Who should Treliving target as a potential replacement for Mike Smith?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Buff

Doesn't mean that he can change his mind or waive to go somewhere else.

The list just gives a GM ability to freely negotiate with a certain amount of teams, while giving the player the ability to control his future.

Some players may be willing to accept an alternative place if the GM came to him and told him that none of the teams on his list were interested, but the player is under no obligation to agree to anything off his list.

Of course I understand he can waive. But Smith seems to be a guy who won't move just to help the team. I think he'd have to see a benefit to himself - a possibility of sticking or at least a situation where he can improve his stats for the next off season UFA round.

Thinking more on this, I think a team who is (a) not a contender and (b) who has a decent goalie they could lose for nothing in expansion might be a trading partner.

[Fan in Exile]

Yeah, I don't think Klimchuk gets us anything more than another team's likely to miss prospect or very late round pick.

[The Boy Wonder]

Would the flames be able to assign smith to stockton as a Conditioning assignment? has any team ever tried to do that? then maybe he gets his game back playing down there?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Would the flames be able to assign smith to stockton as a Conditioning assignment? has any team ever tried to do that? then maybe he gets his game back playing down there?

He'd have to agree but moreover given lack of injury and the fact he's been playing regularly there is not justification for it. You can't use a conditioning stint as a loop hole to send a guy down that isn't injured or hasn't played.

So basically no.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And first round picks are your best bet for player additions on entry level deals to keep cap space for a team that wants to be in a window.

Deal them all and you're free agent shopping to fill in the holes.

Keep the pick. The only way I do it is for a late 20s goaltender that adds to the core. No UFAs, not maybes, and no older goaltenders.

What about if 50 games in if Smith is sporting a sub-.900 save percentage and the flames are challenging for first in the division and a top-tier goalie becomes available as a rental? Then would you trade the first?

[Gaskal]

Treliving on goalies:

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It sure looked like figured he had that first soft one, and he didn't even feel it slip through.

Weren’t the major changes to make the upper body pads more form fitting, whereas that goal went under him?

[FiveSeven]

Regardless of what happened last season...
We have a goalie in the top 15 right now. .927
We have a goalie 44th, the worst in the league. .872

Seems like a pretty simple choice who starts the most.
Rittch should play the majority unless proven that he can't.
Smith should play the minority unless proven that he can at above bad level.

Spoiler!

[RedHawk12]

I agree with many posters on here that Rittich is probably going to get a look at being the #1 for now, before we go out and make a trade. Unfortunately, it'll probably take us 10-15 games to figure out whether he can handle taking over the net. I obviously don't expect us to win every one of those games, so I think our next few losses with Rittich in net will cause some serious CP meltdowns.

I don't want to sound doom and gloom, but Rittich is most likely not going to go on a 10 game win streak. He's going to have bad games. I just hope it all works out in the end. We have all the other pieces in place to be a really good team.

[SportsJunky]

Tonight:
Halak .737
Rask .786
Price .807
Markstrom .821
Kuemper .839
Ullmark .844
Anderson .881
Lehrer .885

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Weren’t the major changes to make the upper body pads more form fitting, whereas that goal went under him?

Yes but I think they did something to the leg pads as well

[MisterJoji]

Whether Rittich establishes himself as a starter or not, in a perfect world Smith should not see the ice again. I’m not comfortable with even a backup playing as awful as Smith has. Hopefully Treliving is hitting the phones to try and acquire a 1B starter or at least a respectable backup. Names like Ullmark, Lehner, McE, etc. have been thrown around and any of those options is better than Smith at this point. The problem is currently the Islanders lead the division and Buffalo is one point out of a playoff spot so they’re not “sellers” currently. If you look at the basement dwelling teams you’re looking at goalies like Reimer, Howard, Schneider, Budaj, Subban, Anderson, maybe Crawford if the Hawks continue to suck. None of those names thrill me but they’re still an improvement on Smith. Acquisition cost is going to be key.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yes but I think they did something to the leg pads as well

Did a bit of looking.

2005 post lockout - pad width 12 to 11 inches
2011 - pad height up thigh to 55 percent (so basically extra height covering 5 hole when you butterfly)
2013 - pad height to 45% (knee to hip)
2017 Feb - Pants
2018 season - chest protectors

So nothing lower body this year as far as I can tell

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Wasn't sure where to talk about this, so thought I'd throw it in here. Some interesting comments about Smith, I agree with this one from Krahn.

Krahn: “He’s a big man but he’s playing small. To me, he looks like he’s trying too hard. That’s a tough thing to get through. He wants to stop the puck so bad and when you’re playing well, you try the same but you let things come to you. He’s trying to force a better outcome for himself. He wants to be that guy … but he looks like he’s trapped in his own head a little bit. He’s thinking too much.”

Krahn: “Every time he makes a save, it’s like he’s relieved. He knows he’s an elite goaltender in this league and he can still play, but it’s a mental game … you can tell he’s really, really hard on himself. You watch his body language and it’s negative. He looks very tense. When you’re a goaltender, you have to be loose and react to plays. He’s tight, he’s fighting, he’s trying so hard. But at the end of the day, he’s not getting the job done.”

https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey...perts-weigh-in

Yes, he's getting older but I still think Smith can be a useful goalie this season if he can get things figured out in his head.

[activeStick]

If the rumours are true that Neal called Smith out for his performance after Smith blamed the defensive play of everyone else for some of his goals, I'm actually happy it happened. That's exactly what you want from a veteran like Neal and it's something I don't think any other veterans on the Flames would do simply because it's not them (guys like Gio and Backlund). Not a bad thing in my view, it's just how some people are and aren't.

[FlamesFaninTO]

I started thinking about what team might have a quality goalie who could have a chance to play and do well in the NHL if given the opportunity. After looking at the top goals against avg in the Ahl, lo and behold, San Jose has two of the top Ahl goalies as of right now in 24 yoAntoine Bibeau and rookie 20 yo Josef Korenar.

Bibeau is intriguing as he has a 1.79 GAA and .935 sv% this year, was just named goaltender of the month for October. He was also an ahl allstar last season and had a 2.37 and .919 sv%
https://theahl.com/stats/player/5619/61/antoine-bibeau

Sure he hasn't played in the nhl yet but he is behind Martin Jones and Aaron Dell and sure seems to be trending in the right direction.

I wonder if sj would be willing to give him up cheap given they have a rookie splitting time with Bibeau and has almost as good of a gaa and is younger.

Worst case it sure wouid be an upgrade on our absolutely brutal ahl goaltending where gillies has a 4.73 GAA and .854 sv% and Parsons has a 4.91 gaa and .839 sv%.

Best case maybe he could be someone you bring up to the nhl and see if he could be an nhl quality tender something Smith currently isn't.

Maybe a possible kipper 2.0 situation ? Well not the same situation as kipper had nhl games under his belt and was a third stringer with San jose but you never know

What would a guy like that cost? 3rd round pick? Lazar?

Failing trying to get a guy like bobrovski, I think this kind of acquisition is something the flames should pursue. Thoughts?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Firebot

Did you not pay attention to the Bishop situation? Treliving had a deal for Bishop. Ownership gave Ken King of all people the veto for any decision, and he was on a fricking plane.

We would have had Bishop for 2 years. Who knows what other trades fell through because of this meddling garbage.

Larry Fisher

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According to source, Brad Treliving needed Ken King's approval on all trades/transactions. King in air transit. Steve Yzerman couldn't wait.


Treliving went with leftovers. Had Treliving had his way, Bishop would be a Flame right now. Treliving just traded Hamilton away. He's clearly not afraid to make major moves, and it also doesn't mean he should sell the farm in desperation.

Lets not forget that would have been soon to be UFA Bishop...and he likely goes to Dallas in the summer anyway

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Did a bit of looking.

2005 post lockout - pad width 12 to 11 inches
2011 - pad height up thigh to 55 percent (so basically extra height covering 5 hole when you butterfly)
2013 - pad height to 45% (knee to hip)
2017 Feb - Pants
2018 season - chest protectors

So nothing lower body this year as far as I can tell

Pad width reminded me of a story. I was once called out by having over sized pads in midget hockey (why would The Goalie Shop sell over sized pads? I was getting custom equipment at 15?). Coach told the ref. Ref comes over and tells me I get to whack my pads 10 times with my stick to shrink em up a bit before he measures them. Weirdest thing I’ve ever done, standing in a rink, all these people looking at me, whacking away at my pads.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by activeStick

If the rumours are true that Neal called Smith out for his performance after Smith blamed the defensive play of everyone else for some of his goals, I'm actually happy it happened. That's exactly what you want from a veteran like Neal and it's something I don't think any other veterans on the Flames would do simply because it's not them (guys like Gio and Backlund). Not a bad thing in my view, it's just how some people are and aren't.

Yeah, there are two things there. Smith is fighting it and letting in goals he can’t.

To get Smith to play better, as Krahn notes, he needs to be loose and a guy calling him out doesn’t help , but...

If he is fighting it, then he can’t call his teammates out, because they will call him out in turn.

Depends on who needs it more. Does the team need to be defended from Smith? Or can they just have Neal can it, roll their eyes, and next time they go out to blow off some steam, just discuss it in the uber on the way back in?

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Wasn't sure where to talk about this, so thought I'd throw it in here. Some interesting comments about Smith, I agree with this one from Krahn.





https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey...perts-weigh-in

Yes, he's getting older but I still think Smith can be a useful goalie this season if he can get things figured out in his head.

But how long of a leash do you give him? We’ve been extremely fortunate that the team hasn’t bled points when he’s had a bad game, last night we did. Can’t imagine the team is super comfortable risking points playing him in the hopes that he becomes slightly less awful.