Buy?/Sell?/All-in?/Tank? What should the Flames do?

[Lanny_McDonald]

Not all in, but in a buy situation. Turn our picks and prospects into players with term left. Targets:

Tyler Tofolli ($4.25M for two more seasons) - big finisher on RW. Has history with Sutter and Monahan. Perfect fit. Not sure what it would take.

Mike Hoffman ($4.5M for two more seasons) - Left shooting winger who can play both sides. Another guy that can finish. Definitely needs out of Montreal (as does everyone on that team).

Travis Konecny ($5.5M for three more seasons) - RW that is a decent middle six player. Can the Flames make it fit? Would this deal entice the Flyers to try and poach Guadreau? Would this deal make that more likely?

Anthony Beauvillier ($4.15M for two more seasons) - A LW that plays a Sutterish game and has a propensity to score clutch goals. The Islanders need to move bodies, and this is one without a NTC.

Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4M for four more seasons). A right shooting winger that can play both sides. Would be a nice fit on the team.

Boone Jenner ($3.75M for four more years). Big skilled center. The epitome of a Sutter player. Big question is, would Columbus sell him? PERFECT fit for the Flames.

Connor Brown ($3.6M for one more season). Right shooting winger who can play both sides. Another Sutter player IMO.

Jordan Eberle ($5.5M for two more seasons). Obvious need filled with Eberle's speed and finishing ability.

Big question is how do the Flames make these work? Not many assets and have salary concerns of their own to worry about. Maybe a hockey trade to acquire two assets? Move Mangiapane in a deal for two assets like Tofolli and Hoffman? Removes one salary challenge and adds a couple guys that can score. I can't see the Flames dumping any of our top picks from the past three drafts. Maybe dangle the 1st this draft along with Valimaki. Not sure what that gets you. Some interesting possibilities to improve the team, but does Treliving have the mojo and assets to get a deal done?

[Enoch Root]

^ all good targets

[cam_wmh]

A bit of a richer move, but Alex Tuch is who I'm eyeing. Very reasonable cap-hit @ $4.75m, for another 4 seasons, and a PPG in Buffalo.
Surely, he'd warm to Calgary, vs his current situation in the basement.

Won't be cheap though. Valimaki, Dube & a 2nd.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

A bit of a richer move, but Alex Tuch is who I'm eyeing. Very reasonable cap-hit @ $4.75m, for another 4 seasons, and a PPG in Buffalo.
Surely, he'd warm to Calgary, vs his current situation in the basement.

Won't be cheap though. Valimaki, Dube & a 2nd.

I looked at Tuch too, but Buffalo just invested every bit of credibility they have as an organization in trading for Tuch and Krebs. Both have to be untouchable at this point.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

Not that I think Giroux is actually a realistic acquisition, but say we do get him. Where does he fit?
Do we have him on the first line, and shuffle Lindholm down?
Do we make pairs with Gaudreau and Lindholm, then Chucky with Giroux? Who plays RW on the top two lines? Monahan?

This is my issue with acquiring a C - could we use an improvement down the middle? Definitely. But it doesn't really solve our problems.

We need a winger for Monahan's line, to generate more secondary scoring

[Enoch Root]

Hard to imagine Buffalo moving Tuch (unless you overpay, which is stupid)

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is my issue with acquiring a C - could we use an improvement down the middle? Definitely. But it doesn't really solve our problems.

We need a winger for Monahan's line, to generate more secondary scoring

You have to get Huberdeau level player in order to help Monahan. If Johnny couldn't help him, not too many can

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is my issue with acquiring a C - could we use an improvement down the middle? Definitely. But it doesn't really solve our problems.

We need a winger for Monahan's line, to generate more secondary scoring

100% agree.
Getting deeper at centre (especially with a player of that calibre) is never a bad thing, but getting a middle six rw is our best bet for an upgrade that isn't going to rock the boat from a roster building perspective.
I think Coleman is literally the perfect 3rd line rw, but now that he's turning it on, and that line seems to be clicking, maybe we only need a 3rd line guy instead of a middle 6 guy.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is my issue with acquiring a C - could we use an improvement down the middle? Definitely. But it doesn't really solve our problems.

We need a winger for Monahan's line, to generate more secondary scoring

Hockey trade and a futures trade.

Mangiapane & Poolman to Montreal for Tofolli and Hoffman. $3.175 out, $8.75M in.

Valikami and Pitlick to Ottawa for Connor Brown. $3.08M out, $3.6M in.

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Hoffman-Monahan-Toffoli
Dube-Backlund-Coleman
Lucic-Ruzicka-Lewis

or

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Coleman-Monahan-Toffoli
Hoffman-Backlund-Dube
Lucic-Ruzicka-Lewis

[Coach]

All in right now. Should have pushed more for Eichel. Probably should have kept Bennett. Need another top end forward to bring us into the realm of Vegas Colorado Tampa Florida skill level. No guarantee our two best forwards return. You have the coach. You have the goaltending. You have depth at defense. Your best player is the best he’s ever been. Make the push.

Rebuild in the aftermath if it doesn’t work. Everything gets burnt to the ground anyways.

[Patek23]

I think I'm in the minority but I think were okay down the middle. Backlund is the most notorious first half garbage second half Allstar I can think of and I'm surprised a lot of people don't recall that. Monahan has shown glimpses of his old self. You have to hope he continues trending upwards.

What we absolutely need is a goal scoring RW. You can't have Brett Ritchies on your 2nd line. I don't care who's coach that team doesn't go deep in playoffs. I think above all other positions we must acquire someone either who is a natural RW or someone who can come in and have another of our actual top 6 guys slot over into that position.

[Roof-Daddy]

Team needs to add to the forward group, and they should ASAP.

Would much prefer they give up futures for non-rental forwards though.

For me Toffoli and Jarnkrok would be great adds.

While Jarnkrok is a pending UFA, I could see him re-signing and he might not cost a lot to acquire either so the risk is somewhat mitigated IMO.

[1qqaaz]

Can the Flames afford to re-sign Jarnkrok while keeping Gaudreau, Tkachuk and Mangiapane? And without having Mangiapane on a short term deal that brings him to UFA?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Sell/tank.

Johnny and Chucky are going to regress hard once they get paid. This season is a perfect storm of contract years and new coach. Once they have the big contracts and tune out Sutter, we’re doomed. Tanev has seen better days, Coleman contract will be an albatross, Mangiapane is not likely to see this much success again and he’s gonna paid, Markstrom won’t look so hot when our team is struggling etc.

There has never been a better time to rebuild and start from scratch. For once we need to sell high and rebuild at the right time. Not sell and tank when all our guys are over the hill or having career worst seasons.

[Heavy Jack]

I can’t imagine wanting to see the flames sell/tank with how they are playing,
Literally in the top 5 sometimes top3 in all metrics that are telling of how good a team is. This years team is as legit as I’ve seen and the last test for me is this all-star break which they stumbled out of the year we won the west with Peters only to get absolutely owned by the Avalanche in round one. This team feels different than that team especially from a defensive/goaltending and 200 foot responsible game from our forwards. Isn’t this what we’ve been craving as fans for years and years with this core?? I get the uneasiness of having Johnny and Tkachuk in their current situations contract wise but if the flames don’t push the chips all in and go for a cup when we actually have a roster and coach that is showing it’s capable of a push in the playoffs then it’s going to be a long wait to hope that we get to this position again even with the riches of prospects trading Johnny would get you.

Push all in please and thank you, show these guys the goal is winning just like Darryl preaches and I think Johnny staying is a good bet.

[browntrout]

Such a great topic with many valid opinions. Not sure there is any wrong answers.

I would be willing to trade Pelletier or early, but not both. Coronato is not available, valimaki might be if management feels Mackay can crack the line up.

Keep draft picks.

Rentals hardly make a difference, championship teams have deep prospects, I don't think we are there yet

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Sell/tank.

Johnny and Chucky are going to regress hard once they get paid. This season is a perfect storm of contract years and new coach. Once they have the big contracts and tune out Sutter, we’re doomed. Tanev has seen better days, Coleman contract will be an albatross, Mangiapane is not likely to see this much success again and he’s gonna paid, Markstrom won’t look so hot when our team is struggling etc.

There has never been a better time to rebuild and start from scratch. For once we need to sell high and rebuild at the right time. Not sell and tank when all our guys are over the hill or having career worst seasons.

[NewFan]

J.T. Miller, Kopitar, Hertl, Horvat, Toews, Couturier please.
Now it's GM's work to fit the salary and the trade value.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

We’re talking about one of the least successful franchises in pro sports in the last 30 years. We have a weak prospect pool, are close the to cap, the worst building in the league, fishbowl situation with constant media scrutiny, undesirable market in a cold climate, bad GM, a general lack of true top end talent, mediocre fans, middling yet absentee ownership.

Frankly I’m amazed that people still cheer for the flames at all. Does no one remember 5 months ago when this forum wanted Tre fired and to rebuild? To start from scratch because Johnny doesn’t perform in the playoffs, because Monahan is washed up, Chucky was a cancer in the room with his tantrums? Or the outrage over players telling Chucky to calm down because he was the only guy with passion? Valimaki’s progress stalling, not getting Eichel, signing a bunch of grinder plugs in the off-season…I could go on.

We win a few games and now people are dreaming of a cup run. Feel free to quote this post when we lose in 5 games in the first round. Again.

[NewFan]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

We’re talking about one of the least successful franchises in pro sports in the last 30 years. We have a weak prospect pool, are close the to cap, the worst building in the league, fishbowl situation with constant media scrutiny, undesirable market in a cold climate, bad GM, a general lack of true top end talent, mediocre fans, middling yet absentee ownership.

Frankly I’m amazed that people still cheer for the flames at all. Does no one remember 5 months ago when this forum wanted Tre fired and to rebuild? To start from scratch because Johnny doesn’t perform in the playoffs, because Monahan is washed up, Chucky was a cancer in the room with his tantrums? Or the outrage over players telling Chucky to calm down because he was the only guy with passion? Valimaki’s progress stalling, not getting Eichel, signing a bunch of grinder plugs in the off-season…I could go on.

We win a few games and now people are dreaming of a cup run. Feel free to quote this post when we lose in 5 games in the first round. Again.

At this moment what choice we have? We can't trade Gaudreau to the highest bidder so his return will be low, and other players, we can trade them during offseason if we fail again.
For this season the team has a single choice, bring a couple useful players and try to win a couple rounds.