Athletic agent poll- Calgary is 5th most disliked destination by agents

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Could choose to interpret that list from a very different perspective.

In terms of destination desirability by agents, Calgary is viewed much the same as Boston, St Louis, Colorado, Vegas, and Anaheim.



Or just toss out the list/results entirely because the sample size is ridiculously small.

Sample size is tough to gauge.....but most importantly, these 20 agents rep a lot of clients.

Calgary has issues with 1) the owner not opening its wallet for a new arena and 2) is in a country that hasn't handled the pandemic as well as players would have liked (probably american players in Canada).

[powderjunkie]

Sample size isn't the problem...asking for a single extreme answer to a single question is what makes this meaningless.

For all we know 13's and 19's agents are the ones who said Calgary hoping to derive a tiny bit of leverage in their negotiations.

[Sandman]

All these disadvantages, and yet Tre seems to snag one of the top 5 or 10 free agents every year……

[CliffFletcher]

This survey isn’t a big deal in itself. But when you add it to a bunch of other data we have about market desirability - player polls over the years, leaked info about no trade lists, etc - you have to be willfully blind at this point not to recognize that Calgary is in the bottom 6 or 8 cities in the league in terms of destinations for players. And that this puts the franchise at a competitive disadvantage.

[P-Rugby]

The stat breakdown can also be read as “flames tied for 3rd most liked destination by agents”

[Strange Brew]

Two agents picked Calgary. Two.

[tvp2003]

By all accounts the Flames (and ownership) treat the players they have very well. First class everything (except the Saddledome of course).

When it comes to RFA contract negotiations Treliving might drive a hard bargain, but he and ownership are willing to pay up on the UFA market ($84M for Coleman, Markstrom and Tanev in the past two seasons).

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by P-Rugby

The stat breakdown can also be read as “flames tied for 3rd most liked destination by agents”

?
That's not true, the flames were not among the top 15 destinations named by the agents polled as a favorable location. Tampa Bay won that overwhelmingly.

Get an athletic subscription and read the article before making things up.

[Monahammer]

The opposite list, which I didn't initially share, may dispel some of the "it's all Canada" slant. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and even Winnipeg all made this list.
Also, it's clear that recent playoff success isn't important. Philly near the top.

Arena, owner? The other ones at the top are all owner related.

Also, 11% of all registered agents... so it's not meaningless. This is a legitimate concern and could impair our ability to perform as a franchise.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I’m a bit suspicious of this list. Honestly, how are the Oilers not on it while Vegas, Boston, St.Louis, Colorado, Anaheim are on it?

Also suspicious of it. Not because I am surprised that Calgary is not the list and that the aging arena is a factor (I was mocked for saying that arenas matter to players), but because Edmonton isn't there and Carolina is.

If Edmonton isn't in the same position as Calgary, then their management has been worse than ever imagined. And just a couple of years ago, there was a list saying Carolina was one of the more desirable locations.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Two agents picked Calgary. Two.

Ha. And what if those two agents are Pat Brisson and JP Berry? To get picked at all like that isn't good and players talk, etc. But if you want to disregard because you think statistical significance renders the results useless.....have at it.

[Monahammer]

This article is also out there for all to see in one of the biggest hockey publications on earth. So word will increase further. Being grouped like this only really increases the perception of likeness. This is brutal from a PR/stakeholder perspective for the organization. Strong chance of being operationally harmful even if it's not a big media story.

Could some of this stem from Murray Edwards allegedly being one of the leading owners when it comes to salary cap and other negotiations with the PA?

[bubbsy]

Not surprising.

Franchises like Calgary can't rely on free agents, or trades to build up the top parts of the roster. Drafting has to be their edge. Grabbing guys like Markham, Tanev, Coleman has been a pleasant surprise, but I do think that the flames have to pay a higher premium to win these guys over.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Ha. And what if those two agents are Pat Brisson and JP Berry? To get picked at all like that isn't good and players talk, etc. But if you want to disregard because you think statistical significance renders the results useless.....have at it.

Like I said above, their intention would be to achieve a tiny bit of leverage in their upcoming negotiations.

[Krovikan]

This isn't a list of what free agents will want to come to Calgary. Which ya some don't want to for a variety of reasons, but not like we haven't had some like Markstrom choose us over rumored better offers.

This is a list of which agents hare us, Walsh is probably one, but that guy is a turd.

By is also known to be a tough RFA negotiator, I'm sure that has annoyed at least one of the other agents that isn't Walsh.

What this list tells me, is outside of a couple of teams and a couple of agents, agents don't care what team their clients go to.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Krovikan

What this list tells me, is outside of a couple of teams and a couple of agents, agents don't care what team their clients go to.

Those would be poor agents. It's part of the job for them to care about where their clients end up. They are hired to ensure their clients maximize their earnings in a place that they will enjoy playing and living.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Like I said above, their intention would be to achieve a tiny bit of leverage in their upcoming negotiations.

You mean you think two agents picked on Calgary in an Athletic article to get leverage on Calgary for upcoming negotiations? But other agents didn't do this to other teams? I might be missing your point.

[Krovikan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Those would be poor agents. It's part of the job for them to care about where their clients end up.

I understand your position; however, disagree slightly. An agent's job is up to them to find the team that matches their client, not to find a team they like.

For example if your client has other players they play well with that could raise their stats, and they play on Calgary, you inform them of the pros and cons of your experience with the team but you don't avoid them.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

No surprise with AZ being #1 - unless you're at the end of your career or a young guy it's going to be a miserable place to play until the Tempe arena is finished. IF (And this is a gargantuan IF) the Coyotes finally have a stable place to call home and aren't actively tanking this place will be a top destination in the NHL.

Not at all surprised with the list, Calgary weather is absolutely horrible 8 months a year - it's also a pretty boring city during the season and the Dome is old.

Winnipeg should be #1 at all times on this list though

Well if I spent every single day hanging out at Westbrook Mall I would be pretty bored too.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The opposite list, which I didn't initially share, may dispel some of the "it's all Canada" slant. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and even Winnipeg all made this list.
Also, it's clear that recent playoff success isn't important. Philly near the top.

Arena, owner? The other ones at the top are all owner related.

Also, 11% of all registered agents... so it's not meaningless. This is a legitimate concern and could impair our ability to perform as a franchise.

It’s pretty much meaningless when the “top 15” shakes out to a multi-way tie for the top 6… add more agents in there and there could very well be 20-30 teams all tied in the top 6.