Making the playoffs or keeping our top-10 first round pick 2025?

[Strange Brew]

I don't lose much sleep over NTC's. Players with these still get dealt all the time, it just gives them a little control. Even without an NTC, guys on expiring contracts can exert a lot of influence on their destination by expressing their willingness (or lack thereof) to sign somewhere.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by kehatch

No. I want them to prioritize futures when making moves instead of trying to balance it with a win now approach. I would also like then to be more aggressive with trading veterans rather then waiting until we have no choice.

Word salad is not an answer to my question.

This is not a bottom-5 team with Wolf in goal. In fact, it's probably impossible to put together a bottom-5 team that meets the salary floor if you have Wolf in goal. How do you propose to fix that?

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Word salad is not an answer to my question.

This is not a bottom-5 team with Wolf in goal. In fact, it's probably impossible to put together a bottom-5 team that meets the salary floor if you have Wolf in goal. How do you propose to fix that?

Trade Wolf I think is the tear it down and rebuild solution for this problem.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Trade Wolf I think is the tear it down and rebuild solution for this problem.

‘We need to draft top-5 so we can get a franchise player!’
‘Wolf is a franchise player.’
‘Yeah, but he doesn't count because we didn't draft him top-5!’

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

‘We need to draft top-5 so we can get a franchise player!’
‘Wolf is a franchise player.’
‘Yeah, but he doesn't count because we didn't draft him top-5!’

Yes, that is correct.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Word salad is not an answer to my question.

This is not a bottom-5 team with Wolf in goal. In fact, it's probably impossible to put together a bottom-5 team that meets the salary floor if you have Wolf in goal. How do you propose to fix that?

I'm not convinced of this. Wolf is good but its been one season that's not even over yet.

The preds are in 30th. Saros has been widely considered one of the top goalies in the league for a few seasons prior to this.

Dostal is a greay young goalie with a .908 and the ducks are 27th.

Daccord has a .916 this season (and last season). Kraken are sitting 28th.

Blackwood was playing great for the sharks and now they avs. Sharks are last.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

‘We need to draft top-5 so we can get a franchise player!’
‘Wolf is a franchise player.’
‘Yeah, but he doesn't count because we didn't draft him top-5!’

I don't see people saying that.
I see people saying you typically need multiple high end players to be a serious competitor.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by traptor

I don't see people saying that.
I see people saying you typically need multiple high end players to be a serious competitor.

I have seen people saying that you CANNOT win the Stanley Cup unless you pick top-3. They have said this over and over and over again.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I have seen people saying that you CANNOT win the Stanley Cup unless you pick top-3. They have said this over and over and over again.

That is clearly wrong.

You generally can’t be a contender without elite players.

The best way to obtain elite players is with very high draft picks.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

That is clearly wrong.

You generally can’t be a contender without elite players.

The best way to obtain elite players is with very high draft picks.

And it usually helps if you have players being underpaid for what they do on the ice. Often this comes from top draft picks on entry level deals.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Depends how much cap savings it is.

Is it saving you $250k a season? then no I wouldn't. I'd rather pay a bit more in cap than I would limit my future flexibility to move the player.

Now if it's like a $750k per season discount over the course of the 8 years or something then sure maybe, but really all depends how much I'm saving.

Ivan Provorov signed his deal 2 months earlier on a 6 year, $4.725M deal, he was a top 10 pick who was the same age as Andersson, already had a 41 point season, and he didn't get any trade protection.

Which came in pretty handy when the Flyers moved him to Columbus for a 1st, 2nd, and Sean Walker. If he had even a 6 team NTC on that list it's likely Columbus was possibly on it.

Yeah, that Provorov contract was a deal at the time for sure, but I was pretty happy with locking up Andersson for six years at that price then as well (nit picking, but Provorov could have still been traded, as Andersson only got protection in the last two years of his contract).

It's really not something that teams have to give out to young players, but it also reinforces to your core young players that a team is serious about building around them... which is why Zary, Coronato and Wolf will probably all get some sort of protection if they sign five year + deals.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Word salad is not an answer to my question.

This is not a bottom-5 team with Wolf in goal. In fact, it's probably impossible to put together a bottom-5 team that meets the salary floor if you have Wolf in goal. How do you propose to fix that?

Not sure why you are being confrontational. I did answer your question. I want them to put a bigger priority on the future. They are currently targeting mid 20s when they should be targeting picks and prospects. They are also trying too hard to keep UFAs in my opinion. Having Wolf doesn't prevent them from doing that.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by kehatch

Not sure why you are being confrontational. I did answer your question. I want them to put a bigger priority on the future. They are currently targeting mid 20s when they should be targeting picks and prospects. They are also trying too hard to keep UFAs in my opinion. Having Wolf doesn't prevent them from doing that.

No, you did not answer my question, which was how they can finish bottom-5 this season without getting rid of Wolf.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

No, you did not answer my question, which was how they can finish bottom-5 this season without getting rid of Wolf.

Others did giving multiple example of bottom teams with star goalies. But that aside, focusing in futures doesn't require them to get a bottom 5 pick.

[Sandman]

Wolf is a big reason why we're in the position we're in, but c'mon- he's not the only reason. We have a good collection of vets, a resilient group in the locker room, a hard-working team, and a pretty good coaching staff who seem to have us well prepared most games. A goalie can steal games, but even Wolf couldn't take a bottom-feeder to the playoffs.

Gotta give credit where credit is due....

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Wolf is a big reason why we're in the position we're in, but c'mon- he's not the only reason. We have a good collection of vets, a resilient group in the locker room, a hard-working team, and a pretty good coaching staff who seem to have us well prepared most games. A goalie can steal games, but even Wolf couldn't take a bottom-feeder to the playoffs.

Gotta give credit where credit is due....

No kidding, Wolf has been amazing for a rookie but he isn't even top 5 in the league let alone historic like some are saying. Most of the Flames wins are earned short of a couple steals like the game against the Jets.

[White Out 403]

tanking is stupid and rightfully mocked.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Wolf is a big reason why we're in the position we're in, but c'mon- he's not the only reason. We have a good collection of vets, a resilient group in the locker room, a hard-working team, and a pretty good coaching staff who seem to have us well prepared most games. A goalie can steal games, but even Wolf couldn't take a bottom-feeder to the playoffs.

Gotta give credit where credit is due....

Wolf couldn't take a bottom-feeder to the playoffs, but he could probably take a bottom-feeder out of the bottom 5.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Wolf couldn't take a bottom-feeder to the playoffs, but he could probably take a bottom-feeder out of the bottom 5.

Agreed.

[Sandman]

On a side note:

Jesper Wallstedt is 5-9-2 with the Iowa Wild, 3.88 GAA, and a .871 SV%. With the big club, he is 0-2, with a 4.09 GAA, and an .843 SV%.

Askarov is 9-4-1 with the San Jose Barracuda, with a 2.00 GAA, and a .938 SV%. With the Sharks, he is 4-6-2, with a 3.10 GAA, and an .896 SV%.

Cossa is 14-8-3 with the Grand Rapids Griffins, with a 2.20 GAA, and a .920 SV%. With the Wings, he is 1-0, with a 2.67 GAA, and an .857 SV%.

Devon Levi is 14-4-2 with Rochester, on a 2.33 GAA, and a .913 SV%. With the Sabres, he is 2-7-0, with a 4.12 GAA, and an .872 SV%.

Wolf is headlining the Calder race, going 19-11-2 with a 2.63 GAA, and a .913 SV%.