What is a realistic way of Improving the Calgary Flames ?

[combustiblefuel]

What is a realistic way for the Calgary Flames?


It will be very hard to improve thw team through a trade.
They are not going to break up the top 2 lines . Line one is on an incredible tear. Line 2 is your Swiss army knife. Trading away a dman is going to be hard for them to come to terms with. Stone was just resigned, They are not trading Hamilton or Hamonic after they mortaged the future for them. Gio is a steady defence man that dose not have a lot of value but you don't trade your Captian who is rock steady.


That leaves Brodie and Kulak. They only 2 home grown defenseman Calgary has produced in a decade not names Gio. Brodie is a pretty 1 dimensional Dman. I can't see him being very coveted leugue wide. I think there are some bottem 10 teams and avery limited number of contenders that are young may want him. The return Brodie would get is not going to push the team over the hump. He is not worth a Horvat type player and he is still good enough not to get a bottom 6 player.

The jury is still out on Kulak. Showing good steps in development but not worth trading and unable to step up in a top 4 postion if a dman was.

So for the dman your logically limited to Brodie with additions of a bottem 6 add on .

As for the forward group. I already mentioned how the top 2 lines are virtually untouchable at this point and time. Jankowski is not going anywhere for the time being. Jagr was just signed and has played well showing the kids the ropes. Lazar could be traded but for what the gave up and then protected him via the exp draft he will stay. Stajan will probably stay or a deadline move ( a little to late) for a late roumd pick. They may also just hang on to him as a favor for his tenure etc. I don't agree with that as business is business . I think he should be waived for more room. Brouwer may be moved but for a low pick and a prospect. I don't see them waiving him either after already waving Lack.

The rest of the lower bottem 6 I don't care about enough to write about.

It is not like the team is terribly bad or amazing. I look at the team and I see the same issues Edmonton had last year. With the exeption we have key players locked in for undervalue.

1 team line for scoring
A teams defense that look good on paper but is struggling defensively.
Relying on Riding a hot goalie game in game out
Bottem 6 sucks ( No other way to put it)

So what minor trades could help them? What other players out there need a new scenery that could help for a similiar player? Etc.

Your thoughts?

[Yrebmi]

I would like to see our 4th line play with more energy. That would be as simple as calling up Hathaway IMO.
I think you are dead wrong if you believe Brodie would not be coveted league wide. There would be huge demand for him, warts and all. I also think it would be foolish to trade him while his value is lowered.

[Kybb79]

First bring in a better more experienced coach that can push these guys to get the most out of them. The way the D is playing is embarrassing most nights. They are supposed to be top 3 in the leauge but get burned way too many times.They can't clear the puck it"s horrible.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

I would like to see our 4th line play with more energy. That would be as simple as calling up Hathaway IMO.
I think you are dead wrong if you believe Brodie would not be coveted league wide. There would be huge demand for him, warts and all. I also think it would be foolish to trade him while his value is lowered.

I don't think it would be just as simple as calling up Hathaway because all of Flames 4th line centres of Stajan, Freddie and Lazar are done or hopeless.

[Erick Estrada]

The goaltender is playing great and the top line is amongst the best in the league. That's a huge part of the equation for any team. The team simply needs to play better defensive hockey and reduce the turnovers. Either that's going to happen and the team has some success this season or it won't and they won't.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Karl

I don't think it would be just as simple as calling up Hathaway because all of Flames 4th line centres of Stajan, Freddie and Lazar are done or hopeless.

I still think its too early on Lazar to give up.

He is 22 and has only played 21 games in a flames uniform. He was a fairly decent 3/4th liner before he got mono.

[Caged Great]

Easiest way of doing things

Shuffle Stone and Hamonic

Move Stajan + F. Hamilton to Stockton.

Recall Hathaway and Klimchuk.

Run lines as follows.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Jagr/Brouwer
Klimchuk-Lazar-Hathaway

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Stone
Kulak-Hamonic

Smith

If that doesn't work, then the coaching staff may need a shuffle.

There is no reason why this team should be 13-10-1 right now. They should be up with St. Louis/Winnipeg not outside a playoff spot. It should not be acceptable under any circumstances. Changes need to happen.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

I still think its too early on Lazar to give up.

He is 22 and has only played 21 games in a flames uniform. He was a fairly decent 3/4th liner before he got mono.

No it's not.

And no he wasn't. He just wasn't as flat out bad back then.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Easiest way of doing things

Shuffle Stone and Hamonic

Move Stajan + F. Hamilton to Stockton.

Recall Hathaway and Klimchuk.

Run lines as follows.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Jagr/Brouwer
Klimchuk-Lazar-Hathaway

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Stone
Kulak-Hamonic

Smith

If that doesn't work, then the coaching staff may need a shuffle.

There is no reason why this team should be 13-10-1 right now. They should be up with St. Louis/Winnipeg not outside a playoff spot. It should not be acceptable under any circumstances. Changes need to happen.

Heh, if only it was that easy. Lazar should not be playing. He's hopeless too.

All of Stajan, Freddie and Lazar are just unplayable.

[Tinordi]

One of Brodie or Hamilton is expendable enough to trade to bring back legit top six scoring talent.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Karl

No it's not.

And no he wasn't. He just wasn't as flat out bad.

15 points his first year which he improved to 20 points his following year.

6 goals in each year .
9 assists his first which he impoved to 14.

Plus 1 in his first year and only a -1 the year after

He took only 14 pims year 1 year 2 he took only 18.

Last year he was bad in 33 games but dude had mono for almost a year. Have you ever had mono or similar infection? It's a killer.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

15 points his first year which he improved to 20 points his following year.

6 goals in each year .
9 assists his first which he impoved to 14.

Plus 1 in his first year and only a -1 the year after

He took only 14 pims year 1 year 2 he took only 18.

Last year he was bad in 33 games but dude had mono for almost a year. Have you ever had mono or similar infection? It's a killer.

Doesn't matter. He's stagnated and has reached the end of his talent level.

Plus, it's clear he has absolute minimal offensive talent. I can't see him getting any better than he is now.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Easiest way of doing things

Shuffle Stone and Hamonic

Move Stajan + F. Hamilton to Stockton.

Recall Hathaway and Klimchuk.

Run lines as follows.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Jagr/Brouwer
Klimchuk-Lazar-Hathaway

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Stone
Kulak-Hamonic

Smith

If that doesn't work, then the coaching staff may need a shuffle.

There is no reason why this team should be 13-10-1 right now. They should be up with St. Louis/Winnipeg not outside a playoff spot. It should not be acceptable under any circumstances. Changes need to happen.

I promise you this team will not send Stajan down, GG loves him and so does management.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

I still think its too early on Lazar to give up.

He is 22 and has only played 21 games in a flames uniform. He was a fairly decent 3/4th liner before he got mono.

Lazar barely could score in the AHL, waisted 2nd rounder

[TheScorpion]

Here's my ideal Flames forward lineup for the moment.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Bennett - Jankowski - Jagr
Versteeg - Hrivik - Mangiapane
Brouwer - Lazar

Top three lines are fine. I don't want to see any more of Matt Stajan or Freddie Hamilton on this team. I don't care about loyalty or nepotism -- I care about wins. Fresh. Blood. Now.

Brodie - Stone
Giordano - Hamonic
Kulak/Andersson - D. Hamilton

Spread the wealth, honestly. The defense is too top-heavy right now and the bottom two pairings are SUFFERING. Play Hamonic with Giordano, try and give him the boost that Brodie and Hamilton needed to be successful. Give Brodie and Stone another go and see if they can continue their chemistry. And give Hamilton a go with another puck-moving defenseman.

Smith
Rittich

No need to change anything here.

PP1:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Tkachuk
Giordano - Stone

It's abundantly clear that the Flames need to simplify their powerplay. Enough of the 1-3-1 stuff. Versteeg doesn't work on the point. Brouwer doesn't work. Get the two guys with the hardest shots to the point, and get the guys with the most skill to get them the puck. Easy. Done.

PP2:

Bennett/Frolik - Backlund - Jagr/Ferland
Brodie - Hamilton

Same deal.

Other things I'd like to see done:

Fire Dave Cameron.
Trade a package of prospects for Evander Kane, and re-sign him
Trade Eddie Lack to Pittsburgh for a 6th
Tell Micheal Ferland to use his defensemen in the offensive zone

[Beninho]

Flames are masters of waiting too long to do anything unfortunately. Usully takes half a season to figure something out, team was forcing Wideman in the lieneup for half the season last year.

[Love]

Trading for another top6 forward that can push Frolik down to the third line and reinvigorating the fourth line.

Base of Hamonic + Lazar for E. Kane

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Kane
Frolik - Jankowski - Jagr
Mangiapane - Bennett - Hathaway
Brouwer

Giordano - Hamilton
Brodie - Stone
Kulak - Andersson
Bart

Smith
Rittich

[Psytic]

Build a time machine and keep David Poile

[nemanja2306]

Step 1 - Fire GG.
Step 2 - Hire Sutter
Step 3 - Profit.

Sent from my WAS-LX1A using Tapatalk

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Psytic

Build a time machine and keep David Poile

Even if REALISTIC it still took him 35 years to get to a cup Final