[Rumour] Friedman: UPD: Flames looking for a winger pref with edge and maybe a goalie

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by madmike

I'm a bit frustrated Stockton has provided absolutely no relief. The Flames are getting nothing out of their farm team and I think that should be a cause for concern.

While true, and nobody is really tearing it up in Stockton either, the NHL team has had very few injuries to create opportunities for prospects. Sometimes it takes an unexpected opening for an unexpected player to shine.

[Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

...given I actually think we are exactly where many had predicted even hoped we would be.

I agree, I think everyone has been driven nuts by the team this year because they've stayed in the race in such a painful manner, beat a really good team, get crushed by another that we should be able to beat, so many guys under-performing (a few playing great all year too, of course), and many people can't help but feel we'd be way higher in the standings with even one of the goalies performing well too. All I wanted personally was for them to be right in the mix and they are so I can't really complain at all, it's the player struggles that bugs me mostly from guys who are usually pretty consistent.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

i'm sick and tired of the "stop gaps" for our prospects that haven't made the jump.

I'm actually sick of management who believe it is better to recycle other people's crap rather than give your own prospects a chance to perform. And I'm not talking about giving a guy 7 minutes a night, a game every three or four, then dispatching them to the minors, all the whole sitting on useless garbage in guise of veterans. How the hell will you ever know what you have unless you give the players a chance? I think if you give Kulak the Wideman ice time, this is a better team. If you give Jankowski the Stajan ice time, this is better team. If you give Hathaway the Bouma ice time, this is a better hockey team. Why do we continue to bring in management who have this lack of faith in young players?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by New Era

...Why do we continue to bring in management who have this lack of faith in young players?

I blame you.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Brouwer has an A and that's enough evidence that he was brought in at least partly for so-called leadership qualities. I expect more from him than just standing in front of the net and being okay on the boards.

Gio has let me down in this respect as well. Whatshisface rammed into Elliott yesterday, and our captain did nothing.

Kind of shows how the team feels about the leadership in the locker room where a UFA gets handed an A automatically when joining a new team. Almost Oileresque.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by New Era

I'm actually sick of management who believe it is better to recycle other people's crap rather than give your own prospects a chance to perform. And I'm not talking about giving a guy 7 minutes a night, a game every three or four, then dispatching them to the minors, all the whole sitting on useless garbage in guise of veterans. How the hell will you ever know what you have unless you give the players a chance? I think if you give Kulak the Wideman ice time, this is a better team. If you give Jankowski the Stajan ice time, this is better team. If you give Hathaway the Bouma ice time, this is a better hockey team. Why do we continue to bring in management who have this lack of faith in young players?

Is this post serious? What has Kulak shown that he can handle a top 4 role? I agree with you on Hathaway but disagree on Jankowski and quite vehemently to be honest. In what world is giving a first year pro 4th line ice time more beneficial than giving him top line minutes in the AHL?

You need veterans and when young players outperform those veterans you make moves. I recall one of the main reasons Treliving traded Glencross was due to Hartley telling him they needed a full time spot for Ferland

Personally I think the likes of Wotherspoon, Poirer, and Shinkaruk have been extremely disappointing this year. Right now there is not a player in the farm that it is a crime they are not here.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Kind of shows how the team feels about the leadership in the locker room where a UFA gets handed an A automatically when joining a new team. Almost Oileresque.

I agree and do not understand why Backlund or Brodie are not wearing the "A" that is currently on Brouwer's sweater.

It is funny a lot of people are blaming the lack of Backes, Brouwer, and Elliott for the Blues struggles pre Yeo taking over. We have 2/3 of that group and I don't see either as a great leader that has kept the Flames in the mix

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by New Era

I'm actually sick of management who believe it is better to recycle other people's crap rather than give your own prospects a chance to perform. And I'm not talking about giving a guy 7 minutes a night, a game every three or four, then dispatching them to the minors, all the whole sitting on useless garbage in guise of veterans. How the hell will you ever know what you have unless you give the players a chance? I think if you give Kulak the Wideman ice time, this is a better team. If you give Jankowski the Stajan ice time, this is better team. If you give Hathaway the Bouma ice time, this is a better hockey team. Why do we continue to bring in management who have this lack of faith in young players?

And it's not normal. Maybe this attitude was normal a decade ago, but the average team has much more faith in its young players off the farm. Look at Chiarelli (BOS/EDM), or Bowman (CHI), or Rutherford (PIT), or Yzerman (TBL) and it's pretty clear we are behind the curve. Does anyone buy, for half a moment that Matt Benning would have an NHL game played if the Flames signed him? Well he's having an excellent rookie season on a team ahead of us in the standings.

[ComixZone]

I look at Landeskog and can't help but think of LA prior to the Carter/Richards deals.

I'd happily pay out the hockey-wazoo to acquire him. The talk seems to be around "3 to 4 pieces", including a good defensive prospect. Would Adam Fox or Brendan Hickey be a fit as that piece? Kylington? Andersson? I'd probably be most hesitant to move Andersson, but would still do it. You can only be so patient before you need to swing big - and with relative few (yet important) holes in the lineup, I think Landeskog presents a rare perfect match situation.

2017 as a weak draft year - put in the 1st and 2nd round picks alongside one of the four defensive prospects and then another mid level prospect...is that enough? It seems to be in line with the rumoured asking price.

Then you can turn focus to a veteran #4 d-man on a short term deal this summer and once again take a stab at resolving the goalie situation.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Are Cam Fowler or Sami Vatanen still available? I would take either of them in a heartbeat...

Jacob Trouba? Tyson Barrie?

Then who do you protect on D?

You'd have to have a discussion with Vegas before going after one of those guys and see what cost it would take to make an agreement not to take the guy in your top 4 that you expose.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

And it's not normal. Maybe this attitude was normal a decade ago, but the average team has much more faith in its young players off the farm. Look at Chiarelli (BOS/EDM), or Bowman (CHI), or Rutherford (PIT), or Yzerman (TBL) and it's pretty clear we are behind the curve. Does anyone buy, for half a moment that Matt Benning would have an NHL game played if the Flames signed him? Well he's having an excellent rookie season on a team ahead of us in the standings.

Josh Jooris says hello. He was a college free agent that signed and played his way on the team. He didn't last long and was waived by the team that signed him this summer. He played well and got his chance.

The Flames have Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Tkachuk, Hamilton under 24 on the team and 4 of them were drafted by the team. They have Backlund, Ferland, Bouma, Brodie as players under 28 they have drafted and developed.

Who plays on the team is more on the coach than the GM. Treliving is not stopping Gulutzan from bringing up Poirer up and playing him? Treliving is not scratching Hathaway in favor of Hamilton or Bouma. A lot of this is on the coach

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

And it's not normal. Maybe this attitude was normal a decade ago, but the average team has much more faith in its young players off the farm. Look at Chiarelli (BOS/EDM), or Bowman (CHI), or Rutherford (PIT), or Yzerman (TBL) and it's pretty clear we are behind the curve. Does anyone buy, for half a moment that Matt Benning would have an NHL game played if the Flames signed him? Well he's having an excellent rookie season on a team ahead of us in the standings.

Chiarelli in Edmonton? Do explain. This is just another example of people not having patience with the rebuild. This team lacked not only top end prospects, but any resemblance of prosoect depth when this rebuild began. The top end prospects have actually developed quicker than expected, which is not only shinning a light on the fact there is still a long wayvto go to actually achieve prospect depth so that we can do what you want, but it's also making everyone lose patience with the fact that not all problems are solved yet.

And it's not just the lack of prospects filling roles on this team where you see it. Whether it's improving our top 4 D, finding a top 6 RW or solving our goalie issues, the fact that the top end young players are already making an impact is making everyone feel like all those other problems should also be solved now as well.

This Flames organization was in the worst shape of any team in the NHL on ice at all levels when we finally decided to hit the rebuild button. Not at all realistic to think the plethora of issues we had could have been solved by now. Building real prospect depth to help fill out your roster is one that takes time especially when you start from 0.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I look at Landeskog and can't help but think of LA prior to the Carter/Richards deals.

I'd happily pay out the hockey-wazoo to acquire him. The talk seems to be around "3 to 4 pieces", including a good defensive prospect. Would Adam Fox or Brendan Hickey be a fit as that piece? Kylington? Andersson? I'd probably be most hesitant to move Andersson, but would still do it. You can only be so patient before you need to swing big - and with relative few (yet important) holes in the lineup, I think Landeskog presents a rare perfect match situation.

2017 as a weak draft year - put in the 1st and 2nd round picks alongside one of the four defensive prospects and then another mid level prospect...is that enough? It seems to be in line with the rumoured asking price.

Then you can turn focus to a veteran #4 d-man on a short term deal this summer and once again take a stab at resolving the goalie situation.

I am with you 100%. I would gladly part with a combination of our best prospects and our first to get Landeskog. He is a long term piece and a winger that plays a gritty game. One of Tkachuk, Landeskog, or Gaudreau shifts to RW.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I blame you.

It really sucks you can't put a moderator on your ignore list.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am with you 100%. I would gladly part with a combination of our best prospects and our first to get Landeskog. He is a long term piece and a winger that plays a gritty game. One of Tkachuk, Landeskog, or Gaudreau shifts to RW.

$5.5M for a 50-60 point player? For that kind of money he needs to play on the top line. The Flames better make sure that Gaudreau can play the right side before making a deal.

[Machiavelli]

Landeskog has played RW in the past, IIRC

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by New Era

$5.5M for a 50-60 point player? For that kind of money he needs to play on the top line. The Flames better make sure that Gaudreau can play the right side before making a deal.

We have $3M Stajan on the 4th line, $4.5M Brouwer on the 3rd line so not sure why Landeskog would have to be on the top line. I could see him felling with Bennett and perhaps Tkachuk is the answer on the top line long term.

I get what you are saying though. Can't give up huge assets for a guy that isn't a lock for our top line (in my opinion too 6)

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by New Era

$5.5M for a 50-60 point player? For that kind of money he needs to play on the top line. The Flames better make sure that Gaudreau can play the right side before making a deal.

Alas, 50-60 points is top-line production nowadays. Only 40 forwards scored 60 points in the NHL last season.

I don't see Landeskog as a particularly good fit here, but for the first two years of his current contract, he did earn his pay.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

And it's not normal. Maybe this attitude was normal a decade ago, but the average team has much more faith in its young players off the farm. Look at Chiarelli (BOS/EDM), or Bowman (CHI), or Rutherford (PIT), or Yzerman (TBL) and it's pretty clear we are behind the curve. Does anyone buy, for half a moment that Matt Benning would have an NHL game played if the Flames signed him? Well he's having an excellent rookie season on a team ahead of us in the standings.

We are the 10th youngest team in the NHL. Pittsburgh has the 2nd oldest team and Chicago has the 7th oldest. Both teams also have cap issues where they actually are forced to play young guys off the farm because they don't have the flexibility cap wise to pay anyone else.

We have also been very lucky injury wise (knock on wood) and there really hasn't been opportunities for young guys to come up and play this year.

[Caged Great]

If I was going to target one player at the deadline who won't cost too much would be Mike Smith.

Chad Johnson + something of note (2nd or equivalent player like Shinkaruk) should be enough.

Ride Elliott and Smith into the playoffs, having a pair of decent #1 goalies and have a longer term option for the next two years after with Smith.