This Season & What Need's To Be Accomplished In The Off Season

[flamesforcup]

Sign raanta and Reimer to 2 year deals. Buy out raymond put smid on ltir.
Resign Nakladal
Draft Matthews
Sign a cheap winger like palmieri to play in the top 6
Trade wideman at 50%+dallas 1st (if it becomes a first)+rasmus andersson for Hamonic

Gaudreau-Monahan-Palmieri
Bennett-Matthews-Colborne
Bouma-Backlund-Frolik
Ferland-Stajan-Hatthaway

Brodie-Hamonic
Giordano-Hamilton
Jokipakka-Nakladal
Engellend

Reimer
Raanta

Thats easily a playoff team

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

who else is in the market for a starting goaltender this offseason?

TOR and maybe CAR (they have Lack still.) Flames should be positioned well to grab their choice of the UFA goalies if they wanna go that route.

[blender]

Originally Posted by spuzzum

Yes and terrible special teams. Goaltending and several factors have made this team bottom. That's my point. It'll be a challenge fixing both of these items to becoming even league average. Those are two huge areas among others.

No one is saying it isn't a challenge. Making the playoffs is a challenge. Good teams miss every season. My point is that the Flames should be able to improve significantly with relatively minor personnel upgrades. If they get average or better goaltending and special teams next season and are still in the lottery mix then there will be extreme concern, with good reason IMO.

[Lanny_McDonald]

1. Goaltending - Some good options available via free agency. Not great, but good. The Flames need to tide things over for probably two to three years. I don't think it matters who they bring in, it will be a vast improvement over what we had this year.

2. Top 6 Forward Depth - This will be addressed in the draft. I doubt the Flames can afford to go shopping. They don't have the budget space to sign anyone long term and the guys that would make a difference would be looking for long term deals. They either address it through a hockey trade, or they address it through the draft. The draft is most likely.

3. Who to Sign and How Much - Until the Flames can dump the wasted salaries they have in the bottom part of the roster it is going to be hard for them to do anything other than sign their own players. I don't see anything but signing Gaudreau and Monahan to big dollar extensions and then some of their other RFAs to smaller shorter contracts.

4. Expendable Players - Anyone not named Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Brodie, and Hamilton. This is one of the worst teams in the NHL so don't get too attached to anyone.

One thing not addressed it coaching. I'd look for what is out there and see if there is something out there better than Hartley. If they can find something it is time for a change. Last in every coachable measure makes it pretty obvious.

[Illuminaughty]

I disagree about changing the coach. Hartley got a ton out of his roster last year and obviously got some lucky breaks along the way. I think it's important for a young developing to team to have some continuity with coaching. It seems easy for young players to railroad a coach and force managements hand into replacing him(see Oilers). I think it's better for a young team to not have that as an option.

Hartley's been pretty good at developing players so far, why change it? Is he being out coached? Or is our roster still developing and flawed? I think the later. Couple that with a big hole in the most important position in sports, that's why the team is near the bottom this year, not because of every fans favourite scapegoat.

[blender]

Agree with keeping Hartley on but short leash if the results aren't there early.

[Roof-Daddy]

No sense firing Hartley unless you have a clear upgrade ready to go.

Like when coach Q was hired on as a "Pro Scout" back in 2008 after he left the Avs organization.

[SOMBRI2]

Re: Coaches, I wonder what CPers think about Hitchcock if the Blues was out off the playoffs earlier and decided to cut ties.

[Flames_F.T.W]

Originally Posted by SOMBRI2

Re: Coaches, I wonder what CPers think about Hitchcock if the Blues was out off the playoffs earlier and decided to cut ties.

I know Hitchcock gets results, but I HATE his defensive style of hockey. I don't want to watch that kind of Flames hockey, especially with talent like Gaudreau.

[kkaleR]

If Hartley is going to be Flames' Denis Savard, who could be our Q? Savard had a pretty short leash with the Hawks at the beginning of the 2008-09 season.

e: And this season gone in drain after piss-poor goaltending and special teams I see as a potential blessing in a disguise. If we managed to land that top 3 RW or Matthews, should we be heading to a good direction.

[flamestar16]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

Sign raanta and Reimer to 2 year deals. Buy out raymond put smid on ltir.
Resign Nakladal
Draft Matthews
Sign a cheap winger like palmieri to play in the top 6
Trade wideman at 50%+dallas 1st (if it becomes a first)+rasmus andersson for Hamonic

Gaudreau-Monahan-Palmieri
Bennett-Matthews-Colborne
Bouma-Backlund-Frolik
Ferland-Stajan-Hatthaway

Brodie-Hamonic
Giordano-Hamilton
Jokipakka-Nakladal
Engellend

Reimer
Raanta

Thats easily a playoff team

I would not trade Andersson. I really believe he has a chance to start in Calgary next season.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by flamestar16

I would not trade Andersson. I really believe he has a chance to start in Calgary next season.

Not only that, but Wideman + a 1st + a prospect is an overpayment for Hamonic.

Andersson has looked great so far, so I hope he continues developing. He could be anything, even a Hamonic!

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Not only that, but Wideman + a 1st + a prospect is an overpayment for Hamonic.

Andersson has looked great so far, so I hope he continues developing. He could be anything, even a Hamonic!

I don't think it is as long as it's a mid 1st. That's the tricky part obviously. The rest is a cap dump and a B+ prospect (not nearly enough). Something would have to bridge that sizable gap.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

I don't think it is as long as it's a mid 1st. That's the tricky part obviously. The rest is a cap dump and a B+ prospect (not nearly enough). Something would have to bridge that sizable gap.

Fail to see how Andersson is anything lower than a A- prospect.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Fail to see how Andersson is anything lower than a A- prospect.

Kind of splitting hairs here, no?

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Kind of splitting hairs here, no?

Well, maybe.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by flamestar16

I would not trade Andersson. I really believe he has a chance to start in Calgary next season.

Maybe a 1% chance. I don't think the Flames are going to rush him.

[saillias]

The local media is collectively trolling, I think.

Eric Francis thinks Mike Smith would be a good fit.

Boomer has been campaigning for Cam Ward all year.

Steinberg got blasted on the text line for trying to push Ondrej Pavelec.

Dear Flames, when looking for a goalie this summer, please refer to the above list for goalies to avoid because they are bad. (Ken King please read)

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by saillias

The local media is collectively trolling, I think.

Eric Francis thinks Mike Smith would be a good fit.

Boomer has been campaigning for Cam Ward all year.

Steinberg got blasted on the text line for trying to push Ondrej Pavelec.

Dear Flames, when looking for a goalie this summer, please refer to the above list for goalies to avoid because they are bad. (Ken King please read)

What do those three examples have in common: they're all names that the media personality in question recognizes.

Those guys aren't going to do the necessary homework to dig up some uncut diamond buried in the Columbus or Nashville organizations.

They are throwing names out there to generate discussion.

[Roof-Daddy]

Just a look at the roster as it stands for next year with key RFA's brought back at roughly what they'll get, and one UFA in Nakladal.



FORWARDS (13)

1. J. Gaudreau ($7,000,000) - S. Monahan ($5,500,000) - M. Frolik ($4,300,000)
2. M. Ferland ($825,000) - S. Bennett ($925,000) - J. Colborne ($1,800,000)
3. L. Bouma ($2,200,000) - M. Backlund ($3,575,000) - J. Jooris ($1,000,000)
4. M. Raymond ($3,150,000) - M. Stajan ($3,125,000) - G. Hathaway ($690,000)
Extra - B. Bollig ($1,250,000)



DEFENSE (9)

1. T. Brodie ($4,650,400) - D. Hamilton ($5,750,000)
2. M. Giordano ($6,750,000) - D. Wideman ($5,250,000)
3. J. Jokipakka ($900,000) - D. Engelland ($2,916,667)
Extra - L. Smid ($3,500,000) - T. Wotherspoon ($850,000) - J. Nakladal ($900,000)


GOALTENDER (1)

1. J. Ortio ($700,000)


Roster Size: 23
NHL Salary Cap: $71,400,000
Cap Hit: $67,507,067
Cap Space: $3,892,933
--------------------------------------------------

Need to move a D-man or two and clear some cap. Wideman and Smid no longer on the team would be perfect. It would clear spots for Wotherspoon and Nakladal, and clear $8.75 million of the cap in one fell swoop. Wideman is easily tradeable IMO, as long as he's willing to play ball with his NMC. I don't know what you do with Smid though if he's healthy. Pretty much untradeable, and it would be a shame if he saw one minute ahead of guys like Nakladal and Wotherspoon. Only one year left for Smid though, so at least it's not an extended problem. Engelland I don't mind keeping around though. It'll be his last year, and he's good depth who can step up into the top 4 when needed and provide some toughness and veteran leadership. Also a piece that can be sold at the next deadline if circumstances dictate it.

As for the forwards, Raymond and Stajan are also huge wastes of cap space as marginal 4th liners. Would love it if guys like Grant (if re-signed UFA), Agostino, Arnold, Hamilton could push them right off the roster, and into buy out country. Of course Raymond is pretty much already there, but with just one season left he's not quite as big of an anchor as Stajan is shaping up to be.

Hopefully we end up being able to slot in Mattews, Laine or Puljujarvi into that forward group somewhere, and if the Flames clear enough cap, maybe another top six winger via UFA or trade.

As for goalies, you have to think Ortio was pretty much dead on the vine a few weeks ago, but may just be playing himself into one more contract. Even if that's true, there will almost assuredly be a different face or two brought in to fight for goaltending spots. Hiller and Ramo are done here IMO. My bet is still on the Flames going hard after Reimer, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they go after Andersen (ANA) and/or Kuemper (MIN) via trade(s). Other more veteran options that might be possible via trades are guys like Bishop, Lehtonen, Howard, or Smith. Not as appealing to the masses, but in a transfer of cap hits I could see it happening to stop gap until Gillies is kicking the door down.