[Signing] Flames sign Derek Ryan (3 yrs, $3.125 mil AAV)

[SuperMatt18]

I'd say the whole bottom 6 has had a tough time getting going.

Think they should go with this for the next game.

Bennett - Dube - Neal
Jankowski - Ryan - Frolik

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Does anyone have strong feelings about Derek Ryan after his first three games as a Flame?

He has been what I thought he would be which is an overpaid bottom 6 forward that likely settles on the 4th line. Deadly in the dot but haven’t been overly impressed by much else.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Looks like Matt Stajan with better faceoff ability, honestly. Once again, between Frolik and Ryan, the Flames are saddled with nearly $8 million sitting on their 4th line. It's like tradition at this point.

Let's be clear here about one thing: The difference in player calibre between having Stajan and Brouwer sitting on the fourth line and Ryan and Frolik is exponential. I cannot even begin to express how much better it is to ice the latter than the former—so much so, that this comparison and the attempted point is virtually meaningless.

[Fire It Up]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Does anyone have strong feelings about Derek Ryan after his first three games as a Flame?

I think it's too early to say with guys like Ryan or even Neal. They could be average to start the year, but come playoff time, those sorts of utility guys seem to be the ones we are glad we have when our top players struggle to find the back of the net or matchup against other lines.

Personally, I'd give the newbies at least the year to make a fair assessment.

[colbym72]

Lets give it at least 15-20 games before we get too high or low on any of the new guys.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Looks like Matt Stajan with better faceoff ability, honestly. Once again, between Frolik and Ryan, the Flames are saddled with nearly $8 million sitting on their 4th line. It's like tradition at this point.

Ryan and Frolik can play up and down the line up and are better options than Stajan and Brouwer. Our bottom 6 is much better now.

[Kipper_3434]

Expensive depth and pointless waste of cap space. Has one, ONE shot through 3 games.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Does anyone have strong feelings about Derek Ryan after his first three games as a Flame?

Good bottom 6 center, plays a strong two way game.

Peters doesn’t have to overplay him like he did in Carolina because he has so much forward depth here.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Looks like Matt Stajan with better faceoff ability, honestly. Once again, between Frolik and Ryan, the Flames are saddled with nearly $8 million sitting on their 4th line. It's like tradition at this point.

It's a high priced 4th line, because we actually have depth to push them down.

Obviously Ryan wasn't pencilled in to be on the 4th line. Same with Neal on line 3. But the top 6 is playing so well, there's no point in messing with it. Depth allows for good players to be pushed down, which is what we all wanted wasn't it?

Ignore their salaries, and suddenly you have a 4th line with decent players like Frolik, Ryan and whomever plays with them. That sounds pretty decent to me, as the overall team depth has allowed for them to shift down.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Let's be clear here about one thing: The difference in player calibre between having Stajan and Brouwer sitting on the fourth line and Ryan and Frolik is exponential. I cannot even begin to express how much better it is to ice the latter than the former—so much so, that this comparison and the attempted point is virtually meaningless.

Says who, you?

I guess we'll see as the season goes on, but when the time comes to pay Tkachuk a substantial sum of money and figure out what the hell is going on with goaltending, I have a feeling the tune around here with regards to Ryan and Frolik making $7.5 million to play on the 4th line is going to take a dramatic turn.

Let's say Bobrovsky goes out and signs in Carolina, while the Flames go bargain bin diving with Mike Smith. Well, this is what that 'exponential' difference in depth gets you.

[TheIronMaiden]

Ryan's position on the team is relative to the success stories that are Czarnik and Dube. Czarnik and Dube's good play was not a given. Both could have fallen flat. However, both players look great, and so Ryan is bumped down the depth chart. I think that his fourth line role looks worse than it is because Peters has not used his fourth line much at all. That being said, Ryan has killed penalties relatively well and has not looked out of place once.

I see a few people use the word over payment. This is interesting to me. 3.3 M is only 4% of the cap, which is not much at all. and in two years it will likely be even less. Is 3.3M for a fourth liner too much? Probably, but not way to much. I would not be surprised to see a line combination change ever day for the next month.

[Shazam]

Yeah but both Frolik and Ryan are totally tradeable. I think you might even get something useful for them, not just high round draft picks.

[EldrickOnIce]

Good thing the GM didn't bet the farm on rookies and thus far AHLers. Also a good thing no injuries will happen this year, so the likes of Brouwer aren't in top 6.

Depth wins.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Says who, you?

Says the 3M line. Remember the years when Frolik was a fixture in the top 6? Having the depth to push him down to the fourth line is a GOOD thing.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Looks like Matt Stajan with better faceoff ability, honestly. Once again, between Frolik and Ryan, the Flames are saddled with nearly $8 million sitting on their 4th line. It's like tradition at this point.

How about this: the Flames only have to pay their second line 8M a year what a bargain!

I have no problem with who is getting paid what so long as the team is winning.

[FlamesAddiction]

Frolik and Ryan are on the 4th line to start the season, but they won't likely be there all season. They will get other opportunities as the season goes on.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Says who, you?



I guess we'll see as the season goes on, but when the time comes to pay Tkachuk a substantial sum of money and figure out what the hell is going on with goaltending, I have a feeling the tune around here with regards to Ryan and Frolik making $7.5 million to play on the 4th line is going to take a dramatic turn.



Let's say Bobrovsky goes out and signs in Carolina, while the Flames go bargain bin diving with Mike Smith. Well, this is what that 'exponential' difference in depth gets you.

GMBT probably forgot that we have Tkachuk and has no plan in place for his next contract.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Says who, you?

I guess we'll see as the season goes on, but when the time comes to pay Tkachuk a substantial sum of money and figure out what the hell is going on with goaltending, I have a feeling the tune around here with regards to Ryan and Frolik making $7.5 million to play on the 4th line is going to take a dramatic turn.

Let's say Bobrovsky goes out and signs in Carolina, while the Flames go bargain bin diving with Mike Smith. Well, this is what that 'exponential' difference in depth gets you.

Only 9 goalies make over 6M or more a year. Also, quite a few decent goalies are hitting free agency. The Flames will have 12.5M to split between Bennett Tkachuk, and a number 1 goalie. It will be difficult, but not absolutely impossible.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Only 9 goalies make over 6M or more a year. Also, quite a few decent goalies are hitting free agency. The Flames will have 12.5M to split between Bennett Tkachuk, and a number 1 goalie. It will be difficult, but not absolutely impossible.

Clearly, the Flames are moving some salary out this summer, and some of that may very well be tied to one of Ryan or Frolik. But again, the crucial missing point is that both are REALLY useful players. Their cap hits for this season are basically immaterial so long as they continue to be useful players. It's a huge difference from last year.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Says who, you?...

Yes.

That is what I said.