[Signing] Habs sign Toffoli (4 yrs, $4.25 mil AAV)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Corral

Meh

Free agents are not going to fix the fact this management group built this roster consisting of too many players who play small and are easy to intimidate. Frankly I doubt the flames care so long as the revenue keeps on coming. It the Calgary flames way.

Has anyone ever seen Corral and Ricardow in the same room?

[howard_the_duck]

Someone needs to get Toffoli Josh Anderson's agent. Can someone explain how Anderson gets 3 more years and nearly +$2M per season?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Someone needs to get Toffoli Josh Anderson's agent. Can someone explain how Anderson gets 3 more years and nearly +$2M per season?

Paid per inch and pound.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I know you were being sarcastic, however...

The Flames were 17th in GA/G and the Pacific playoff picture looked as follows:

2. EDM 215 GA
3. VAN 214 GA
4. CGY 214 GA

Neither the Oilers or the Nucks improved their goaltending or their defense. The Flames did.

Simply by dropping our goals against by 10 (1 goal every 7 games), the Flames finish in 2nd quite easily (holding all else equal).

Yes. This entire offseason (including draft, the coach) to me is about the transition to a more defensive identity. CGY does not think they need more goals, they think they need fewer GA.

Unfortunately, I see a return to a Gulutzan like play style - get pucks deep then funnel it to the net. Maybe that's how you have to play to have success in the playoffs - I hope not.

2-1 going into a defensive shell is not what I want to watch. I would love to hear what the coach and GM envision the team to look and play like. What they think about the offensive side of the game and offensively how they want to play ie are they going to score off the rush? Do they want a team that can carry the puck in?

[Enoch Root]

nm, I was looking at playoff numbers

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. They are not. The Canucks benefitted greatly from career years for several forwards, and other-worldly goaltending.

I said this before, and I'll say it again. Are you implying that Pettersson will not get better? Horvat has gotten better and better each season, so until that stops happening it's better to assume that will keep happening. The only guy who had a career year that was an outlier is Miller, but Miller was expected to produce more. Does he go at a 90 point pace again? Maybe not, but it should be close to a ppg again. The goaltending does remain to be seen though.

Originally Posted by Textcritic

They had high shooting and save percentages, and these sorts of things have a tendency to level out. For a team that was badly outplayed most nights and barely made the playoffs, it doesn't bode particularly well to do any better with the kinds of significant downgrades they have experienced this off-season.

Again, whose shooting percentage was outside their norm? We know Brock Boeser's was way below what it normally is so, who is going down so much to off-set that coming up?

Now.... this all being said, yeah we're going to be hard-pressed to be as good next year. Right now our entire right side of the D was in the AHL last year other than Myers. Unless Hughes is playing 40 minutes a night or has been cloned, that sorely needs to be addressed before we can even pretend we're going to do well. It is looking like we may have a couple lean years now, between our owner being cash-poor this season and there being nothing of value available or coming next season.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Yes. This entire offseason (including draft, the coach) to me is about the transition to a more defensive identity. CGY does not think they need more goals, they think they need fewer GA.

Unfortunately, I see a return to a Gulutzan like play style - get pucks deep then funnel it to the net. Maybe that's how you have to play to have success in the playoffs - I hope not.

2-1 going into a defensive shell is not what I want to watch. I would love to hear what the coach and GM envision the team to look and play like. What they think about the offensive side of the game and offensively how they want to play ie are they going to score off the rush? Do they want a team that can carry the puck in?

Improving goals against does not necessarily mean a defensive shell. And it does not mean a Gulutzan style. Good teams have been playing well defensively since, well, forever.

[btimbit]

Think this is a decent deal for Montreal, but also glad it wasn't us. He's not want Calgary needs

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

I said this before, and I'll say it again. Are you implying that Pettersson will not get better? Horvat has gotten better and better each season, so until that stops happening it's better to assume that will keep happening. The only guy who had a career year that was an outlier is Miller, but Miller was expected to produce more. Does he go at a 90 point pace again? Maybe not, but it should be close to a ppg again. The goaltending does remain to be seen though.





Again, whose shooting percentage was outside their norm? We know Brock Boeser's was way below what it normally is so, who is going down so much to off-set that coming up?

Now.... this all being said, yeah we're going to be hard-pressed to be as good next year. Right now our entire right side of the D was in the AHL last year other than Myers. Unless Hughes is playing 40 minutes a night or has been cloned, that sorely needs to be addressed before we can even pretend we're going to do well. It is looking like we may have a couple lean years now, between our owner being cash-poor this season and there being nothing of value available or coming next season.

These are all arguments that are presented every year by fans whose team had a great year.

To the bold, will Pettersson continue to improve? Sure. But that does not mean more points each year. Maybe this year he works on his defensive game more and the points go down (in other words, lots of possible scenarios)

As for Horvat, he took a big step forward. I would think that hoping for him to simply continue to paly AS WELL, is a big win.

Miller had a career year.

Markstrom was their best player.

The chances that the Nucks improve, or even remain level with, last year, are pretty low IMO.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

The chances that the Nucks improve, or even remain level with, last year, are pretty low IMO.

We agree with the end result, we just disagree with how they get here.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Improving goals against does not necessarily mean a defensive shell. And it does not mean a Gulutzan style. Good teams have been playing well defensively since, well, forever.

I hope you're right but I don't think there is much difference between Ward and Gulutzan philosophically - however perhaps in tactics.

I think it was between those two and GG won. Both have said things like I want players to take ownership and seem to be of the new school, communicators/teacher type.

During the regular season Ward had them playing this D to D then stretch pass to a winger who would chip it in.

Now during playoffs I did see them try to have controlled exit and possession to the blueline where they would just dump it in (I realize the other team's tactics factor in - countering the opponent) so when CGY did have stretches of strong play there was good possession (they just couldn't do it consistently) and that is different from GG.

I just don't want a return to D to D then chip it in. Make some plays - good defence is a great offence!

I like Tanev and Markstrom - I think Treliving did very well to address these areas, I just don't want an identity change to Julien like hockey. It's just too hard to watch.

[Enoch Root]

I am with you on the D to D then chip it into the neutral zone. Brutal hockey. I want to see the transition game brought back.

Playing better defensively does not exclude the possibility of that. But we will have to wait and see what Ward hockey looks like.

[dammage79]

That was the perfect deal I could have been happy with if he came to the Flames. Ah well.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Has anyone ever seen Corral and Ricardow in the same room?

I’ve seen them both in the suicide booth at the same time.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. They are not. The Canucks benefitted greatly from career years for several forwards, and other-worldly goaltending. They had high shooting and save percentages, and these sorts of things have a tendency to level out. For a team that was badly outplayed most nights and barely made the playoffs, it doesn't bode particularly well to do any better with the kinds of significant downgrades they have experienced this off-season.

The Canucks still have good if not great pieces going forward. The team took a huge hit this summer, no doubt about that. I doubt that they make the playoffs next year but I didn't think that the playoffs this year were likely either.

The hope is that Elias Pettersson continues to grow and mature as a player who is an elite offensive threat while Hughes becomes a number 1 defenseman. After that having a great mentors in JT Miller and Bo Horvat makes the core of the team good going solid.

With the whole flat cap and an internal cap it sure makes the Rousell and Beagle contracts sting a bit more.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

We currently have about 9, and we're not re-signing virtanen. He's trade bait.

I just looked and if they're demoting Eriksson and Baertschi and Ferland is on Robidas Island, it's about 12 but with 5 D and 11 forwards. Then you have to factor in bonuses for Hughes and Pettersson and you're back down to 8ish.

Missing on this and Troy Stecher are clear mistakes. It feels strange to say that Benning is screwing up by NOT signing guys, but there you go.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Missing on this and Troy Stecher are clear mistakes. It feels strange to say that Benning is screwing up by NOT signing guys, but there you go.

Yes. We agree.

Satiar Shah has confirmed that Benning was either lied too, or lied. The Canucks will not be a cap team this year. They have an internal cap for the coming season.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Yes. We agree.

Satiar Shah has confirmed that Benning was either lied too, or lied. The Canucks will not be a cap team this year. They have an internal cap for the coming season.

Good thing the Flames already spent their cap space amirite?

[Jacks]

Was hoping to see him here, would have been a good fit IMO.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Was hoping to see him here, would have been a good fit IMO.

In theory yes. In practice no. We knew the Flames couldn't do much in free agency after the cap freeze was announced. Even after spending only a modest 10.5M the Flames are cap strapped. Honestly that is a more than they can afford already. The Flames adjustments this off season have to come in the form of a trade. If they want to be cap compliant with their current roster (after the RFAs get signed) they will need to move money. Anyone who thinks they are in on any UFAs before a trade are day dreaming.