Francis: Flames not making excuses for challenges luring top players to Calgary

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Too late.

They've already traded a 3rd and a 4th this summer for a bottom-six grinder and a bottom-pair defenceman.

To be fair they got the 3rd by trading a UFA last deadline...and you are under selling Zadorov IMO

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by dino7c

To be fair they got the 3rd by trading a UFA last deadline...and you are under selling Zadorov IMO

He was a 2nd pairing defenceman on the Chicago Blackhawks last season. I don't think it's crazy to believe that he likely slots lower than that on an actual playoff team, but his physical edge is definitely an add. I just don't think his 5v5 play will be that of a 2nd pairing defenceman, at least not if we plan on making the playoffs.

Hanifin - Andersson
Valimaki - Tanev

I think that top-4 gives us the best chance both this season, and for years to come. Pairing Valimaki with Tanev is needed in my opinion. I'll be disappointed if we end up playing Zadarov ahead of Vali.

As a whole though I'm just outright against this team trading away picks. That's just not where they are. They need all the draft capital they can get and they need to hold onto it and make the picks.

(...outside of acquiring Jack Eichel, of course)

[activeStick]

Based on what I've seen Valimaki is not ready for top 4 minutes yet. I understand the idea of letting a young player play through his mistakes, but with a player who is better right now, it probably makes more sense to have Zadarov ahead of him.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

So we're only counting what happened during the window you are referring to - got it.

And we're referring to trading a 3rd and a 4th in that select window as trading picks "heavily"

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Based on what I've seen Valimaki is not ready for top 4 minutes yet. I understand the idea of letting a young player play through his mistakes, but with a player who is better right now, it probably makes more sense to have Zadarov ahead of him.

What's interesting about Valimaki is that I recall reading, or perhaps hearing on a podcast, that athlete's who have had major knee surgery don't 'get it back' for about 18 months. I'm hopeful this proves to be true and he gets back to the promise he had shown in 18/19.

[dino7c]

Whoever plays better will be in the top four...I just don't think "bottom pair dman" is an accurate description of Zadorov. He is only 26 himself and was highly touted but has yet to put it all together at the NHL level. Was great in the playoffs 2 years back.

[Vinny01]

I am generally an optimistic fan and I think this team will be anywhere from the bubble to first in the division. I think the mediocre press this team will receive is the perfect ingredient for Sutter to get them to play with a chip on their shoulder. He will have them playing the right way for the team to win. They have a lot of bounce back candidates and guys like Mangiapane, Dube, Valimaki who could break out in a big way

With their leader in Seattle there is opportunity for others to step up and hopefully it is done by committee and we see a team who hold each other accountable. Markstrom has the ability to be the best goalie in the division and if that is the case this will be a tough team to beat night in and night out. The added beef and grit through the lineup will make this an extremely hard team to play against and hopefully gives the skill guys confidence and space to make plays.

I really hate this offseason. Picks were spent on short term bit players, a 30 year old middle 6 winger was given a 6 year term at top 6 money. No one was really brought in to replace Gio in the top 4 and the one guy they got cost a 3rd and they are walking him right to free agency. The very unproven backup may or make not work but is a risky play. Top players were not re-signed and the core up front was not altered and the top 4 forwards from last year remain the same.

With all the negativity of the offseason I still believe this team underachieved last year and were better than what we saw. I expect a battle for a playoff spot at a minimum but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were a top team as well

[VladtheImpaler]

THN YEARBOOK picked us 3rd but to beat the Grease in Round 1.

[EVERLAST]

Francis must not remember that Sutter loves bulletin board material.
He's never ever shied away from a fight either as a player or a coach and he knows damn well how to motivate his players, team mates and the fans as I see it.
Sutter isn't delusional and certainly not a liar and Francis is going to eat serious crow me thinks.

Older and wiser I'm just glad he's back and seemingly has everyone pulling in the same direction from the top down.

My all time favorite quote from Darryl is "don't get too high and don't get too low.

Smart smart guy. He knows we're gonna have bad games for sure in an 82 game season and will adjust accordingly.

I still love what we did in 03/04 with a rag tag bunch of players that weren't supposed to do exactly what they did.

I still wish the lockout didn't steal away the following season.

Well Eric Francis .....we will see wont we.

Darryls words were that he felt Tres blueprint was solid but just not playing to the potential he knows they can.

Well.....enough cheerleading from me.....drop the damn puck !!!!

PS ....Flames ownership....thanks for bringing D Sutter back.

[MegaErtz]

Tough to make the argument that the team heading into this season is better than it was last season. I think any honest fan would admit that the team is a year older, not better, and we've lost a franchise defensemen. We've also not brought any players of note into the fold. We didn't make the playoffs last year, so I don't understand the optimism about this year.

On the point about why a lot of players don't want to come to Calgary though, I think he's right. Who would want to play in a cold city when you can get paid as much to live somewhere nicer and enjoy anonymity when you're out and about. I was fairly active in the Calgary night club scene in my twenties and you'd see players all the time being mobbed. That has to get old quickly. Wayne Gretzky could walk down the streets of any American city without being recognized by most people.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by EVERLAST

Francis must not remember that Sutter loves bulletin board material.
He's never ever shied away from a fight either as a player or a coach and he knows damn well how to motivate his players, team mates and the fans as I see it.
Sutter isn't delusional and certainly not a liar and Francis is going to eat serious crow me thinks.

Older and wiser I'm just glad he's back and seemingly has everyone pulling in the same direction from the top down.

My all time favorite quote from Darryl is "don't get too high and don't get too low.

Smart smart guy. He knows we're gonna have bad games for sure in an 82 game season and will adjust accordingly.

I still love what we did in 03/04 with a rag tag bunch of players that weren't supposed to do exactly what they did.

I still wish the lockout didn't steal away the following season.

Well Eric Francis .....we will see wont we.

Darryls words were that he felt Tres blueprint was solid but just not playing to the potential he knows they can.

Well.....enough cheerleading from me.....drop the damn puck !!!!

PS ....Flames ownership....thanks for bringing D Sutter back.

Having the best goalie, the best winger, and one of the best shut down defensemen in the league is a bit more than a rag tag bunch. People need to stop comparing to that 04 group because this current bunch has nothing close to that level of top end talent.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

THN YEARBOOK picked us 3rd but to beat the Grease in Round 1.

I’ll take that, thank you very much.

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Whoever plays better will be in the top four...I just don't think "bottom pair dman" is an accurate description of Zadorov. He is only 26 himself and was highly touted but has yet to put it all together at the NHL level. Was great in the playoffs 2 years back.

I don't know where he will play but this old Youtube video was fun to watch (2018/19). Lots of great hits, definitely hits everyone including the stars and seems to have decent puck skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI8Y...urgundyRainbow

[EVERLAST]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Having the best goalie, the best winger, and one of the best shut down defensemen in the league is a bit more than a rag tag bunch. People need to stop comparing to that 04 group because this current bunch has nothing close to that level of top end talent.

Well. Ive been hooked on this team win or lose since watching them lose the SCF in 1986.....win it in 1989 and 04 and am just an old sentimental fool.

Heartbreak or not I cheer whether you approve or not iDGAF .....got it? Good.

Now go #### on someone else thankyouveryphuckingmuch

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Having the best goalie, the best winger, and one of the best shut down defensemen in the league is a bit more than a rag tag bunch. People need to stop comparing to that 04 group because this current bunch has nothing close to that level of top end talent.

And before 04 you had no idea who Kipper was, or if Regher was any good and Iggy may have been in the top 5 wingers at the time. Try being positive, it makes your day so much better.

[dino7c]

Iginla/Kipper/Reggie got past the first round one time

That team wasn't very good TBH they went on a run.

[Macman]

Maybe we should just be happy to have a NHL team that's at least stable and not the worst team or organization in the league. I can see this team so far being competitive at least but it could also be tough to play against more of the skilled and elite teams.

I think Juuso Valimaki will have a good year and there could be some other surprises in players having good years, Andrew Mangiapane is another player to watch. I don't think it's all bad and hopeless I guess but could still be tough going.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

And before 04 you had no idea who Kipper was, or if Regher was any good and Iggy may have been in the top 5 wingers at the time. Try being positive, it makes your day so much better.

I read his post wrong and was agreeing. Yeah we got Markstrom and Gaudreau/tkachuk, I was trying to figure out who our shut down defenceman is. No reason we can’t go on that kind of run with this team.

Last year we could have easily been in Montreal’s shoes. 31 other teams in this league.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Iginla/Kipper/Reggie got past the first round one time

That team wasn't very good TBH they went on a run.

They won the division the next season.

That 04/05 team was maybe the best Flames team I’ve watched in my adult life, including their 2nd OA season recently. Some tough luck against Anaheim, propped up by Niedermayer and an emerging Getzlaf and Perry, but that could have been a cup team had they gotten out of that round IMO.

[blender]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

They won the division the next season.

That 04/05 team was maybe the best Flames team I’ve watched in my adult life, including their 2nd OA season recently. Some tough luck against Anaheim, propped up by Niedermayer and an emerging Getzlaf and Perry, but that could have been a cup team had they gotten out of that round IMO.

They were good. Also good in 2008-2010 where they ran into the Sharks and Hawks unfortunately.

The quality of the team during those years was such that I have trouble with the declaration that the Flames are historically mediocre, declarations that get repeated until they become believed, especially by those who weren't old enough to remember it well.

That era of Flames team was absolutely good enough to win it all, they just couldn't get it done against other top teams.

Part of the agony of being a sports fan, particularly of a good team that fails, is respecting how good the team was. It hurts because of what could have been. I prefer to remember it for how it was than just say they "sucked" or were simply mediocre. They weren't.

Even the 2015 team or the 2018-19 team weren't mediocre. They were both exceptional and very fun to watch.

Whatever. The ups and downs are what keeps me keen.

Man, I'm ready for hockey to start.