[Rumour] LeBrun: Flames among 3 teams calling about Mike Smith but #1 target is MAF

[djsFlames]

Get a young goalie. Be making calls about Raanta, Holtby/Grubauer, Korpisalo. Not Smith. With the vet goalies you know EXACTLY what you're getting, and no more. With the younger guys there is at least room for them to grow and improve and have a long term place with your team. We've gone the vet route for a while now and it's been nothing but a rotating door of inconsistent seasons. I wouldn't be angry with Brad at all if he went after young cheap goalies on 2-3 year deals instead.

If there's one single lesson that can be learned from the stinkers up the highway it's that gambling on kids can pay off.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I'm not worried. KK will veto any bad trade or simply refuse to answer the phone. Most underrated hockey executive in the league.

Although Brad has the autonomy to makes trades on his own now under the new contract.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

I really think the Flames missed the boat when Bishop went to Dallas.

Bishop apparently wanted to go to Dallas all along. If so, the boat never came within a thousand miles of them.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Get a young goalie. Be making calls about Raanta, Holtby/Grubauer, Korpisalo. Not Smith. With the vet goalies you know EXACTLY what you're getting, and no more. With the younger guys there is at least room for them to grow and improve and have a long term place with your team. We've gone the vet route for a while now and it's been nothing but a rotating door of inconsistent seasons. I wouldn't be angry with Brad at all if he went after young cheap goalies on 2-3 year deals instead.

If there's one single lesson that can be learned from the stinkers up the highway it's that gambling on kids can pay off.

Yes it can.

You can also watch a young kid flounder in a starting role for the first time and prove to be no better than a backup.

At least with a veteran starter, you KNOW you're getting a guy who can take a starter's workload and not crap the bed.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

At least with a veteran starter, you KNOW you're getting a guy who can take a starter's workload and not crap the bed.

Because that totes worked out with Hiller and Elliiott...

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Bishop apparently wanted to go to Dallas all along. If so, the boat never came within a thousand miles of them.

It's a whole different ball game if they get him last summer or even at the deadline.

The deadline was the big one, because unlike last summer the acquisition cost was really low, and Bishop might have saved our playoffs.

Plus, if you get him here and around the city, organization and team maybe he likes it and decides to sign an extension after all.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Because that totes worked out with Hiller and Elliiott...

Elliott never handled a starters workload, that's why they also brought in Johnson who had played well for 40+ games the season before in Buffalo.

[Roof-Daddy]

I sure as hell know I don't want another year of two veterans platooning.

Either get a legit 50+ game veteran starter or a young guy who can platoon with an older guy until he is eventually ready to be a starter himself.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Because that totes worked out with Hiller and Elliiott...

If making the playoffs is a goal they succeeded.

[1qqaaz]

At this point, I'm for anyone except Smith. Too old, overpaid, and mediocre. And according to Friedman, he'd cost a lot to acquire.

I'm thinking they should just pair Brian Elliott/Steve Mason with a guy like Raanta or Grubauer.

[FireGilbert]

Smith would be an upgrade on Elliott and is a good 2nd choice if the Flames can't land Fleury. That said I would still prefer to take a risk on a younger goalie than bring in yet another veteran on the down side of their career.

[Street Pharmacist]

What does anyone see in Smith?? Honest question because he's been garbage for a while now

[Sandman]

I don't think that either MAF or Smith would be an upgrade on the goaltending we got this year. Both are highly overrated.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

What does anyone see in Smith?? Honest question because he's been garbage for a while now

Well I suppose the next question should be, who could drag that awful coyote team to success after 2012?

We made the playoffs with Elliott, Smith is statistically better than Elliott on a far worse team. Why is acquiring him bad? I understand personal preference, but all these "vets" that the flames can bargain bin shop for are better than anything the Flames have had since Kippers 3rd last season.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

What does anyone see in Smith?? Honest question because he's been garbage for a while now

His advanced goalie stats aren't garbage though, and he's put those numbers up behind a terrible team. He's alos a big athletic goalie who can handle the puck. These are pluses.

I'm more open to Smith than I was a few months ago, but only if the acquisition cost is low.

[1qqaaz]

To acquire Smith, the Flames would have to give up part of their future. And they have already lost picks to temporary pickups.

Smith would cover a hole for 1-2 years. Sure, the Flames could compete.
But the ultimate goal is to win a cup. The Flames have to keep building until 2020.
It's nice for the Flames to compete now, but I've rather them become a surefire contender in a few years.

But acquiring Smith is bad for 3 main reasons:
1. He's old and likely to regress
2. His cap hit is high. It would be harder to get a RW or #4 D
3. He'd cost a lot of acquire

Yes. He's probably the best goalie that might be available. But it just makes next to no sense in the long run.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Yes it can.

You can also watch a young kid flounder in a starting role for the first time and prove to be no better than a backup.

At least with a veteran starter, you KNOW you're getting a guy who can take a starter's workload and not crap the bed.

Are you sure?

I don't know about you but I saw a decent amount of bed crapping amongst the vets we brought in.

Definition of insanity would be continuing to use that mentality to justify an approach that frankly hasn't worked or proven more safe than taking the youngster route. That's why you start with two guys in tandem and don't just throw one to the wolves.

It's time for a shake up in regards to the goalie strategy. I hope Brad learned from the outcomes of last two "proven" flames goalies in Hiller and Elliott.

25 year old goalies on the fringe for me. The only way they'll have a shred of a chance at finding their franchise goalie to coincide with their quickly approaching contention window. These rumored options are not that. Why bank only on Gillies /Parsons? Bring in another two with upside/potential then we have at least four darts to throw at the board. We are not "sprinting" yet so why make allegedly safe yet low reward moves. Make rebuild type moves that will bring greater rewards in the long run than ship patching vets.

[Matty81]

Smith would be a brutal acquisition. He's old, overpaid, has a below average save % and arizona is apparently asking for a lot somehow? Walk away

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cycling76er

I would personally prefer the goalie that played fairly well in front of a piss poor team to the goalie that played fairly well in front of a Stanley Cup winning team. I mean, if they were my only two options...

There's something to be said about playing well under the burden of high expectations. There's no pressure playing for a loser. You lose a game where as the goaltender you could have been better isn't as big a deal because the team wasn't expected to win anyway. Turns into a job where you show up and go home playing out the string. It's no different than judging players at garbage time except fo Smith it's been years of garbage time. If he's a hot head he may have a difficult time dealing with expectations that he's supposed to be good very night because his bad games could cost the team a playoff spot.

Maybe that's why MAF wants to go to LV. He can play out his career in a nice US city with little pressure rather than enter the frying pan in Calgary.

[FlamesAddiction]

I hope if any of this is true that Smith is just a cover to make it look like we aren't desperate. I am not even a big MAF fan, but if the other option is Smith, then get MAF at all costs.