Who do you WANT to be the Flames Starting Goalie Next Season [*NEW POLL 12·05·17]

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I'm fine with an adequate starter if the Flames upgrade the defense instead. A stop gap like Smith would be fine if they address the other areas of need as well.

That definitely has to weigh in on goalie considerations as well. They need to fill the hole in the top six. Ferland should not be there. Then on D they need to ink Stone (He fit really well on the top 4). Or find a comparable facsimile. Then get an Engelland replacement or upgrade (preferable so they leave a spot for a kid from within the organization.)

End of the day, there's only so much of the pie to go around and yes even if goal tending is the biggest hole on the team, there other really important spots to fill too.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It was a great trade. Despite all the negativity over Elliott he still was a big part of making the playoffs. And that isn't absolving him of his slow start or failure against Anaheim. I contend though that it would matter who was in net for the Flames against the Ducks. They have this teams number.

Elliott had about two good months total as a Flame. He had a terrible start, a good February/March, and fell off a cliff in April. The Flames stumbled into the playoffs, winning like two of their last six games, and then Elliott had a legendary awful postseason.

He was unproven as a full season starter before he came here (the one year he played more than 50 games, he was one of the worst goalies in the league statistically), and it showed. With competent goaltending, the Flames win that series.

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Elliott had about two good months total as a Flame. He had a terrible start, a good February/March, and fell off a cliff in April. The Flames stumbled into the playoffs, winning like two of their last six games, and then Elliott had a legendary awful postseason.

He was unproven as a full season starter before he came here, and it showed. With competent goaltending, the Flames win that series.

To be fair for Elliott, the entire team was a dumpster fire at the start. Without Elliott playing lights out during the stretch drive the Flames would have been in the draft lottery this year. IMO He played pretty well from December on to March.

With competent goaltending, the Flames win that series.

Flames couldn't win in Anaheim with Kiprusoff and Iginla in their prime. What makes you think they would have beaten Anaheim this year.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It was a great trade. Despite all the negativity over Elliott he still was a big part of making the playoffs. And that isn't absolving him of his slow start or failure against Anaheim. I contend though that it wouldn't matter who was in net for the Flames against the Ducks. They have this teams number.

It is absolutely amazing to me that people can completely write a guy off after 2 poor playoff games when weeks earlier they were clamouring for him to be re-signed.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

If Treliving doesn't manage to get Schneider or Murray, I will be dissatisfied. It's damn time the Flames acquired a proven legit #1.

Listing two goalies who likely won't even be on the trade market... You're going to be dissatisfied. We are in a tough position, proven, consistent number 1 goalies are very difficult to acquire- no team wants to get rid of them.

The fact that MAF may be available is very lucky for us IMO, he has some consistency issues but he's relatively young, and he's won a cup and is possibly on his way to another. Goalies like that don't become available very often.

To me, MAF is the safest option we have. The guy has proven he can be a starter, and can contend in the playoffs (barring a few bad series). Bringing him in with Johnson backing up wouldn't be that bad... Sure, he could be terrible but we know for a fact that he could also be a great goalie, as he's demonstrated before.

If we gamble and go for a guy like Grubauer or Raanta we may be acquiring our new number one goalie for the next 10 years or we may be signing another future backup goalie - there's not enough evidence to know, which makes this the biggest gamble IMO.

I'd be happy if we got MAF, had Johnson backing up and gave Gillies 10 or so games to see where he's at. Or we could just get Carey Price.

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

It is absolutely amazing to me that people can completely write a guy off after 2 poor playoff games when weeks earlier they were clamouring for him to be re-signed.

I think if it wasn't for that 3rd pick clause, Elliott would have been signed already.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

I think if it wasn't for that 3rd pick clause, Elliott would have been signed already.

This is another thing that absolutely amazes me, the way fans overvalue a 3rd round pick. Treliving is doing his due diligence, like always. I highly doubt the 3rd round pick is much of a factor, if at all. Frankly, if I were Elliott, I wouldn't re-sign in Calgary because the fan base has treated him like absolute garbage this year.

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by VilleN

To me, MAF is the safest option we have. The guy has proven he can be a starter, and can contend in the playoffs (barring a few bad series). Bringing him in with Johnson backing up wouldn't be that bad... Sure, he could be terrible but we know for a fact that he could also be a great goalie, as he's demonstrated before.

Elliott took the Blues to the west final a year ago too. I'm not sure where I want the Flames to go in net, but people are forgetting who Elliott was with the Blues. The guy can still play.

[dammage79]

I'm always going to have some respect for a guy that's going to be in the Flames history books for some foreseeable future. Elliott and... AND the team were magic on that win streak.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

This is another thing that absolutely amazes me, the way fans overvalue a 3rd round pick. Treliving is doing his due diligence, like always. I highly doubt the 3rd round pick is much of a factor, if at all.

Yep, that 3rd is likely gone either to re-sign Elliott prior to July 1 or packaged for another goalie on or after July 1.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

It is absolutely amazing to me that people can completely write a guy off after 2 poor playoff games when weeks earlier they were clamouring for him to be re-signed.

I don't think I have ever clamored for the Flames to bring back Elliott. He was absolutely terrible five out of the seven months of the season, including at the most critical time. He'd be my choice as an absolute last resort. I never want to see Elliott in net for the Flames again.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I don't think I have ever clamored for the Flames to bring back Elliott. He was absolutely terrible five out of the seven months of the season, including at the most critical time. He'd be my choice as an absolute last resort. I never want to see Elliott in net for the Flames again.

You are exaggerating. He was very good in at least three months: Dec., Feb. and March.

In January he was great in three games and not good in three games (the Vancouver game and two blowout losses to Toronto and Montreal). He won two others and lost that Edmonton OT game in which he was great. His second half of October wasn't too shabby either.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

Elliott took the Blues to the west final a year ago too. I'm not sure where I want the Flames to go in net, but people are forgetting who Elliott was with the Blues. The guy can still play.

True. And to be fair I wouldn't be that upset if we gave Elliott another go... But what bothers me about Elliott is that the Blues never seemed to have faith in him. They traded him after those playoffs and they didn't have to. They never trusted him enough to give him the reins... Elliott has never been "the guy" anywhere, Fleury has and on a pretty good team. Don't get me wrong, he has his warts... but I think he's a solid option and we're lucky a goalie like him is available.

[Kipper_3434]

Love how people dismiss Elliott's terrible play at the start of the season and shift blame to the team. But still credit him for playing lights out for two months, instead of giving the credit to the skaters.

[dino7c]

bringing back the same team would be a disaster

Elliott blew it the when the pressure was on the most

Start of the season and playoffs

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

Love how people dismiss Elliott's terrible play at the start of the season and shift blame to the team. But still credit him for playing lights out for two months, instead of giving the credit to the skaters.

Without Elliott playing lights out the team wouldn't have gone on a 10 game win streak with Johnson in net. He deserves a lot of the credit due to his play in the stretch.

[Corral]

The possibility that MAF even wants to move his family to Calgary is so remote, I don't know why people here even bother thinking about it. I'm sure he will tell Vegas to stuff it as well. If he plays in Canada before he retires, and that is a big IF - one would think it would almost certainly be with an eastern-based team given his roots in Quebec.

[Ryan Coke]

He was not great in December and January. He won some games against bottom feeders that he wasn't particularly good in, but the team was playing well then. He was also terrible and lost many games in that span. The only time when he was good, and consistent, was February to March.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

Love how people dismiss Elliott's terrible play at the start of the season and shift blame to the team. But still credit him for playing lights out for two months, instead of giving the credit to the skaters.

And the responsibility towards the skaters for the beginning and the end of the season? Where does that go? Elliott? Because that's where it's going.

The team was undisciplined as all heck for those stretches too. Only until the win streak did every cog in the wheel finally work together. Add in a pinch of Wideman effect and this team was in for a bumpy ride all year. Hamilton and Bennett led the charge in undisciplined penalties over the span of a season.

Elliott couldn't bail them out. This is a team after all, there was a cause and effect for almost all of the short comings of all players.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

Love how people dismiss Elliott's terrible play at the start of the season and shift blame to the team. But still credit him for playing lights out for two months, instead of giving the credit to the skaters.

Yup, it goes both ways. But I will say that the team was really loose defensively in the first 10-15 games. However, that's where a veteran goalie should be holding you in games and at least giving you a chance to win. Elliott didn't do that, and thus the team was at the bottom of the standings.

And yes, the team played much better defensively later in the year limiting the chances. However, at the same time, Elliott was playing really, really well not allowing much of anything to get past him. That led to a franchise record winning streak.

I just want a goalie who is less streaky. Too many highs and lows with Elliott. Teams need stability in goal. Even if the goalie is only going to give you a .915 Sv%, if it's that level of goaltending every night you can work with it and build a good record. Unpredictable goaltending makes it difficult to stick with systems play and build confidence. Sure, it can give you a boost when you're not playing well in front of the goalie, but those highs are short lived and consistency is a much better option than a goalie who will give you a .975 Sv% for 10 games in a row, but then give you a sub.900 Sv% the rest of the year.