2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[Sandman]

I don't necessarily think of us as being "slow", but I don't think of us as "fast" either. I hope Huska does indeed concentrate on transition, as I think it helped us immensely 2 seasons ago with Sutter, but it wasn't the same last season for some reason.

[Sandman]

A few college players who were drafted by NHL teams that never recieved a contract offer hit the market on Tuesday, at 5:00 ET. These are players who have graduated after 4 years of University.

1) C Jay O'Brien, Philly- 19th overall in 2018
2) LW Robert Mastrosimone, Detroit- 54th overall in 2019
3) C Jake Wise, Chicago- 69th overall in 2018
4) C John Farinacci, Arizona- 76th overall in 2019
5) LW Demetrios Koumontzis, Calgary- 108th overall in 2018
6) RW Kevin Wall, Carolina- 181st overall in 2019
7) G Jared Moe, Winnipeg- 184th overall in 2018
8) D Ryan O'Connell, Toronto- 203rd overall in 2017

The first 4 are the ones to watch.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I don't necessarily think of us as being "slow", but I don't think of us as "fast" either. I hope Huska does indeed concentrate on transition, as I think it helped us immensely 2 seasons ago with Sutter, but it wasn't the same last season for some reason.

I agree we’re not a fast team, just much faster than last year.

The funny thing is that for the first seven games last year, the team looked fast! Then, something changed, very abruptly, and the team looked like it was playing in quick sand, without chemistry for the vast majority of the rest of the year. That’s the mystery.

I think something must’ve happened after the 3-2 loss to Edmonton, something more than the lines being shuffled, unless the team was truly that fragile. Because the team’s play changed very much after that game.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Talk on hfboards that eric engels/Chris Johnston are linking petry to Dallas/Detroit/Buffalo. Have to hope that doesn’t screw up the market more for hanifin. Different players I know, but if someone offers you an upgrade on what you have at a discount vs paying a premium for a better player (and costs less cap wise), that could set us back further.

So Engels was right on Detroit/Petry. That leaves Buffalo and I think that’s been talked about enough. But does anyone see any possibility with Dallas? They are already over the cap and we would have to retain half and take back money.

Only way I can see it is if we take back Hakanpaa and one of Lundqvist/Harley and Dallas sweetens the pot with Bourque or Stankoven and a first. Something that Dallas might not want to do. But something we would need.

Buffalo for sure is the easiest path but given that Dallas had interest in a dman, wonder if there is a possible fit.

[Flames1217]

Team speed can be heavily impacted by the system said team plays.

No player can skate faster than the puck, a team with good structure and quick passes beats any team filled with burners and a bad system.

Yes fast players help with team speed when break downs occur but for the most part team speed is dictating by how fast a team is passing vs just skating.

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

Team speed can be heavily impacted by the system said team plays.

No player can skate faster than the puck, a team with good structure and quick passes beats any team filled with burners and a bad system.

Yes fast players help with team speed when break downs occur but for the most part team speed is dictating by how fast a team is passing vs just skating.

Yup, look at those old Red Wings teams. Not super fast on paper but excellent puck movement made them very fast. Same with a player like Huberdeau, average skater but if he clicks with the guys he's playing with, his line will be very fast also.

Overall our team speed not factoring puck movement definitely increased. Sharangovich in for Toffoli. Coronato, Pelletier and Duehr all hopefully regulars next season, is a pretty good boost.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I care more about puck possession and quality shots. Sure it’s nice to have a barn burner, but that wouldn’t be my point of emphasis. Possession, quality shots and passes, and forechecking should be prioritized. Make it a ***** to play against.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by flamesgod

Yup, look at those old Red Wings teams. Not super fast on paper but excellent puck movement made them very fast. Same with a player like Huberdeau, average skater but if he clicks with the guys he's playing with, his line will be very fast also.

Overall our team speed not factoring puck movement definitely increased. Sharangovich in for Toffoli. Coronato, Pelletier and Duehr all hopefully regulars next season, is a pretty good boost.

Vegas also doesn’t have a lot of burners. Stone is downright slow but he seems to be in plays all the time.

[Bingo]

You have to be working really hard at not seeing something to not see the Flames, as a team, on paper, look quicker next season.

Then it comes down to talent.

Kylington in Stone out - up
Youth in for 4th line - up
Sharangovich in for Toffoli - down (as it stands)

Other trades likely coming.

What will the youth do?

But quicker is obvious.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

You have to be working really hard at not seeing something to not see the Flames, as a team, on paper, look quicker next season.

Then it comes down to talent.

Kylington in Stone out - up
Youth in for 4th line - up
Sharangovich in for Toffoli - down (as it stands)

Other trades likely coming.

What will the youth do?

But quicker is obvious.

Sharangovich in for Toffoli may be a downgrade in talent, but not in speed. And Toffoli is more typically a 40 point guy than a 73 point guy anyway.

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Sharangovich in for Toffoli may be a downgrade in talent, but not in speed. And Toffoli is more typically a 40 point guy than a 73 point guy anyway.

If Sharangovich clicks with Huberdeau, he'll see a big jump in production. Good speed and an excellent shot are two reasons to be optimistic about that possibility.

[Bingo]

I think the real discussion happens if you see Hanifin out for futures ... that's a downgrade in speed and talent.

Lindholm exodus even more so.

[Tkachukwagon]

Originally Posted by Sandman

A few college players who were drafted by NHL teams that never recieved a contract offer hit the market on Tuesday, at 5:00 ET. These are players who have graduated after 4 years of University. NHL teams can start bidding on them on Tuesday, August 22nd, if I'm understanding correctly:

1) C Jay O'Brien, Philly- 19th overall in 2018
2) LW Robert Mastrosimone, Detroit- 54th overall in 2019
3) C Jake Wise, Chicago- 69th overall in 2018
4) C John Farinacci, Arizona- 76th overall in 2019
5) LW Demetrios Koumontzis, Calgary- 108th overall in 2018
6) RW Kevin Wall, Carolina- 181st overall in 2019
7) G Jared Moe, Winnipeg- 184th overall in 2018
8) D Ryan O'Connell, Toronto- 203rd overall in 2017

The first 4 are the ones to watch.

Farinacci would be great. Played with Coronato, is a center and has had some decent success in the past few seasons:

Connections to a Flames top prospect

One of the main things about Farinacci that should draw the Flames towards him is his connection their top prospect, Matt Coronato. Coronato and Farinacci apparently played for the New Jersey Colonials together when they were kids. One thing for certain is that the two have been teammates with Harvard for the past two seasons and have won trophies together. Their time with each other has made them best friends and that could easily make the Flames and Farinacci have mutual interest in one another.

Final thoughts

John Farinacci is likely the best college player that’s about to hit the open market which will garner him a tonne of interest throughout the NHL. His shot and goal scoring ability paired in with his two-way ability makes him have potential to be a solid player at the top level one day. For the Flames, Farinacci could boost a centre prospect pool that isn’t the strongest after Connor Zary and there also isn’t anything wrong with pleasing one of your best prospects by signing his best friend.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Sharangovich in for Toffoli may be a downgrade in talent, but not in speed. And Toffoli is more typically a 40 point guy than a 73 point guy anyway.

Toffoli had a career year but he is more than a 40 point guy. Has not been at that pace for several years now.

Sharagovich has big shoes to fill, don’t need to set people up for disappointment

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I actually really want Lindholm to take that top line RW spot.
Huberdeau - Dube - Lindholm is a line I want to see. It's important to figure out what Dube is and if he can play in our top 6 as a center, before re-signing him.

Huberdeau - Kadri - Lindholm could also be a good option loading up the top line, especially when we're trailing in a game. I really wish Sutter tried it last season.

Coronato/Sharangovich would be good options for the 2nd and 3rd lines to start. In fact, I think that Coronato might start the year in the A, and be the first call up along with Zary.

I just don’t get lineups like this. Lindholm is a center. It’s rare to find ones that are as good at it as he is. Sorry but he isn’t playing wing nor should he.

As for Dube…don’t we kind of know what we have there? Middle six at best who can play center in a pinch?

[Toonage]

Yeah, the Flames aren't going to go through all of this with Lindholm and sign him to a giant 8 year deal just to throw him back on RW.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Farinacci would be great. Played with Coronato, is a center and has had some decent success in the past few seasons:

Hope he likes western culture and country music. Tough to get American kids to sign up north. Maybe the Coronato connection counts for something.

[TheIronMaiden]

So whats the deal with Farinacci, AZ did want to sign him?

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

So whats the deal with Farinacci, AZ did want to sign him?

Maybe he was tired of playing in a college areana...

[Calgary4LIfe]

I am really good with the team speed. Size and grit? That worries me, and I bet that this year (at this point in time anyway) that players like Nurse and Kane are suddenly going to be a lot more noticeable and annoying now.


While making lineups, I have a hard time trying to figure out what the line combinations are really going to be. There is actually a fair bit of competition for spots even on the 4th line. I am not sure any of the lines I made up will be intact.


Huberdeau - Lindholm - Sharangovich
Dube - Kadri - Coronato
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Pelletier - Ruzicka - Duehr


I don't want Pelletier on the 4th line. Don't want Coronato on the 4th line. Sharangovich? It is easy to move down Coleman to the 4th line, but Coleman is a very effective 2-way player and that's a fantastic head-to-head checking/secondary scoring line (near the top of the league actually, so do you want to break it up?).



Whatever the lines end up becoming, i don't see a single slow skater. Huberdeau is the slowest? Lindholm? Neither of them are players I can classify as slow.


Hopefully Huska's changes include tweaks to the transition. I do think that this team could end up being a lightning-quick team on the transition, especially with having every single defencemen on the roster currently having a great first-pass, including Zadorov.



The way that the Flames played under Gulutzan was my biggest gripe about that team as I felt that they ended up playing unnecessarily slow. Hartley's teams were lightning fast on the transition, and then Peter's first season had a team that was also lightning fast on the transition. Darryl's team was fairly quick on the transition, but the way in which they generated scoring opportunities didn't look effective enough, especially when star players/snipers weren't on the ice.



I can't wait to see the tweaks that Huska makes. I think massive changes probably aren't needed as Sutter's system is very effective for the most part. I like the zone coverage over the man-to-man, but I expect more than a few mistakes as the team readjusts to that again. i think it will make this team more reliable and consistent defensively. Under Sutter, it sure seemed like it was almost clinical in completely nullifying the opposition for many minutes at a time, and then a breakaway was allowed, or a 2-1 or 3-2 (or 3-1 or 2-0!!). Hopefully Flames can do a better job at stopping those, though I do expect a period of readjustment.


At any rate, Flames don't have any below average skaters, they have defencemen who are good on the transition, and I do think that they should have the ability to play a very fast game. I am really interested to see what happens here.