[Rumour] Flames still trying to re-sign Russell

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

One thing to also consider is that Cowen will need a $4.5 million qualifying offer to retain his RFA rights when his current contract is over.

That in itself is pretty ugly.

It isn't ugly - it is putrid.

However, as long as the Flames don't expend much in the way of assets for him (and I can't imagine Ottawa's ask is all that high), then it isn't a bad gamble. I would expect Treliving to do what he did to Byron 2 off-seasons ago and not qualify him, and then re-sign him once the free agency period starts. A bit of a risk - but as long as the Flames didn't give any real assets, might be worth it.

I would, of course, rather not even trade for him, as I also feel he is kind of a low-IQ type, but at 6'5", I can see why the Flames are showing some interest.

[curves2000]

Lots and lots of talk on this thread regarding trading Russell and lots of talk about signing him. I have heard some figures being proposed for resigning him but I don't think I have heard one person suggest a team and a return? I mean do we let him go for a 4th rounder instead of signing him for a 3 year, $9 mil deal if possible?

I don't know what kind of return Russell gets us at the trade deadline and who would be interested in him as well. The trade market and rental market have been quite dry the last little while.

I just don't see a team throwing us a 2nd and 3rd ala Glencross style for Russell. It seems like all these NHL teams keep doing the same thing over and over again and from my vantage point its looking like a Chicago/LA West Final potentially. I am not sure if Russell is anybody's answer to those teams in the west if he isn't really helping his current team get a solid footing in the pathetic Pacific.

I am not for or against either position with him and I think at his current deal with the team has been good for us. His play the last few years has been decent enough that the contract was good for both sides.

Just my 2 cents

[T@T]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Lots and lots of talk on this thread regarding trading Russell and lots of talk about signing him. I have heard some figures being proposed for resigning him but I don't think I have heard one person suggest a team and a return? I mean do we let him go for a 4th rounder instead of signing him for a 3 year, $9 mil deal if possible?

I don't know what kind of return Russell gets us at the trade deadline and who would be interested in him as well. The trade market and rental market have been quite dry the last little while.

I just don't see a team throwing us a 2nd and 3rd ala Glencross style for Russell. It seems like all these NHL teams keep doing the same thing over and over again and from my vantage point its looking like a Chicago/LA West Final potentially. I am not sure if Russell is anybody's answer to those teams in the west if he isn't really helping his current team get a solid footing in the pathetic Pacific.

I am not for or against either position with him and I think at his current deal with the team has been good for us. His play the last few years has been decent enough that the contract was good for both sides.

Just my 2 cents

If Russell would sign for $3m per he would have been extended long ago. All indications are he wants $4m+ and if that's the case I think he should get a pink slip from the flames.

[bubbsy]

only way we should be re-signing russel is if wideman is being moved.

i expect our d too look like the following next year:

gio - brodie
hamilton - russel/wideman
smid/engelland - other
smid/engelland

i wouldn't be too sad to see both russel/wideman shipped out to be honest.

[Demetric]

I think Russel will return a 2/3 rounder and a prospect before the deadline .... hopefully a RW prospect

[Huntingwhale]

[JJ1532]

Russell is one of those decisions that will define Treliving's time as GM. One of those calls that either looks like a genius move in a few years or a total disaster. But I trust his judgement. He needs to have spoken to Russell and gotten an idea of what term and figure Kris is expecting come the summer, whether with us or in free agency. If they want to keep him, ok, but at what cost? You don't want to pay him top 4 salary and then find him getting pushed into the bottom pair, leaving us paying too much for a bottom pair guy(like the 3 we already have in those positions)

He needs to have considered how our defensive prospects project out in the next few years. Does he see Andersson and/or Kylington turning into top 4 players? Hickey? Does he want to take a run at a guy likely to hit the free agency market in the summer? Does he want to trade for Hamonic or Cowen and have them as a top 4 guy?

I hope that he's done his due diligence, considered all the options and then, when the decision has to be made, he makes the right one. I trust him to make the right call here.

[Badgers Nose]

This team seems stuck in a quagmire.

Russell is a marginal guy. Not a top 4 except here. Just because he can eat minutes, doesn't mean he should.

What to do? Resign the marginal guys, block the kids, while saying they are not ready yet? Or create a couple of roster spots?

Coach wants to play vets and the GM can't deal away old guys that would thereby force the coach to use kids.

The Flames roster challenges are barf-tastic. Glad it's BT's problem.

I hope the Flames can break from this habit of offering $3m to marginal players. I'd rather see Russell walk than re-sign here.

[CliffFletcher]

Yeah, I know Treliving has only been in his position for less than two years. But Feaster and Burke has already begun the rebuild when he arrived. At some point, we're going to need to see players developed in the system step in and fill the depth roles on the team. We can't keep plugging every hole in the roster with meh players at $3 to $4 mil a pop. If Hartley doesn't like it, someone need to remind him who is boss.

Look at the steady influx of players on entry-level contracts onto the Wings roster. Even the Blackhawks have two rookies on the blueline this season. How many years does it take an effective drafting and development strategy to give you a steady pipeline of NHL ready prospects? And I'm not talking about the sure-fire guys like Monahan and Bennet. I mean players who you develop in the minors to step in and fill the depth positions on the roster, freeing up money to pay the stars.

[Badgers Nose]

I'm in the boat that says there are lots of Stockton guys making <$1m who can play on the Flames right now replacing Stajan, Jones, Bollig, Engellend, Smid and maybe even Russell.

If the playoff picture ever clears up, and the Flames are out, like others have said I would expect a purge and lots of spots would open up for kids to compete.

When it's unclear, that's when BT earns his big bucks.

I think Hartley is just doing what any coach would do. Given the options he has available to him Hartley puts the best product possible on the ice. He tends to err on the side of caution and experience. After all, he gets canned first if there are not enough wins.

But I think he would find a way to win with more kids on the roster. Hartley is pretty adaptable and way better than I ever gave him credit for before joining the Flames. In some ways, he made Russell. Hartley can do that again.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Russell holds a fair bit of value IMO. Wouldn't surprise me if we could get a 2nd and 3rd easy for him or more. Doug Murray fetched two 2nds one year didn't he and he skates like molasses?

Basically every playoff team usually wants to add a defensemen for insurance and there will only be a small amount available from non-playoff teams. So they go for a premium.

[Enoch Root]

I am a big believer in veteran leadership. And I also believe in not rushing the kids.

Having said that, I think that the leadership and coaching staff have successfully instilled a culture and work ethic now. I think the kids that are on the roster (Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, Ferland, Brodie) have learned from the vets and are on the right path.

I don't want to see all the vets run out of town, but I think that it is just about time to start the transition. It's time to start giving some of the young guys on the team more responsibility, and the guys in Stockton a chance.

I'm not saying 4 or 5 immediately. But it's time to move a couple guys at the deadline. And move a couple more next year. It's time to start the transition, to ask Monahan and Brodie and Gaudreau (and in another year or two, Bennett) to start to take over the room and say 'this is our team'.

You can't rush this sort of thing, and it would be folly to try.

But you also can't just wait forever - you have to keep challenging everyone, and push things forward.

I think Treliving has to send a message to the team at the deadline that the transition is starting. And ask the kids who has what it takes to step up.

I don't care whether it's Russell or Hudler or Jones or Wideman or whoever. But I think two guys should be moved, and the organization told why.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by JJ1532

Russell is one of those decisions that will define Treliving's time as GM. One of those calls that either looks like a genius move in a few years or a total disaster. But I trust his judgement. He needs to have spoken to Russell and gotten an idea of what term and figure Kris is expecting come the summer, whether with us or in free agency. If they want to keep him, ok, but at what cost? You don't want to pay him top 4 salary and then find him getting pushed into the bottom pair, leaving us paying too much for a bottom pair guy(like the 3 we already have in those positions)

He needs to have considered how our defensive prospects project out in the next few years. Does he see Andersson and/or Kylington turning into top 4 players? Hickey? Does he want to take a run at a guy likely to hit the free agency market in the summer? Does he want to trade for Hamonic or Cowen and have them as a top 4 guy?

I hope that he's done his due diligence, considered all the options and then, when the decision has to be made, he makes the right one. I trust him to make the right call here.

I agree with everything, except for the bolded. Russell is a good, not great player, who should be traded for a good, but not great return, IMO. I don't see this as any great turning point for his tenure as GM.

[Demetric]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I am a big believer in veteran leadership. And I also believe in not rushing the kids.

Having said that, I think that the leadership and coaching staff have successfully instilled a culture and work ethic now. I think the kids that are on the roster (Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, Ferland, Brodie) have learned from the vets and are on the right path.

I don't want to see all the vets run out of town, but I think that it is just about time to start the transition. It's time to start giving some of the young guys on the team more responsibility, and the guys in Stockton a chance.

I'm not saying 4 or 5 immediately. But it's time to move a couple guys at the deadline. And move a couple more next year. It's time to start the transition, to ask Monahan and Brodie and Gaudreau (and in another year or two, Bennett) to start to take over the room and say 'this is our team'.

You can't rush this sort of thing, and it would be folly to try.

But you also can't just wait forever - you have to keep challenging everyone, and push things forward.

I think Treliving has to send a message to the team at the deadline that the transition is starting. And ask the kids who has what it takes to step up.

I don't care whether it's Russell or Hudler or Jones or Wideman or whoever. But I think two guys should be moved, and the organization told why.

agree completely. I would like to see 1 fw and 1 d spot open up for guys in Stockton to fill after the deadline ...at minimum

[SuperMatt18]

Knowing Treliving he is probably still listening to offers as well.

Best to keep you options open (ie. "We are still open to re-signing Russell"), opposed to coming right out and saying you are not looking to re-sign him.

Gives you a little bit of a better negotiating position if teams know you are open to re-signing him and he isn't just a dead weight UFA (even though he probably should be).

[Redlan]

I agree with statements made in this thread.

[theTrumanShow]

Not sure why we would sign him considering our excess of defencemen presently. Signing him would mean we keep all of the exact same defencemen next season until Wideman, Smid and Engelland contracts expire. Would be prudent to trade Russell for assets (picks) and allow for someone to be called up (Nakladal) to see what they are worth to the team. Also motive the AHL D for potential callups. I am sure BT is trying to move him, but will get better value as teams separate themselves from the pack after the ASG and thus holding on to him. The comments about him trying to resign him are only to try and leverage other teams to up their offers. Personally would love to see a similar deal with WSH as the Glencross deal. Perhaps even try for their 1st. Going to be a 29/30 pick anyhow, basically the same as a 2nd rounder.

[Royle9]

Would it hurt the flames that much to bring up Nakladal and give him a look in the NHL? He's been pretty steady in on the farm thus far, I would think he could stop in just fine, lets give the guy an opportunity at least.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Would it hurt the flames that much to bring up Nakladal and give him a look in the NHL? He's been pretty steady in on the farm thus far, I would think he could stop in just fine, lets give the guy an opportunity at least.

I would speculate that the plan is to see if one Dman can be moved at the deadline. Then start giving guys a look.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I'm in the boat that says there are lots of Stockton guys making <$1m who can play on the Flames right now replacing Stajan, Jones, Bollig, Engellend, Smid and maybe even Russell.

Don't lump Matt Stajan in with that group. He sees top-flight competition from a very difficult position and performs rather well. Not even Monahan would be as effective in his role (or at least, not without losing effectiveness in his own role).

The rest are all replace-able though. Though we don't really have a dedicated facepuncher in Stockton if management insists on having Bollig.