NHL projects salary cap to rise from $81.5mil to $84 mil-$88.2 mil

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I bet Hall felt sorry for him and was trying to be nice.

Well it was a fully grown man making a sign like a 6 year old, so I could see that.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by stang

That pics back from when he was on NJD and here in November. Guy had it up on the glass and at the beginning of the second period Hall skated over and gave him a nod. I pulled out the camera right after. It’s no Orange Julius rumour was just pretty funny.

He's coming here, doofus.

His actual childhood home.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

$88.2M?!

And now we go live to Eugene Melnyk enjoying his morning coffee

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I’m not paying Hall $8M to play on the third line, and Dube/Bennett playing the same number of minutes as Gaudreau/Monahan/Lindholm/Tkachuck is probably not the best use of our ice time.

You're not paying Taylor Hall anything.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by stang

Ontario?

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

And now we go live to Eugene Melnyk enjoying his morning coffee

"Welp, fire the CEO we just hired less than two months ago"

[gt4flames]

Hall has done nothing but put up points on losing/middling teams. I am either VERY curious if he can actually be a winner or want nothing to do with him. No middle ground.

[Rando]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

You're not paying Taylor Hall anything.

You know FanIn80 is Allan Markin right?

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by gt4flames

Hall has done nothing but put up points on losing/middling teams. I am either VERY curious if he can actually be a winner or want nothing to do with him. No middle ground.

For fun last season, I blamed the catastrophic start to the Blue's season squarely on the newly acquired Ryan O'Reilly and nicknamed him "The Herald of Suck", citing him as the cause of all the bad voodoo of inexplicable suck surrounding the Avalanche and Sabres and now Blues teams he was on.

Then he won a Cup.

Moral is don't #### with the hockey gods

[OldDutch]

If the Oilers want to use the money to sign Hall I hope they do.

Anyone with a internet connection should see the economic trouble coming at us full steam. If they want to max their cap and have to fire sale after next year all the power to them.

[Strange Brew]

I used to think that a tighter salary cap was good for a team like the Flames. Hire a shrewd GM, focus on drafting and development and leverage things like analytics to help you find value in players that others don't see. Let other teams hurt themselves with bad contracts.

But I actually think the Flames are rather old school in how they manage the cap and their NHL roster.

[djsFlames]

My theory is that Hall just needs to not be the one or two 'top end' guys on the team, and requires other similar talents to work with, to be a complimentary piece, rather than being the guy needed to stir the drink each night.

He is that in star-starved ARI. He was that in NJ. He was that in EDM until McLottery entered the fold, but then they dealt him for a bag of peanuts on the blue line.

He's probably number 3 on the Flames behind Tkachuk and Gaudreau. He doesn't need to be the go to guy, but his point production and offensive instincts to compliment those guys would be huge for the team. Another piece to the core puzzle. If we can't get a high end C, then a consistent point producing winger is what the Flames require, and Hall fits that bill.

Hopefully the Flames bring in a coach like Gallant or Lav, who will preach commitment all over the ice, although I wouldn't expect Hall to be one of the better players in that regard either way... but maybe he wouldn't need to be. If he can help his line (move Johnny to RW?) to win matchups then that's the goal.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Don't forget about Andrew Mangiapane!

I actually think (hope) Hall signing here would give us our version of the "HBK" line.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Mangiapane - Backlund - Tkachuk
Hall - Dube - Bennett

Then those 3 lines get equal 5v5 minutes, and Hall gets PP1 time. Enough depth to actually ice 3 scoring lines - my goodness, what it must be like to cheer for a team with Championship-quality depth.

Or go even crazier

Hall - Lindholm - Gaudreau
Mangiapane - Backlund - Tkachuk
Dube - Monahan - Bennett

You do know that the 3rd line is likely to be limited to under 14 minutes per night? Hall is absolutely not playing 3rd line with Dube and Bennett, same with Monahan. Having our best trigger man playing full time with our worst playmaker (Bennett) would be a huge waist.

These will be the top 6 players if Hall is acquired and no one big is moved out. It will create a certain degree of chaos, but I see Hall and Gaudreau staying in their natural positions. Lindholm moved back to centre, and Mangiapane and Tkachuk to the right wing.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Mangiapane
Hall-Lindholm-Tkachuk

Backlund, if the Flames can fit him under the cap, will be moved down to the bottom six, and may be slotted in for energy when someone isn't playing well. Overall, having Backlund and Ryan in the bottom six, will substantially improve the way the Flames bottom six plays generally.

The Flames need to find a way to make this happen. Pay Hall all the money. Stone would have been the ideal player, IMO. Hall is a pretty damn good option though.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by blankall

You do know that the 3rd line is likely to be limited to under 14 minutes per night? Hall is absolutely not playing 3rd line with Dube and Bennett, same with Monahan. Having our best trigger man playing full time with our worst playmaker (Bennett) would be a huge waist.

These will be the top 6 players if Hall is acquired and no one big is moved out. It will create a certain degree of chaos, but I see Hall and Gaudreau staying in their natural positions. Lindholm moved back to centre, and Mangiapane and Tkachuk to the right wing.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Mangiapane
Hall-Lindholm-Tkachuk

Backlund, if the Flames can fit him under the cap, will be moved down to the bottom six, and may be slotted in for energy when someone isn't playing well. Overall, having Backlund and Ryan in the bottom six, will substantially improve the way the Flames bottom six plays generally.

The Flames need to find a way to make this happen. Pay Hall all the money. Stone would have been the ideal player, IMO. Hall is a pretty damn good option though.

I would also like the Flames to trade for Josh Anderson. Big bodied right shot that is very likely to bounce back and fit into the top 6 nicely.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I would also like the Flames to trade for Josh Anderson. Big bodied right shot that is very likely to bounce back and fit into the top 6 nicely.

I'd rather see the Flames give up no assets for Hall, than give up assets for a reclamation project with 4 points on the season. The Flames just need another source of consistency in their top 6. Hall is far more likely to come in and put up between .8 and 1 PPG no matter what is going on around him.

I also don't think CBJ is selling all that cheap on Anderson. They still likely also see him as the rebound candidate everyone else sees. Would love Anderson on the 3rd line at the right price though.

[djsFlames]

Hall - Monahan - Gaudreau
(red flag is defensive side of the game.. hence why Lindholm is suited here)
Tkachuk - Backlund - Mangiapane
(that line is magic, hard to split it)
Dube - Ryan - Lindholm
(elevates your third line, still give Lindy top PP minutes)

Man these are hard lines to draw up.

[TheIronMaiden]

If the Cap does indeed go up by that much Halls contract will be in $12 M land.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

If the Cap does indeed go up by that much Halls contract will be in $12 M land.

Not after a 60 point year, which it's shaping up to be.

[Rando]

Flames sign Hall they need to move Gaudreau for help down the middle. Johnny is on pace for 70 points; could still hit 75+. He's a major asset that Treliving can't waste like he did last summer with Hamonic/Brodie.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

If the Cap does indeed go up by that much Halls contract will be in $12 M land.

Don't see it quite that high.

Will be at or around 10 million though. A lot of potential bidders here. Similar to what Stone got.