2018/2019 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[ForeverFlameFan]

Im just not seeing the Bobrovsky trade as something ideal imo.

Have you seen his playoff numbers?

No point on trading a 1st to make our record 55-20-7, only to get bounced in round 1 or 2.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Im just not seeing the Bobrovsky trade as something ideal imo.

Have you seen his playoff numbers?

No point on trading a 1st to make our record 55-20-7, only to get bounced in round 1 or 2.

Ooooookay? So just gamble on Smith/Rittich and hope for the best moving forward.

who cares about Bob's playoff record. it's should be considered Columbus's playoff record. And he had a fantastic series against the cup champs if I am not mistaken. 4 games went to OT.

You go get Bobrovsky, he's going to provide Niemi level of adequate goaltending in the playoffs. Which if things go as planned, is all a good deep team needs.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Im just not seeing the Bobrovsky trade as something ideal imo.

Have you seen his playoff numbers?

No point on trading a 1st to make our record 55-20-7, only to get bounced in round 1 or 2.

Context, though. Isn't Columbus usually playoff fodder when they make it in? I'll look up the history, but it seems they're usually up against Cup contenders right away.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Context, though. Isn't Columbus usually playoff fodder when they make it in? I'll look up the history, but it seems they're usually up against Cup contenders right away.

Just looked up last years meeting with the caps. went to 6 games, 4 went to OT. High scoring games but them were some high scoring teams last year.

I think they got ran through by the Pens a couple of playoff series as well.

[Monahan For Mayor]

Just making the playoffs comfortably at this point would be a nice change.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Ooooookay? So just gamble on Smith/Rittich and hope for the best moving forward.

who cares about Bob's playoff record. it's should be considered Columbus's playoff record. And he had a fantastic series against the cup champs if I am not mistaken. 4 games went to OT.

You go get Bobrovsky, he's going to provide Niemi level of adequate goaltending in the playoffs. Which if things go as planned, is all a good deep team needs.

Couldn’t Smith provide the same Niemi-adequate level of goaltending?

I just don’t think the Flames can afford dropping another 1st.

[Phagoof]

I honestly think the flames need a center more than a Goalie. I like Rittich, I think he and Smith can share the net and go with whoever catches fire.

I'll say it again, the flames are not going anywhere with:

Monahan
Backlund
Jankowski

Not to say there is anything wrong with these players, I like them all, but lets do a little rearranging.

Monahan
Duchene
Backlund

...There we go. That's a group up the middle I see going places. Not saying it has to be Duchene but we need a more offensively minded center to play with Tkachuk.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Context, though. Isn't Columbus usually playoff fodder when they make it in? I'll look up the history, but it seems they're usually up against Cup contenders right away.

Yeah, the team counts. Look at Price's playoff record. 3 out 11 years he's made it past the first round, never into the third. 3 times swept in round one, three time not in the POs.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Couldn’t Smith provide the same Niemi-adequate level of goaltending?

I just don’t think the Flames can afford dropping another 1st.

Don't think so. I like Smith a bunch. But there is no reason right now to expect much more out of the man.

And that 1st isn't going anywhere until Tree has a clear view where that pick is going to end up. But, with an acquisition like Bobrovsky, I think the Flames would be kind of putting that pick right where they'd be comfortable letting it go (high 20's).

[jg13]

In the last 4 years Bobrovsky has gone to the playoffs twice losing both series in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.

Only 2 seasons removed as a Vezina winner.. I'll take him on this team any day. Especially given our current goalie situation

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

I honestly think the flames need a center more than a Goalie. I like Rittich, I think he and Smith can share the net and go with whoever catches fire.

I'll say it again, the flames are not going anywhere with:

Monahan
Backlund
Jankowski

Not to say there is anything wrong with these players, I like them all, but lets do a little rearranging.

Monahan
Duchene
Backlund

...There we go. That's a group up the middle I see going places. Not saying it has to be Duchene but we need a more offensively minded center to play with Tkachuk.

Flames have 5 or 6 centers on the team. and one a half goalies right now. I'll wager C is just fine in their eyes.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Couldn’t Smith provide the same Niemi-adequate level of goaltending?

I just don’t think the Flames can afford dropping another 1st.

At some point trading all these picks could hurt the Flames but if the Flames added a star goalie your talking a bottom 10 first. Odds of that guy being a star NHLer is pretty low. If you consider the contract situation and assuming BT can resign bob and tkachuk you are looking at a roster that has good depth for at least 3 years.

Imo trading another first to give yourself a 3 year or longer run is easily worth it

[Monahan For Mayor]

We are weak at center and Goalie.
Goalie is definitely the bigger question mark for me.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Don't think so. I like Smith a bunch. But there is no reason right now to expect much more out of the man...

Seriously? His SP is sitting at 0.871 and his GAA is 3.71. Those are substantially below his career averages, and while I don't expect him to be a 0.915 goalie this season I don't think it is unreasonable at all to see him comfortably above the 0.905 mark, which is a significant improvement from where he sits now.

[Monahan For Mayor]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Seriously? His SP is sitting at 0.871 and his GAA is 3.71. Those are substantially below his career averages, and while I don't expect him to be a 0.915 goalie this season I don't think it is unreasonable at all to see him comfortably above the 0.905 mark, which is a significant improvement from where he sits now.

Even at .905 he would have ranked 43rd in sv% last season.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Flames have 5 or 6 centers on the team. and one a half goalies right now. I'll wager C is just fine in their eyes.

And only 2 of them are good.

Jankowski has not looked good.
Ryan has not looked good.

The only person on the second line that's producing is Tkachuk, that needs to change.

I think Backlund is/does his best work on the thirdline as an elite shutdown guy who chips in 20/20.

Something like Stone, Czarnik, 1st for Duchene

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Duchene-Neal
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Dube-Jankowski-Ryan

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Valimaki-Andersson

Rittich
Smith


That's a scary team.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

I think it’s a good deal IF brad can get him signed. But I agree, bob would have the flames nuts in a vice and could ask for whatever he wanted. Cap space is going to be a big deal this summer.

Here is the thing, not only are you not having a 1st once again for the draft but even if BT gets Brobocop to agree to an extension he is going to want long term and a salary that at minimum starts with an 8, possibly a 9. Now if he plays lights out like he has in past seasons that is great and there is no putting a price on a SC win but if his play has fallen off this year and he for some reason is starting to decline that is a contract that can absolutely hoop your team for years. I would rather wait it out and see if Rittich can provide decent goaltending and then re-evaluate in the off season before dumping the motherload for a goalie.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Monahan For Mayor

Even at .905 he would have ranked 43rd in sv% last season.

That's not the point. The point is that he can and will be better than he has been this season. That is all.

[TheIronMaiden]

Duchene has no fortitude. It is not a coincidence that the Avs team turned things around after he left.

[GioforPM]

No they don't have Crosby/Malkin. They don't have the offence of Backstrom/Kuznetsov.

But: Two years ago Nashville made the finals with a top 9 C lineup of Johansen, Fisher, Wilson. And they had great D, Rinne, and some really good wingers. Chicago's last cup came with Toews, Richards (who wasn't very good offensively) and Marcus Kruger/Vermette. They got really good goaltending out of all three guys who played, plus of course they had Kane, Hossa, Saad, Keith and Sharp. And Teravainen came on in the POs. Calgary's C depth is as good as those two.