2021 Off season: You're in charge, what would you do?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by troutman

We just have to face it
This time we're through
Breaking up is never easy, I know
But you have to go
Knowing me, knowing you
It's the best we can do

Most underrated ABBA song of all time.

[1qqaaz]

I think the Calgary Flames need to get a defenseman who is a powerplay specialist.
Out of the 31 teams, Calgary has the 4th lowest percentage of their scoring involving defensemen. Just watching Calgary's powerplays this year, it seems the defense is often the weak link. Gio is losing mobility, Andersson can't keep the puck in the zone.

Gio was able to produce for many years, but that ship has largely sailed. Yet he's still the most productive defenseman on the team by a fair margin.

We keep talking about #1 centers and top 6 RWs, but I think the need for an offensive defenseman is also quite pressing.

These guys become available quite often. Barrie is an upcoming UFA. Yandle has negative trade value. DeAngelo, despite his talents, is worthless. Hamilton might be a UFA. Mike Rielly is getting points and is a UFA.

But if the team rebuilds, who cares.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by AC

I'd be in favour of trading some combination of Monahan/Tkachuk/(Valimaki or Andersson)/picks for Eichel .....

That's a nice list of the 4 players who underachieved the most for Calgary this year, and are directly responsible for the Flames missing the playoffs.

They should slide right into the Sabres lineup unnoticed.

[Duffalufagus]

Anyone think back to us having a shot at Matt stone but not willing to give up Valimaki? Hindsight and all that but damn.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Anyone think back to us having a shot at Matt stone but not willing to give up Valimaki? Hindsight and all that but damn.

Not for just a rental.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Anyone think back to us having a shot at Matt stone but not willing to give up Valimaki? Hindsight and all that but damn.

Yea this is as good as Valimaki is going to get.

His rookie season is his peek so move him now!

[DomeFoam]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I think the Calgary Flames need to get a defenseman who is a powerplay specialist.
Out of the 31 teams, Calgary has the 4th lowest percentage of their scoring involving defensemen. Just watching Calgary's powerplays this year, it seems the defense is often the weak link. Gio is losing mobility, Andersson can't keep the puck in the zone.

Gio was able to produce for many years, but that ship has largely sailed. Yet he's still the most productive defenseman on the team by a fair margin.

We keep talking about #1 centers and top 6 RWs, but I think the need for an offensive defenseman is also quite pressing.

These guys become available quite often. Barrie is an upcoming UFA. Yandle has negative trade value. DeAngelo, despite his talents, is worthless. Hamilton might be a UFA. Mike Rielly is getting points and is a UFA.

But if the team rebuilds, who cares.

They had one. His name was Robert Pa- Erik Gustaffson

Didn't move the needle much and a PP specialist is quite possibly the last thing that would lead this team to any sort of success nevermind more picks flushed down the toilet to acquire one.

[SeanCharles]

Hilarious how ppl want to go full rebuild and trade Gaudreau, Monahan and Tkachuk etc. for picks/prospects while at the same time complain about how bad Valimaki, Andersson, Dube etc. have been and we should have traded them for Stone and/or should have no problem including them in trades.

I realize it’s probably not the same ppl but as a collective this forum is bipolar.

Want to trade our best players for futures but expect futures to not require any development and be great right away.

[Aarongavey]

I would fire Brad, hire a real GM, and let them make the decisions.

That being said I would trade Johnny for prospects. I think LA could be interested in him given their bountiful amount of young centers and lack of depth on the wing. I don't think Johnny will be signing here as a UFA so the Flames should try to get something for him.

I would try to move Tkachuk. Paying him 9 million a year is not appealing. I would try to get back one currently productive young player and prospects for him.

I would move on from at least one of Backlund or Monahan, largely to ensure space for the young center that you hopefully pick up from the Gaudreau deal to slot in in your top 6 or 9. Again try to get prospects back. I would be willing to take on a bad contract in any of these deals if it meant you were getting more/better young assets as a result.

[flylock shox]

I'd like the Flames to target up-and-coming players and start the team's next core with a youth movement.



I'm not talking a full tear down, but the movement of a couple of core veteran pieces (e.g. Monahan, Tkachuk, Backlund, Giordano) for players with pedigree who are on the cusp of - or have a realistic chance of being - impact players.


For example, Eichel's name comes up a lot, but I think Buffalo have shown they're willing to open the vault to surround him with talent. I'd therefore be much more inclined to see if a deal can be worked around a player like Cozens - perhaps in a swap for Tkachuk - that would give the Flames an emerging Center who could grow along with the young players the Flames already have on their roster, and who they might add via other trades.



If moves like that aren't available, I'd aim to score high draft picks in the next two drafts to the extent possible.


In terms of people to keep, I would hold onto Gaudreau unless it seemed probable he will leave when his contract expires. I'd also keep Mangiapane, Lindholm, Dube, Valimaki, Andersson, Tanev, and Hanifin for the rebuild (though would deal any of them if it were a must in order to land a blue chip player/prospect). Markstrom pretty much has to stay by default now that Rittich is gone - there simply aren't other viable short-term options to provide stability in net, and the guy was lights-out at the beginning of the year.


All told, I think the Flames should take heart from Ottawa's example: just because you're rebuilding doesn't mean you have to be utterly terrible. And as the Flames have proven, just because you're not rebuilding and you have a good roster on paper doesn't mean you're actually any good...

[Classic_Sniper]

If it was up to me, I would go 2 completely different directions depending on what can or cannot be accomplished. The primary objective for me is about what it'll take to become an elite, Stanley Cup contender. So in terms of what that entails:


Scenario #1: Trade for an Elite #1 Center to create 2 top scoring lines

Looks like Jack Eichel might be the only one who fits the bill and who might actually be available. So I'm offloading Sean Monahan and the futures necessary to get that trade done. Monahan would be the piece I'm trying to trade because that's where the upgrade is. Eichel is a game breaker and he would help the team slot better at the center position. Eichel-Lindholm-Backlund would make a strong 1-2-3 punch down the middle. I'm also keeping Johnny Gaudreau and trying to re-sign him because he and Jack Eichel could be a real dangerous duo together or if Jack Eichel drives his own line, then that would give the Flames two top scoring lines and a good shutdown line. That would be a true match up nightmare.


Scenario #2: NO Elite #1 Center?

If the Flames cannot land an elite #1 center like a Jack Eichel and basically have to slog it out with the same centers as this season, then I'm going on a full rebuild. This team cannot win with 3 x second lines. If there is no clear path to a Stanley Cup and the best we can be is "competitive," then a rebuild must happen. #### the bed and try to draft a 1st overall pick like a Shane Wright or a Connor Bedard and go from there. I would not accept this middling garbage anymore. I repeat, no more mediocrity. Be elite or tear it down until you have the pieces to become elite. Be patient, no more retooling stupidity like the last 30+ years. Do it right or don't do it at all.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Anyone think back to us having a shot at Matt stone but not willing to give up Valimaki? Hindsight and all that but damn.

South Park is funny, but I think Valimaki is a better hockey player than it's creator.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Anyone think back to us having a shot at Matt stone but not willing to give up Valimaki? Hindsight and all that but damn.

Not this again. We would have had, right this second, no Stone and no Valimaki, and no either first or second round draft pick last summer either.

[Geeoff]

I think the team needs to make a big splash of some sort in the off-season but not necessarily all the big splashes.

Just win some trades, draft some good prospects. The team needs a shake-up but I'm not sure we're at the point of making a trade for the sake of making a trade.

[Calgary4LIfe]

If I am GM, I build around the most important piece - the coach. If I had hired a dimwit, I wouldn't build around him, but Darryl is a proven coach. He is here for 2 more seasons at least. I keep the players that fit what he is trying to do, and I get rid of the ones that don't.

Lindholm - fits. He has been fairly good under Sutter.
Gaudreau - fits. He is starting to look like a dynamic offensive player again.
Monahan - mixed. Barring an injury issue, his offensive ability disappeared. He has been way more physical and defensive though.
Tkachuk - not good before Sutter, hasn't been good since either.

So out of the 'top 4' forwards, I keep Lindholm and Gaudreau (unless Gaudreau isn't interested in signing an extension this off-season, then I trade him). Monahan I shop around - centres are valuable and difficult to acquire, so I am not going to give him away. If I can't get enough for him in return (preferably a top 4 puck moving defencemen) I keep him. Tkachuk I look at as a 'must trade'.

Why Tkachuk? He just isn't effective right now. Hasn't been for a while. I also don't think the notion of "Drags his teammates into battle" is actually a good thing. Why does Calgary have to face teams that have circled Calgary on the calendar all the time, but other teams in the division don't? Sure, against a rival like Edmonton? Ok, I see that. But against an otherwise regular season game on the schedule that you don't have to face a team that is eager to face you, that's a good thing. He hasn't fit Sutter's system well. His 9 million dollar deal is ugly too. I move him.

The rest of the team? Who has been good under Sutter?

Ritchie should be re-signed - just don't play him in the top 6 please. Also, turn him into a PKer. He is fast and gritty, and as long as he doesn't play high up in the lineup, he can be an effective player. Doesn't matter if he is brought back though.

Robinson - another cheap depth guy that doesn't cost you games. Again, turn him into a PKer. He is fast and has an incredibly long reach. He makes this team 'harder to play against'. Having him on the 4th line is fine. Doesn't really matter if he is brought back though.

Nordstrom I am mixed on. He was awful 5on5 under Ward, but he has been ok under Sutter. If I can't upgrade him, I would renew him for another season. He is an excellent PKer, and he has been better 5on5, but you still need more than what he brings. I'm ok with bringing him back, I am ok with not bringing him back.

Backlund - many people want him gone. I don't. Backlund is producing at career normal levels by the looks of it. 27 points in 46 games in a season where the entire team dried up offensively - that's ok for him. That's 4th on the team, but he is a third line centre. If your third line centre is the 4th highest scorer on your team, while being tasked with shutting down the opposing lines, while being given a rotating cast of linemates all season, and never complains - you keep him. IMO, one of the few bright spots this year. Not every game - he has had his poor share of games for sure, but he is more or less consistent year in and year out, playing the toughest minutes. No other centre on this team can do that. I would be ok with moving Backlund if there was another centre to take over, but there is none organizationally. You can't count on Ruzicka, Gawdin didn't look ready, and though I like Zary a lot, you simply can't pencil him into the lineup that way. These centres should all start as third line wingers or 4th line centres, and let them adapt. If Bennett was still here, I would have been much more open to trading Backlund.

Mangiapane - give me one reason not to bring him back. I can't think of one. I expect more offence from him, but the entire team is down. The least of this team's problems, and fits under Sutter well.

That's pretty much it for the forwards. Leivo was starting to improve and score under Sutter - and regularly at that. I am ok if he returns, I am ok if he moves on. I like Ryan, but I would rather save money there, and I would also like that spot to be with someone bigger or as an entry point to a centre like Gawdin, Ruzicka and Zary (shelter them but let them adapt to the NHL a bit - the third line is too much responsibility). Simon is obviously not returning. Dube is the only piece I hesitate to put into this group. He is young, so maybe he is just inconsistent. I like his speed. I wouldn't give him away, but if there is a good trade to be had, I would include him. Maybe as part of Tkachuk deal and try to upgrade centre, or something like that. He isn't awful, but he hasn't been good under Sutter either. Again, I don't give Dube away, I am just not putting him under the 'should keep' section, and feel he can be a strong trade-chip to upgrade the roster. I am fine with him returning of course.

For the defence, the only two I really feel should be retained are:
Valimaki - a year off hockey, having to start under Ward - that's ok. He is young and promising.


Hanifin JUST makes it in for me, actually. He has good wheels, he transitions well, and he defends fairly well. However, he isn't very offensive. He doesn't have a good shot. He isn't very dynamic. I also sometimes get annoyed with him taking shots only to nullify the pressure that Calgary was sustaining, as it usually doesn't even test the goalie. He was on a lucky goal scoring streak for a while, but that shot isn't a shot that goalies find difficult to save, especially when he keeps shooting it into their chest. Still, he does more right than wrong.

That's it for defencemen.

Giordano still helps you win more than you lose - best all-around defencemen, but he isn't a long-term piece for me any longer given his age.

Tanev has zero offensive ability - not enough offensive D in the system IMO to keep a guy that is so one dimensional.

Andersson has some nice tools, but I am tired of his lack of footspeed being exposed. He isn't good enough defensively or offensively. Maybe he takes a step forward, but as of this year, I don't think he has earned his contract. Will he? That's the question. He isn't offensively dynamic enough to make up for his lack of footspeed, so I don't think he can be a reliable offensive defencemen. He isn't strong enough or agile enough to be a reliable defensive defencemen either. So what is he? I don't know. I am sure he will be returning, but I will be surprised if he ever becomes something more than a borderline 4th defencemen.

Stone is a keeper I guess - you can re-sign him on the cheap. Has played some of his best hockey under Sutter. You have to look all the way back when he was playing with Brodie, and even then he wasn't moving the puck out nearly this well. I am ok with retaining him, depending on what moves are or are not made.

I do think that this team really isn't too far off. I would trade Tkachuk (and not for Laine - come on, do you really need to see that happen to know it won't work with Laine here?? He has always been a floater except when he has the puck, and go and just look at his numbers over the last few seasons and tell me that he is the next Ovechkin with a straight face).


This is going to be one hell of an important off-season. I don't envy Treliving here (assuming he is still employed by this team).

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Hilarious how ppl want to go full rebuild and trade Gaudreau, Monahan and Tkachuk etc. for picks/prospects while at the same time complain about how bad Valimaki, Andersson, Dube etc. have been and we should have traded them for Stone and/or should have no problem including them in trades.

I realize it’s probably not the same ppl but as a collective this forum is bipolar.

Want to trade our best players for futures but expect futures to not require any development and be great right away.

Definitely not me. I'm only keeping what has worked i.e. Tanev-Gio and Lindholm-Gaudreau and etc. But I’m looking to do a major upgrade on Sean Monahan for Jack Eichel to get that coveted secondary scoring. If the Flames can fit Matthew Tkachuk’s next contract in here somehow then I’d keep Tkachuk in hopes he can rebound big time. If none of this fan occur, then it’s time to move on.

I’m not trying to build a playoff team around the Dube’s and the Valimaki’s. These guys aren’t going to be elite players that you can rely on to out duel a Leon Draisaitl or a Quinn Hughes or a Mark Stone in a best of 7.

[GioforPM]

I agree with most of Calgary4Life. But I would keep Tanev. His skill set is pretty rare IMO. I keep Hanifin too. He’s young and just beginning to blossom IMO. And you left out Lucic which is unforgivable.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I agree with most of Calgary4Life. But I would keep Tanev. His skill set is pretty rare IMO. I keep Hanifin too. He’s young and just beginning to blossom IMO. And you left out Lucic which is unforgivable.

Hmm.. I had him included, but somehow erased him while I was editing.


Lucic - Team should get rid of him just because of his salary. When this league became a cap league, every dollar counts in terms of how it helps you win. Lucic is not a problem, and I argue that he is actually good for this team, but it is an ugly cap hit. However, we can all expect him to return.

[N-E-B]

If I’m the GM I’m looking at absolutely everything. This team doesn’t have a single player that couldn’t be had for the right price.

There’s guys I wouldn’t be actively looking to trade, but nobody that I would consider untouchable. If this team was remotely competitive I’d say Markstrom is almost untouchable but given that I would be the GM and would likely be heading towards a rebuild I think we could get a haul for him so he could be had.

Players I think worth keeping would be Lindholm, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, Andersson, Hanifin, Tanev, and Markstrom. That’s it. In a perfect world I’d like to somehow acquire Eichel while keeping Gaudreau but I’m not sure that’s realistic.

Guys I’d be looking to move first are Monahan, Backlund, and Giordano. Gaudreau would be added to this list if I felt he wouldn’t re-sign here.

[ForeverFlameFan]

There’s not a player that I am fixed on dealing. And honestly, that’s both a good and bad thing.

It’s good in the sense that we have multiple directions we can take, depending on what player we can trade for the best offer. It can be Gaudreau to a contending team, or Monahan to a center-desperate up-and-coming team, or Tkachuk, who I feel all 30 GMs would be calling about.

It’s bad in the sense that with all of these multiple directions, if clearly means that we don’t have a solid core to build around. Everything is up in the air.

I’m on the younger side of the spectrum compared to most of you, so I don’t know if there’s ever been another offseason that has been as antsy as this. I don’t know what to expect of it, but what I do know is that changes have to be made. And I am both excited and disappointed about them.