[Signing] Flames sign Erik Gudbranson (1 yr, $1.95 mil)

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Gudbranson is a guy that may more fully appreciate the importance of fit and being somewhere where he is trusted and excelling.
He's bounced around a ton. He's made a fair amount of money. Fit may outweigh some of the more traditional deciding factors.

This is what I am hoping

Because the only way he is back next year is if he takes a discount deal

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is what I am hoping

Because the only way he is back next year is if he takes a discount deal

Think so? I think he's worth the 2 million hes getting now. I would rather they kept those 2 giants and did something with Hanifin.

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

probably more like 2 X $3.5M (or more likely, 3 or 4 years)

That would be so bad, but I could see it. I like him as a 6/7 but this is the first time he's been decent. He's living off of draft pedigree and handedness pretty much.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Re-reading some of the posts in this thread is absolutely cringe inducing.

Gudbranson has certainly made many people (myself included) eat crow this season, but I don't think any of the takes were really that unfair.

I think it has more to do with the fact that Sutter can turn 99% of players of any quality, and especially defensemen, into the absolute best version of themselves.

I think Gudbranson with any other head coach would justify all those takes from when he was signed, which is why I fully agree with Jiri's take that Gudbranson might appreciate the importance of fit and being somewhere where he is trusted and excelling, and end up taking a team-friendly deal so he can stop bouncing around

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Gudbranson is a guy that may more fully appreciate the importance of fit and being somewhere where he is trusted and excelling.
He's bounced around a ton. He's made a fair amount of money. Fit may outweigh some of the more traditional deciding factors.

I agree with this. When you're 30 and on your 7th team, since 2016 having a stable situation might be more valuable than a few dollars.

We don't know if he had other offers or for how much elsewhere. But he signed pretty late in the season so it does seem that interest was a bit lower. I don't think he's going to make less than what he made this year. But I also don't think teams are going to be fooled by him having a good season and thinking he's worth twice his current salary for multiple years. Next year will be a squeeze, but the Flames will likely be spending less on defense than nearly every other team. So I think they'll be able to offer a decent salary to keep a veteran like him around who has come in and done everything asked of him.

[camm13]

If he can be signed for say 2M x 2-3 years thats maybe worth it. He's said in interviews before that all the moving hes taken a toll. And now that he has a young family, and found a fit here, I can see him maybe striking a decent long term deal here. I don't know where else he would see the minutes that he's getting here, Sutter has the 3rd pairing playing what, an average of 16-18 mins a night? sometimes even more if there are plenty of PKs.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by memphusk

Think so? I think he's worth the 2 million hes getting now. I would rather they kept those 2 giants and did something with Hanifin.

I think k based on this season, though $2.0 m is probably a discount. Someone is going to offer him a multi-year deal @ over $2.5 m.

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[SOMBRI]

What a bump! We deserve to have our own Gaskal report on this thread.

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[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

https://twitter.com/user/status/1436392548273098774

Is there a recently updated JFresh card for Gudbranson? I am interested to see the change, because he sure as hell looks like he has been better than replacement-level this year.

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[Goriders]

Gudbranson has been solid. All the Flames d-men have been solid.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Is there a recently updated JFresh card for Gudbranson? I am interested to see the change, because he sure as hell looks like he has been better than replacement-level this year.

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Gudbranson:
xGF%: 53.70
HDCF%: 53.28
MDCF%: 56.90
LDCF%: 58.14

He is having one heck of a year (Zadorov’s numbers are equally impressive).

They are being sheltered from a zone start % though with the vast majority of their starts coming in the offensive or neutral zone, but there’s no denying that Gudbranson+Zadorov+Sutter is a wonderful combination.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Is there a recently updated JFresh card for Gudbranson? I am interested to see the change, because he sure as hell looks like he has been better than replacement-level this year.

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This is his most current card from JFresh. This is a 3 year weighted average.

It should be noted that JFreush considers players around the 20th percentile to be replacement level.

The 3 year average has not been kind to Gudbranson, and obviously he's been above replacement level for a 3rd pairing D this season.

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[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

This is his most current card from JFresh. This is a 3 year weighted average.

It should be noted that JFreush considers players around the 20th percentile to be replacement level.

The 3 year average has not been kind to Gudbranson, and obviously he's been above replacement level for a 3rd pairing D this season.

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Ironic that in these models at least, it's the offense that is his saving grace

[Hockey-and_stuff]

From what I've read there just aren't a lot of defensive metrics to work with which can really impact the defensive side.

Gudbranson was on some terrible PKs the last two seasons as well so his PK work this year isn't getting the love it deserves.

He's also taken a ton of penalties this year which hurts him a lot under this model I believe.

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[dustygoon]

The about face in his metrics are amazing....team/coach helps, but he talked about the wake up call he faced last summer and now look.

[Toonage]

If this were the Gudbranson that the Flames signed last fall then my reaction, as well as others, would likely be markedly different.

He wasn't though, and the player we signed had a history that left you wanting.

I'm thrilled he's had such a turnaround year. I'm glad my initial concerns have been put to rest emphatically.

But I'm not going to mock anyone for being upset last fall. Going by what we all knew, I think the initial disappointment was warranted.

[Sandman]

I think that if he’s smart, he’ll try his best to get a deal with us, in order to stay under Sutter. IMO, wake up call or not, if he goes elsewhere he’ll return to being a below-replacement level player. DS is an absolute master at player usage, particularly when it comes to D.

PS: I like EG, and I was one of the few that was ok with the signing.

[cral12]

Any Gud?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1500525819243814922

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

He waived for the expansion draft. Because he gets it.

Because there was zero chance he'd get claimed LOL.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Because there was zero chance he'd get claimed LOL.

Even if he was claimed by some freak decision by the Kraken, it's close to his home and he would be a local hero. It really was no-lose for him.

It kind of helps a lot that the guys with big tickets who don't play to their salary are good guys. The room would be terrible if they were dbs.