[Rumour] Backlund leaning towards not re-signing with Flames

[curves2000]

I know a lot of fan's are rejoicing at this as a possible great opportunity to do a rebuild but I think this is just bad news all around.

Spin it anyway we want, but this is just overall bad news. This is an awful lot of pro hockey players and even a GM who want nothing to do with this organization when given the choice. We've fired people (Sutter) and brought in new coaching and management and now this is happening again to the second regime in Conroy and company?

If this was the dating life, someone who just can't keep a man or a women is a problem. In business, if people don't want to buy your product or visit your establishment, this isn't some great scenario. You wouldn't hear someone say "A lot of my top customers at my restaurant don't want to pay and eat here so what a great chance to try new menu ideas"

We've made fun of Edmonton and Winnipeg etc for players not wanting to sign there for a lot of reasons but this is different, this is current, committed players wanting to get out of here and get out quick. Athlete's are not usually wired to quit or leave their teammates hanging like this. This isn't some young kid who felt he wasn't getting playing time, these are established players and only ones that we know of. Imagine what we don't know??

[Goriders]

He seemed to be pretty clear in his garbage day interview.

They can’t afford everyone. Might as well try to keep Lindholm as he’s younger and get as much as you can for Hanifin.

Fill in with young guys. Think we’d still be ok on D if they resign Stecher and Kylington can still play.

Backlund would be hard to replace but Lindholm Kadri 1 2 is not bad.

Figuring out the goaltending mess is the big one in my mind.

[Beninho]

Flames never voluntarily go into a rebuild. They have to be waterboarded into one and even then they go into it kicking and screaming looking for every way to rush it and not do it properly. Hopefully this changes.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

I hope the Flames kick the crap out of whichever clubs these guys go to in the standings.

Hopefully the group has a massive chip on its shoulder.

Out: Lindholm, Hanifin
In: Barkov, Forsling

Out: Backlund
In: Negotiating rights for Kerfoot and Bunting

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I know a lot of fan's are rejoicing at this as a possible great opportunity to do a rebuild but I think this is just bad news all around.

Spin it anyway we want, but this is just overall bad news. This is an awful lot of pro hockey players and even a GM who want nothing to do with this organization when given the choice. We've fired people (Sutter) and brought in new coaching and management and now this is happening again to the second regime in Conroy and company?

If this was the dating life, someone who just can't keep a man or a women is a problem. In business, if people don't want to buy your product or visit your establishment, this isn't some great scenario. You wouldn't hear someone say "A lot of my top customers at my restaurant don't want to pay and eat here so what a great chance to try new menu ideas"

We've made fun of Edmonton and Winnipeg etc for players not wanting to sign there for a lot of reasons but this is different, this is current, committed players wanting to get out of here and get out quick. Athlete's are not usually wired to quit or leave their teammates hanging like this. This isn't some young kid who felt he wasn't getting playing time, these are established players and only ones that we know of. Imagine what we don't know??

This is all stemming from the same fallout of that GM who walked away though. He failed on coaching hires and the owners stepped in and then he got cute with extending Gaudreau and got burned which led to Tkachuk leaving and is now leading to the other players walking.

[Poe969]

Trade Lindholm too. I could see him on Detroit, Boston, or Washington. It's just that Boston does t have many assets at all. Washington and Detroit could make it worth while though.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Bonded

This is all stemming from the same fallout of that GM who walked away though. He failed on coaching hires and the owners stepped in and then he got cute with extending Gaudreau and got burned which led to Tkachuk leaving and is now leading to the other players walking.

Treliving had a hand in this for sure. But this is more of a sum of its parts state of affairs than it is any one, single action. Decades of poor management and misdirection has turned this franchise into a complete disaster. It has gotten to the point now where it is just downright embarrassing how many players, staff and coaches are walking or rumored to be wanting out.

I don't know what you hang your hat on now as a fan, but maybe it is that you have to hit rock bottom and recognize that you have a problem before you can truly get better? I'm not sure there's any lower the Flames can sink aside from physically finishing last.....that would really be an improvement over finishing in no mans land though.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I know a lot of fan's are rejoicing at this as a possible great opportunity to do a rebuild but I think this is just bad news all around.

Spin it anyway we want, but this is just overall bad news. This is an awful lot of pro hockey players and even a GM who want nothing to do with this organization when given the choice. We've fired people (Sutter) and brought in new coaching and management and now this is happening again to the second regime in Conroy and company?

If this was the dating life, someone who just can't keep a man or a women is a problem. In business, if people don't want to buy your product or visit your establishment, this isn't some great scenario. You wouldn't hear someone say "A lot of my top customers at my restaurant don't want to pay and eat here so what a great chance to try new menu ideas"

We've made fun of Edmonton and Winnipeg etc for players not wanting to sign there for a lot of reasons but this is different, this is current, committed players wanting to get out of here and get out quick. Athlete's are not usually wired to quit or leave their teammates hanging like this. This isn't some young kid who felt he wasn't getting playing time, these are established players and only ones that we know of. Imagine what we don't know??

This is where I'm at with this as well. I think celebrating this as a means of "forcing" a rebuild is lunacy and just reeks of people trying to make the best of a crappy situation (understandable). As if you want to really fall backwards in to a rebuild anyways. Some organizations wallow in misery for ages after what were more premeditated attempts at rebuilding their teams, let alone this "rats fleeing the sinking ship" vibe we're going for in Calgary right now.

Any way you shake it, having this many important pieces want to skip town is lame, and I was hoping that the removal of Sutter and anointing of Conroy would at least move the needle enough for some of these guys that they may wish to stay. The fact that this seems not to be the case is the first blow to my childish hope that Craig Lasso would cover immediate ground in changing hearts and minds within the organization.

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I know a lot of fan's are rejoicing at this as a possible great opportunity to do a rebuild but I think this is just bad news all around.

Spin it anyway we want, but this is just overall bad news. This is an awful lot of pro hockey players and even a GM who want nothing to do with this organization when given the choice. We've fired people (Sutter) and brought in new coaching and management and now this is happening again to the second regime in Conroy and company?

If this was the dating life, someone who just can't keep a man or a women is a problem. In business, if people don't want to buy your product or visit your establishment, this isn't some great scenario. You wouldn't hear someone say "A lot of my top customers at my restaurant don't want to pay and eat here so what a great chance to try new menu ideas"

We've made fun of Edmonton and Winnipeg etc for players not wanting to sign there for a lot of reasons but this is different, this is current, committed players wanting to get out of here and get out quick. Athlete's are not usually wired to quit or leave their teammates hanging like this. This isn't some young kid who felt he wasn't getting playing time, these are established players and only ones that we know of. Imagine what we don't know??

I don’t necessarily disagree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I do think this could be a case of guys seeing the direction of the team and realizing they have no chance to win here any time soon.

While there is certainly a problem with the upper levels of the organization, I think at the end of the day winning cures all. Guys like Lindholm and especially Backlund probably aren’t keen on enduring a 4-5 year rebuild right now. I think the direction of the team is the bigger factor here.

Frankly I don’t blame anyone who looks at this team and doesn’t find it attractive. There is very little hope for any short-term success and veteran players don’t typically want to be a part of a potentially long rebuild.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by memphusk

I'm excited just for change. These guys can't get it done. I would rather watch a new crew try to figure it out with a new coach than watch this ####show again.

Young Guns baby!

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Number 4. This team isn't nearly as terrible as some people think, and not as bad as they looked last year. With their defense and a bounce back at all by Markstrom they'll contend for a playoff spot all season. And they still have some decent forwards. They're not tanking, not sure they could if they tried.

You also can't trade those guys and get nothing back to put on your roster. They'll need some warm bodies either way. But yes, I would love to see some futures involved to stock up the prospect cupboard.

I appreciate the response, and the more I look at it I think you're right. Even if Conroy got the green light from Ownership to trade all these assets for picks it's probably not the best course of action.

I'd love to see some players like Lafreniere, Kakko, Krebs, etc. targeted in the return for our guys going out the door, in combination with picks. Even one extra 1st rounder would be a huge boost to the prospect cupboards no matter where the pick is.

It'll be fascinating to watch how the Flames handle the draft, my only hope is that other GM's see the value of our UFA's on their current contracts and it starts a bidding war. Having these guys signed past the draft and into the season will only serve as another distraction, and we'll get sick of hearing the players getting asked about it by the time training camp starts. Please do your work next week Conroy.

[sa226]

You gotta trade all 3, plus Toffoli, and call that your rebuild/retool.

I know we all like to crap on the team these days, but given the roster, even without those 4 and a presumably better Markstrom, they're not going to be bad enough to get into the top of the draft. They've got some young guys knocking on the door, and I bet we see some reclamation project UFAs come in, but not at the expense of a deserving rookie.

Keep Zadorov and Tanev. At the deadline, decide where you are and either keep them or trade them. You run the risk of losing them, but it seems that quality middle 3 dmen are quite the commodity at the deadline. Especially at those salaries.


Maybe next summer, we're looking at a couple players picked next week ready to crack the lineup already. Bing bang boom, retool complete.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Treliving had a hand in this for sure. But this is more of a sum of its parts state of affairs than it is any one, single action. Decades of poor management and misdirection has turned this franchise into a complete disaster. It has gotten to the point now where it is just downright embarrassing how many players, staff and coaches are walking or rumored to be wanting out.

I don't know what you hang your hat on now as a fan, but maybe it is that you have to hit rock bottom and recognize that you have a problem before you can truly get better? I'm not sure there's any lower the Flames can sink aside from physically finishing last.....that would really be an improvement over finishing in no mans land though.

They signed Huberdeau and Weegar in the middle of this though. If the Flames were a true laughing stock/complete disaster blah blah blah that wouldn't have happened. The team didn't jive and the goalies stank and now it looks a pretty hard re-tool at best. Treliving was bad with coaches and UFAs and the fallout from that is still being felt. Tre overpaid other UFAs but wouldn't do it with Gaudreau for whatever reason and then the wheels fell off.

[Mr.Coffee]

I also would be trying to trade Kadri and considering some salary retention to do so if necessary.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Trades are neat. I'm excited!

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I know a lot of fan's are rejoicing at this as a possible great opportunity to do a rebuild but I think this is just bad news all around.

Spin it anyway we want, but this is just overall bad news. This is an awful lot of pro hockey players and even a GM who want nothing to do with this organization when given the choice. We've fired people (Sutter) and brought in new coaching and management and now this is happening again to the second regime in Conroy and company?

If this was the dating life, someone who just can't keep a man or a women is a problem. In business, if people don't want to buy your product or visit your establishment, this isn't some great scenario. You wouldn't hear someone say "A lot of my top customers at my restaurant don't want to pay and eat here so what a great chance to try new menu ideas"

We've made fun of Edmonton and Winnipeg etc for players not wanting to sign there for a lot of reasons but this is different, this is current, committed players wanting to get out of here and get out quick. Athlete's are not usually wired to quit or leave their teammates hanging like this. This isn't some young kid who felt he wasn't getting playing time, these are established players and only ones that we know of. Imagine what we don't know??

It starts at the top. This is the equivalent of a mass exodus of employees at a company thanks to a rotten leader. You don’t create an environment where it’s pleasant for people to work, their loyalty will be minimal.

[Matata]

The NBA has already become a players league where a star player has a lot of control over where and when they play. It seems to work out for both the players and the league, star players want to play in big markets and big markets have the most profits. There really is no downside except for fans of the team that drafted them.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

I also would be trying to trade Kadri and considering some salary retention to do so if necessary.

No way they retain on a contract for 6 years.

[Beninho]

Conroy thrown right into the fire pit, looking forward to see what he’s made of. This will be a good test

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Beninho

Conroy thrown right into the fire pit, looking forward to see what he’s made of. This will be a good test

I sure hope he trades the big 3 by the draft. I also hope guys like tanev and then even markstrom want out.