the Hawks didn't make those trades to tank. They made those trades because Dollar Bill Wirtz was an incurable cheapskate and wanted to cut the payroll to the bone. At that time, they had no intention of contending for the Cup – not then, and not in the future.

Well even after the old man died, they traded an established dman in Vandermeer for a young Ben Eager and Martin Lapointe for a 6th round pick. Either way, the effect was the same, trading to save money also equated trading to lose. They definitely were not trying to win.

[Poe969]

Tanking for money is still tanking. The Hawks tanked either way.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Poster

Both those teams played to win during their rebuild, they never tanked like many accuse the oilers of and that the OP I replied to suggested was good strategy.

Flames fans should take pride in the fact their management chooses winning culture over tank nation.

Cheering to lose is the Oilers way.

You created that all in your own head. Like I said were 26th in the league. Thats the reality. We don't need to employ a tanking strategy. That's where we are. All I'm saying is it's not the end of the world. We land Laine or Puljujarvi or Tkachuk were one major piece closer to where we want to be. One of those players will mean WAAYYYY more to this franchise for the next decade than a few moral victories we can try and hang our hat on.

[Jay Random]

Tanking is losing deliberately for the sake of losing. Wirtz cut payroll because he saw no point in trying to compete with spendthrift teams like the Rangers, Stars, and Leafs. Unlike most owners of professional sports teams, he wanted to make money. He just had a lousy idea of how to go about it.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Hackey

You created that all in your own head. Like I said were 26th in the league. Thats the reality.

The reality is, that changes rapidly from day to day. The Flames are six points out of last place in the league, but only five points out of 16th place. Realistically, they could finish anywhere in the bottom half of the standings. And that's after they spent October playing some of the worst hockey we've ever seen.

Based on their performance since the end of October, it's more likely that they will finish above their present position than at or below it.

[Vulcan]

I think this is a more realistic view of the standings as it uses a points per game rating. Right now it puts us tied for 23rd but we could easily move up or down 4 or 5 positions.

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/st...per-game/2015/