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

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

My goodness, if people venting about Neal, who is having a terrible season, in this thread really bothers you (not pointing at anyone specifically, just whoever) that much then just stay out of the thread. Better it be done in here then in the PGT or some other thread.

It's just odd that a certain poster will only post about one topic. It's like he wants to be unhappy.

[Dajazz]

He’s playing horribly. Back towards the play, slow entry etc.

Sit a game, do some video with the coaches, stop ####ing around with the stick and just get in the right spots.

[868904]

He has one skill, shooting the puck, yet he doesn't shoot.

I wish the crowd would yell SHOOT whenever he gets the puck.

[kukkudo]

Nobody can defend Neal at this point. Dude is horrible now. 36 games in and nothing to show for, Treliving should just stay away from high priced UFAs from now on.

[gunnner]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It's completely different. Jiri and I are quite happy to discuss all sorts of different things other than fighting.

Yet way to often Jiri derails a thread about something else with the aformentioned topic. Its the same

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Too be fair it is no different than Jiri and you when fighting is brought up. Pot meet kettle.

The difference is I talk about other things on this site
This guy only posts about Neal

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by gunnner

Yet way to often Jiri derails a thread about something else with the aformentioned topic. Its the same

Examples please

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It's just odd that a certain poster will only post about one topic. It's like he wants to be unhappy.

I have enough stupid things to piss me off on a day to day basis.
Real life is a ####nado.

My favourite escape from that reality is the NHL and the Flames. When they aren’t doing well, it’s frustrating because I want that escape to be enjoyable.

When they are winning, and look really good, I’m not going to focus on one negative. I just don’t understand how that’s fun. Maybe your day to day is awesome and you are looking for something to complain about in a completely irrelevant part of your life. If that’s the case, I’m happy for you, truly.

But I still don’t get it.

Fair point on this thread though, he isn’t producing, so if you want to complain here that’s more than fair. I’ll be back when he’s at 15gs.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I have enough stupid things to piss me off on a day to day basis.
Real life is a ####nado.

My favourite escape from that reality is the NHL and the Flames. When they aren’t doing well, it’s frustrating because I want that escape to be enjoyable.

When they are winning, and look really good, I’m not going to focus on one negative. I just don’t understand how that’s fun. Maybe your day to day is awesome and you are looking for something to complain about in a completely irrelevant part of your life. If that’s the case, I’m happy for you, truly.

But I still don’t get it.

Fair point on this thread though, he isn’t producing, so if you want to complain here that’s more than fair. I’ll be back when he’s at 15gs.

The reason why it's such James Neal is a topic is because currently he's the biggest problem with this team right now and it's not close. Some will say it's Mike Smith, but at the very least he's 11-7-1 and has stolen some games. Neal is hurting this team right now and I feel like if someone else was in his current position, getting his minutes, then this team would be closer to Tampa in the standings.

The organization and the coaching staff has obviously made a big investment in trying to get him going, pandering to his needs and it's taken away from other players and thus, this team. For instance, he gets multiple shifts a game with Gaudreau and Monahan after a penalty is killed and he's done nothing with it. We're talking about probably 70+ shifts that could be going towards a Lindholm or a Tkachuk. That could be 4-5 extra goals for the top line.

The team is winning right now, so Neal's current play can be mostly forgiven. But even in the preseason I was extremely underwhelmed with his play and anticipated that his struggles could continue into the regular season (albeit not nearly this bad). Realistically, the further we go into the season and the bigger the games become, if his current play continues, the team will suffer. I'm not in favor of scratching him because I'm not sure that'll help much, but he needs to play waaaaay less minutes IMO.

[Wastedyouth]

I want to be mad at Neal, but the team is just so good right now, its hard to hate on anyone.

[David Struch]

Are there some intangible assets that James Neal possesses?

Could it be possible that he is that great of a dressing room guy that the team may not be where they are today without Neal providing his leadership?

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by David Struch

Are there some intangible assets that James Neal possesses?

Could it be possible that he is that great of a dressing room guy that the team may not be where they are today without Neal providing his leadership?

Brouwer was ‘a great team guy’...why wouldn’t we have just keep him for a $3+ million saving if this is all that is expected?

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The difference is I talk about other things on this site
This guy only posts about Neal

You guys (collectively) have been painting yourselves into a smaller and smaller box with every passing game that Neal plays.

1. It’s still early, Neal will come good

2. Why not just be happy that the team is winning

3. Ok he is struggling, but Neal isn’t being played in the right spot

4. Ok, he does get chances in the right spot, but He’s not hurting the team

....then you realize he is worst +/- on the team and is hurting the team

5. Yeah, but this poster only posts about Neal, so ummm eerrr, we should talk about that instead of how bad Neal is playing

What you fail to realize is that I wouldn’t post so much about Neal if you didn’t make so many ridiculous arguments to try to defend him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

Brouwer was ‘a great team guy’...why wouldn’t we have just keep him for a $3+ million saving if this is all that is expected?

It looked like Brouwer turned out to be not such a "great team guy" after all. His comments at the end of the 2016–17 season were pretty disappointing, and left many wondering whether he was part of the problem on the inside. Who can say for sure, but given that Treliving chose to buy him out I don't think he was a great fit in the locker room.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

...Yeah, but this poster only posts about Neal, so ummm eerrr, we should talk about that instead of how bad Neal is playing

What you fail to realize is that I wouldn’t post so much about Neal if you didn’t make so many ridiculous arguments to try to defend him.

Where is Jiri defending Neal? More to the point, I see hardly any posters objecting to complaints about Neal's play.

But what I do see is that after a five month hiatus you have now written over 50 points since the beginning of December. Forty of those posts have been complaints about James Neal in this thread. Another nine have been complaints about Neal in other threads. This looks to me like obsessive behaviour, and it seems rather odd amid the best 35-game stretch this team has experienced in over two decades that your fixation would be singularly set upon just this one thing. Why is that?

Sure, you beat your chest about discussing problems even when things are going well, but this raises an obvious question: why are you so reticent to talk about ANYTHING ELSE besides James Neal? Plenty of other posters in this thread have complained about Neal's poor play, but they are also contributing a lot of content to other threads and other topics. THAT is the stark difference here.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

, but given that Treliving chose to buy him out I don't think he was a great fit in the locker room.

They bought him out because you can’t be successful in this league paying 4 million for a guy who plays 3/4 line and gets barely any points.

This is the first I’ve heard that he was bought-out due to locker room issues.

Can you cite any references for your statement that he wasn’t a good fit in the locker room?

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Where is Jiri defending Neal? More to the point, I see hardly any posters objecting to complaints about Neal's play.

But what I do see is that after a five month hiatus you have now written over 50 points since the beginning of December. Forty of those posts have been complaints about James Neal in this thread. Another nine have been complaints about Neal in other threads. This looks to me like obsessive behaviour, and it seems rather odd amid the best 35-game stretch this team has experienced in over two decades that your fixation would be singularly set upon just this one thing. Why is that?

Sure, you beat your chest about discussing problems even when things are going well, but this raises an obvious question: why are you so reticent to talk about ANYTHING ELSE besides James Neal? Plenty of other posters in this thread have complained about Neal's poor play, but they are also contributing a lot of content to other threads and other topics. THAT is the stark difference here.

Have I broken some sort of message board rule? Can you refer me to it for future reference?

[Erick Estrada]

Neal has been pretty bad of late but he's not going anywhere and the team is playing as well as it has in decades so as of now I really don't feel the need to obsess over his play because it's worrying about something that's out of anyone's control. No team is going to take him off the Flames hands right now so we just have to accept that he's a long term fixture for the foreseeable future.

The fixation on Neal here seems to be a typical internet thing these days as I see this same behavior on other fan sites I frequent. A lot of fans need to have a whipping boy. Regardless of how the team fares some fans need something to be unhappy about. Someone that they can vent on.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

They bought him out because you can’t be successful in this league paying 4 million for a guy who plays 3/4 line and gets barely any points.

This is the first I’ve heard that he was bought-out due to locker room issues.

Can you cite any references for your statement that he wasn’t a good fit in the locker room?

Read my statement more carefully:

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It looked like Brouwer turned out to be not such a "great team guy" after all. His comments at the end of the 2016–17 season were pretty disappointing, and left many wondering whether he was part of the problem on the inside.

I am unable to find the nearly-two-year-old interview in the moment, but Bingo talked about it a fair bit last year. For example...

Originally Posted by Bingo

Brouwer died for me in season one exit interviews.

I was willing to put some value on character, and give him some credit for a bad season and the hope for a bounce back.

But his media spot after year one didn't own any of it. None. I did what I came here for was the summary ... no speaking to stats, or the fact that he really slid.

That was a caution flag to me.

(apologies for paraphrasing his dated interview)

You will also notice that I never said that Brouwer was bought out because of issues in the locker room. I did say that the buyout might reflect some of the same disappointment from management that fans had from incidents like 2016 locker-room cleanup day, as well as Brouwer's comments in the media after Gaudreau had his finger broken by persistent slashes in the Minnesota game that same season. As I mentioned above,

Who can say for sure, but given that Treliving chose to buy him out I don't think he was a great fit in the locker room.

So, yes. Brouwer was bought out because he was a poor player with a high salary. But I do think that this decision was probably made easier by some of Brouwer's interactions with the media, which put off more than a few fans.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

Have I broken some sort of message board rule? Can you refer me to it for future reference?

The unspoken 'Where RU Chris O'Sullivan' rule.