Flames have 18 players in town, the rest by Monday along with the taxi squad.

[agulati]

Do we know the groupings of players who are skating? That will probably give an idea as to how the lines might be, though I guess it depends on if coaches are allowed to give inputs prior to the official start of training camp.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by agulati

Do we know the groupings of players who are skating? That will probably give an idea as to how the lines might be, though I guess it depends on if coaches are allowed to give inputs prior to the official start of training camp.

At this stage I don't think the skating groups indicate anything meaningful about line combinations. Right now my sense is that players are grouped on the basis of the order in which they arrived in Calgary—a product of quarantine measures. That's why the Calgary guys were all the first ones on the ice, and why there was a group of players who live in Ontario out skating together.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Major Major

Gio - Brodie
Hanifin - Anderssson
Gustafson - Hamonic

I hope that is completely obvious. It should be...

It’s not completely obvious. Forbort is so damn solid defensively I want him in there.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

It’s not completely obvious. Forbort is so damn solid defensively I want him in there.

Agreed, Forbort and Gustafson are interchangeable in the line up IMO, depending on whether you want a physical defensive presence or more of an offensive upside.

[EVERLAST]

I love Hamonic i do...been a great Flame but Forbort and Gustafson deserve to be in the lineup ahead of Hamonic at this point . ...just better all around players .

Hoping this is what management and coaches decide prior to Jets series and he is just sat if at all possible. I'm not entirely happy with Hanifin either and think Forbort and Gustafson are better and more consistent.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

It’s not completely obvious. Forbort is so damn solid defensively I want him in there.

Switch around Hamonic/Forbort/Gustafson through the first round.

What if the Flames go 7 D-men with Gustafson playing on the wings and PP? Has he done this in the past?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by agulati

Switch around Hamonic/Forbort/Gustafson through the first round.

What if the Flames go 7 D-men with Gustafson playing on the wings and PP? Has he done this in the past?

It has been ages since players have swapped forward/defense positions. I don't think this is happening.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Major Major

Gio - Brodie
Hanifin - Anderssson
Gustafson - Hamonic

I hope that is completely obvious. It should be...

It should be, but apparently wasn't. The fact that Ward didn't run with this is probably the #1 reason I didn't like him.

Sure, you can sub Forbort in there too, but I think the point is that Andersson should have been getting the 2nd pairing minutes. Let him and Hanifin grow together - hopefully they grow into a top pairing in a couple years.

But nope. The coaches had to keep pounding out the Hanifin-Hamonic pairing every night, no matter how poorly it was working.

(I am not a Hamonic hater like some on here, but he had a really tough year and Andersson just keeps getting better and better.)

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It should be, but apparently wasn't. The fact that Ward didn't run with this is probably the #1 reason I didn't like him.

Sure, you can sub Forbort in there too, but I think the point is that Andersson should have been getting the 2nd pairing minutes. Let him and Hanifin grow together - hopefully they grow into a top pairing in a couple years.

But nope. The coaches had to keep pounding out the Hanifin-Hamonic pairing every night, no matter how poorly it was working.

(I am not a Hamonic hater like some on here, but he had a really tough year and Andersson just keeps getting better and better.)

I wouldn't say the board is filled with Hamonic haters. Personally I think he's a great person. But the reality is that his play has been poor for two seasons. It's not hating to say that the player has declined in ability and question his role on the team.

Highly concur with your other post though: I hope we see Andersson-Hanifin more permanently.

[Pellanor]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Yup, and the Flames have three others on the list below Rasmus.

Hanifin
Gio
Brodie

Calgary may not have the best zone entry defensemen but they have very good puck moving defensemen.

Yeah, pretty crazy to me that we have one in the top ten, 3 out of 27 of the honorable mentions, and drafted one of the three rookies. 5 out of the 30 players mentioned in the article.

[Crown Royal]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It has been ages since players have swapped forward/defense positions. I don't think this is happening.

For the Flames. This year it's happened with Brendan Smith and Mark Pysyk.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It should be, but apparently wasn't. The fact that Ward didn't run with this is probably the #1 reason I didn't like him.

Sure, you can sub Forbort in there too, but I think the point is that Andersson should have been getting the 2nd pairing minutes. Let him and Hanifin grow together - hopefully they grow into a top pairing in a couple years.

But nope. The coaches had to keep pounding out the Hanifin-Hamonic pairing every night, no matter how poorly it was working.

(I am not a Hamonic hater like some on here, but he had a really tough year and Andersson just keeps getting better and better.)

Giordano was hurt when they got Forbort and Gustafsson, then Hamonic got hurt after Giordano came back, and Hanifin got hurt in the last game before the stoppage.


I don't think all six of the defenders listed were ever available for Ward to use at the same time. I could be wrong considering it was months ago.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

For the Flames. This year it's happened with Brendan Smith and Mark Pysyk.

More than that I think. Mike Matheson played the other wing for FLA on that same line that Pysyk did. They did ok as I recall.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Major Major

Gio - Brodie
Hanifin - Anderssson
Gustafson - Hamonic

I hope that is completely obvious. It should be...

Evolving-Hockey has Gustafson getting north of $6,000,000/5 years and Hamonic getting more than $5,000,000/5 years. That seems crazy to me but they are usually very close on their predictions.

So maybe Forbort re-signs at $1.5 and alternates with Valimaki or Kylington?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Evolving-Hockey has Gustafson getting north of $6,000,000/5 years and Hamonic getting more than $5,000,000/5 years. That seems crazy to me but they are usually very close on their predictions.

So maybe Forbort re-signs at $1.5 and alternates with Valimaki or Kylington?

Pass on both at that kind of dough especially with the cap being flat. Will there be a team in this climate willing to pay Gustafson that kind of dough? I'm skeptical.

[dammage79]

Yeah those projections are gonna get tossed right out the window with a 3 year flat cap.

I think we could land Vatanen on a short term cheap deal.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Pass on both at that kind of dough especially with the cap being flat. Will there be a team in this climate willing to pay Gustafson that kind of dough? I'm skeptical.

Same. I thought 5 years was acceptable, but $2M per

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Evolving-Hockey has Gustafson getting north of $6,000,000/5 years and Hamonic getting more than $5,000,000/5 years. That seems crazy to me but they are usually very close on their predictions.

So maybe Forbort re-signs at $1.5 and alternates with Valimaki or Kylington?

I would be surprised to see either one of Gustafson or Hamonic cash in on those figures. As good as Evolving Hockey has been at making these projections in the past, I think everything kind of gets thrown out the window in the new economic climate that we are starting down. With a flat cap and the potential of +25% escrow I can't see how NHL GMs proceed with the same pattern of spending.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Evolving-Hockey has Gustafson getting north of $6,000,000/5 years and Hamonic getting more than $5,000,000/5 years. That seems crazy to me but they are usually very close on their predictions.

So maybe Forbort re-signs at $1.5 and alternates with Valimaki or Kylington?

Gustafson at $6 million per? He is not even a written in ink everyday player. He had one eye popping season stat wise, but I say no way that happens. Hamonic's could be closer to reality.

They must have Brodie at $7M +.

[SportsJunky]

$4.9/3yr - $5.5/5yr