[Signing] Flames sign James Neal (5 years, 5.75 AAV)

[Erick Estrada]

In regards to the poll I picked "love it". I've been beating the drum for years now about the lack of a top 6 RW so now that the GM has done that I'm not going to complain about the term. There was only two ways Treliving could address this and that's via trade or free agency and trades are very complex so if you can't find that fit you have to turn to free agency. The reality of free agency is that if you use it to fill holes you have to expect there will be some sort of overpayment in money and term so that was the price here.

[Timbo]

So no public comments on the acquisition from Neal yet?

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Neal isn't a possession giant, so putting him with Monahan and Gaudreau will take some offensive zone start magic from Peters I think to stick.

May want to leave Lindholm there and have Neal play with Backlund.

Meh, you only need one touch to score a goal

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by saillias

speaking of all time, I believe this is the biggest UFA signing the Flames have ever made? If you don't count Bouwmeester who Sutter traded for first.

Someone needs to drag their ass into the studio at Fan 960 and get on air to talk about this.

I havent heard it even mentioned on TSN or SN either as all their highlight shows were taped last night before this news happened.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Gaudreau is a Ninja

What a sniper! Perfect fit on the 1st line

The 1st line already has a sniper in Monahan. I’m thinking maybe Neal snipes from the second line giving us a true three pronged attack.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm

Lindholm adds another defensive dimension and a right shot to the team. His grit around the net and desire to crash the net combined with his playmaking and finishing give a great all around player to that line.

Tkachuk-Jankowski-Neal

Powerforward, playmaking centre and sniper. This line brings size, strength and skill. Dangerous enough to take some offensive heat off the first line. With a second line like this we can still win when Gaudreau-Monahan don’t score

Bennett-Backlund-Czarnik

Woah another scoring line? Good lord

Frolik-Ryan-Foo/Lazar/Brouwer/Hathaway

I dunno it’s very hard to figure out the lineup when everybody is healthy.

[JurassicTunga12]

Any official word from the Flames yet?

[FlatLandFlamesFan]

That goal video is amazing
In tight , from a distance snipes
handles the puck well, finds quite areas , finds the puck in a crowd

[sureLoss]

Great writeup by Duha:

https://theathletic.com/417404/2018/...or-to-calgary/

And it isn’t just about scoring goals, though scoring goals will be his primary value to a team that for years has relied too heavily on Monahan and Gaudreau for offence. The Flames were frequently criticized this year for not having a high-enough care factor.

Well, Neal cares.

Fourteen months ago, playing for Nashville in the 2017 playoffs, he had his hand broken in the first game of the Western Conference final on a slash by the Anaheim Ducks’ Corey Perry, but played through it – for the duration of that series and during the final against his ex-team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. In July of 2017, Neal had a bone graft done on his right hand to insert eight screws and a plate. The cast came off the first week of August. When Vegas’ training camp opened, he couldn’t even practice with the team. But he pushed himself to get into the opening night lineup just because that’s what players of his vintage do.

When I asked Neal about his miraculous recovery back in the second week of the season, he told me: “I’m OK. It’s not 100 per cent, but it’s good enough to play. I’ve had enough time to let the bone heal. That was the main thing to get (medical) clearance to play. Once that happens, you can start doing your rehab. I’m a bit ahead of schedule, so it’s all worked out.”

Of course, back in October, the expectation was that Vegas would eventually tail off and pending UFAs such as Neal and David Perron would be dangled as bait at the NHL trading deadline. But even before the Vegas miracle unfolded, Neal told me it was his preference to stay – that he liked the group of players they had assembled, he figured they would be competitive every night and he’d moved around enough lately (Vegas was his fourth stop, after Dallas, Pittsburgh and Nashville). This was his exact quote to me in October: “I don’t need to move again really. We have a nice mix here – and there’s no reason we can’t be competitive. I’m only 30. I feel really good. My body feels great. I had a great summer. I feel like I’m in my prime. I know it’s a business, but I said that to George, that I’d love to stay here.”

That time in October, Neal and I spoke about a lot of different topics, including the fact that we both spend the summers in Ontario cottage country. He noted that, as an older player, he wanted to be “a top guy on this team and a leader for this organization.”

He was, all of that, for Vegas in the magical 2017-18 season – a top guy and a leader.

Now, he just needs to bring a little of that Vegas pixie dust with him to Calgary.

His projected lineup

Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal

Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik

Bennett-Lindholm-Czarnik

Jankowski-Ryan-Brouwer/Lazar/Foo

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Neal will help tremendously on the powerplay. And the beneficiary might be Monahan. Last POs I saw how having Laine on the far side opened Scheifle up in the slot.

definitely a good point; having Neal out there with Monahan gives Calgary two elite shooters so the goalie/D can't cheat over...

really excited for this team now.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

The 1st line already has a sniper in Monahan. I’m thinking maybe Neal snipes from the second line giving us a true three pronged attack.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm

Lindholm adds another defensive dimension and a right shot to the team. His grit around the net and desire to crash the net combined with his playmaking and finishing give a great all around player to that line.

Tkachuk-Jankowski-Neal

Powerforward, playmaking centre and sniper. This line brings size, strength and skill. Dangerous enough to take some offensive heat off the first line. With a second line like this we can still win when Gaudreau-Monahan don’t score

Bennett-Backlund-Czarnik

Woah another scoring line? Good lord

Frolik-Ryan-Foo/Lazar/Brouwer/Hathaway

I dunno it’s very hard to figure out the lineup when everybody is healthy.

Dont think Jankowski is ready to center a 2nd line at this point, he sure wasn't at that point last season.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Dean Molberg
Dean Molberg
@fan960boomer
·
27m
James Neal and Mike Smith are buddies. Smith had been working hard on The Real Deal to come to Calgary.

So was the wizard playing at a bigger game when he acquired Smitty?
Cue the mind explosion gif

[Rhettzky]

For years we watched Iginla without a true number one centre and looking back you wonder how he would have done with one. Then we had a top center and LWer but our right wing depth was nonexistent. It honestly felt like we were doomed to repeat that constant search again. What a great thing to wake up to! September can't come quick enough.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

...
His projected lineup

Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal

Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik

Bennett-Lindholm-Czarnik

Jankowski-Ryan-Brouwer/Lazar/Foo

This is the lineup I think will happen for the first three lines. Not sure why would Peters have Jankowski on LW though. We might have one too many centres, so another trade could be forthcoming soon. Also, people that put Lindholm on the first line are imagining things.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

His projected lineup

Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal

Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik

Bennett-Lindholm-Czarnik

Jankowski-Ryan-Brouwer/Lazar/Foo

Much as people will be annoyed by shiny new toy Lindholm as a 3C instead of a top 6 wing, I like this better than most of what's been posted. I don't like messing with 3M at the start of the season. I would be fine with Jankowski in Bennett's spot, though, or even at C with Lindholm on the right wing.

[Manhattanboy]

Our power play looks WAY different as well following Tre’s moves (including of course firing Cameron). Remember how many times last year after a close loss we said if only they could have scored on that power play?

Flames power play needed to be addressed badly and Tre has done it.

EDIT: oops just saw the comments above on the PP lol.

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

Gaudreau and Monahan probably creamed their pants when they woke up this morning, I know I did.

Additionally, 5.75 million is going to be different in 4-5 years than 5.75 is today in terms of cap, so if we see a bit of a drop off I really don't think it's going to be a big deal. Love this signing. Can't remember ever being this excited for a Flames season in the summer.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by edslunch

Meh, you only need one touch to score a goal

Brings down everyone possession stats!! That and playing with a lead rather than chasing a couple of goals.

There is no reward for great possession stats.

[djsFlames]

Dog day mid season baseball is apparently more important radio coverage.

[Yoho]

3M line is about to have a bunch of new consonants added to it.

[Love]

3M is outdated and Frolik is holding Tkachuk back