The 2025 Offseason thread.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Really fun season, but team overachieved. I'd stay the course. Graduate 1-2 defensemen. Graduate 1 forward. Trade Andersson at deadline for a first round pick.

If team underperforms next year, they have a shot a a good pick.

Hold on to draft picks. Don't sign ufas.

I agree except they need to trade Andersson in the off season. He should be either signed to an extension (not what I want) or traded before the season starts. If this team wants to keep the good vibes going forward, then entering the year with him without an extension just leads to more of the Lindholm / Hanafin stuff.

[Jay Random]

Everything I've read leads me to believe that Conroy has an asking price for Andersson and nobody came close to meeting it this year. If he has been playing on a broken foot, he may need to show he's healthy this fall before anybody meets that price.

[stemit14]

Conroy has shown that he is patient when it comes to trades. His value might be lowered after his struggles this season so teams might not be offering enough for Conroy to make the year this summer. Conroy might end up keeping Andersson to start the season hoping his game will bounce back and other teams will step up and pay the price Conroy wants. I think we’ve seen this with several vets that he eventually trades.

I do hope some team is willing to pay a decent return (1st round pick in 2026 + B-prospect + 3rd round pick in 2026) for him in the offseason because I want to make space for some of the other young right shot defencemen. This is assuming Andersson’s contract demands are too much for a reasonable deal.

[Fire]

Trade
Rasmus Andersson
Blake Coleman
Daniil Miromanov

Don't Re-sign
Kevin Rooney (UFA)
Anthony Mantha (UFA)

Re-sign or Extend
Dustin Wolf - 8 year extension $7.5 million/yr
Matt Coronato - 8 year extension $6.75 million/yr
Connor Zary - 1 year deal $2 million. Need to figure out what he is.
Morgan Frost - 5 year deal $4.5 million.
Adam Klapka - 2 year deal $1.2 million/yr
Sam Morton - 1 year deal $900k
Justin Kirkland - 1 year deal $850k
Kevin Bahl - 6 year deal $4 million/yr

No big UFA signings

Next year lineup

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Klapka
Lomberg-Kirkland-Pospisil

Weegar - (UFA Signing)
Bahl - Parekh
Bean - Pachal
Solovyov

Wolf
Vladar(or UFA signing)

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I get being upset and not getting a high pick but the Flames did nothing this season besides keeping Andersson that helped keep them out of the bottom ten. So far Conroy has been about age appropriate signings at reasonable contracts. If he sticks to that then there won’t be much to complain about

Certain people will always find something.

Hates the current team. Check.
Hates the direction of the team. Check.
Hates the ownership/management. Check.
Hates the team even when fighting to game 81. Check.
Hates the last 30 years of the team. Check.

At what point can you stop calling someone a fan? Never, because they say they are? Why would anyone continue to follow a team they even said they don't cheer for (avoiding 80% of games) instead of just following a team that actually provides them enjoyment, which the Flames clearly do not. There's 31 others to choose from.

[stemit14]

Good offseason scenario:

-Oilers lose in first round of playoffs.
-Flames use the picks they have to select some centers with potential high ceilings. Hopefully one of those drop to their New Jersey pick.
-Flames trade Anderson in the summer (after the draft) for a lottery-protected 1st round pick + B-level prospect + 3rd round pick.
-Flames sign Wolf to an eight year deal for $8.5 million AAV.
-Flames sign Coronato to an eight year deal for $7.6 million AAV.
-Flames sign Zary to an eight year deal for $6.2 million AAV.
-Flames let Bean and Miromanov walk. Replace them with young players in the system.
-Flames sign Hanley to a 1 year deal at $1.8 million AAV.
-Flames sign Vladar to a 2 year deal at $3 million AAV.

Dream offseason scenario:
-Everything above except the flames win the draft lottery.
-Frondell somehow drops to them at 6th/7th overall.
-McQueen has question marks coming out of the combine and he drops all the way down to the New Jersey pick.
-Florida wins another Stanley cup or at least makes it to the cup final so Montreal gets pick number 31 or 32.
-McDavid announced he is going to walk to free agency.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

My hesitation is the consistent impact him and Backlund have on their line-mates including young players.

I would rather move Pospisil as I think other teams over-value guys like him. Take advantage of that.

I 100% agree on Backlund and Coleman. What they bring on and off the ice is irreplaceable within the organization. If the Flames want to tank, get rid of those two, and I bet this team implodes hard. They make everyone's job easier by taking the tough assignments without complaint, and they help to hold everyone accountable.


I do differ with your opinion on Pospisil. I actually think he is a large part of the culture here. Weegar was talking about him and how he really hated Pospisil in their first practice together. Pospisil practices like he plays - hard. Once Weegar understood this, he loved Pospisil. I think you need this in a team - guys that practice hard and keep that hard-working culture going. I remember the Oilers under.. "chop wood, carry water" guy (drawing a blank right now) - they didn't practice hard and at game pace. The Flames under Hartley did. One team dramatically overachieved, and the other bombed out. I particularly loved an interview with RNH after an Oilers' loss in which he stated: "You can't come back in this league if you are down by two goals."... meanwhile the Flames had a 3 goal comeback to win it in OT that same night. Pospisil was also really good for Honzek in their off-season training, and I think his work ethic is infectious. I also believe that he will be a bit of a playoff monster as players of his ilk often are (unproven until then). While true that sometimes do in fact overvalue players like these, I also think that they are sometimes undervalued as well when they aren't putting the puck in the net. He continually shows a lot of vision and poise with the puck, which is not something you often see with gritty types.



I really believe that Pospisil and Klapka would have been really good playoff performers on this team had they made it.



That's the funny thing about the Flames - full of strong performers full of character, but just missing that top-end talent. Something has to give this off-season. Room will have to be made. I have a difficult time pointing at any of the forwards and saying that he has to go. Literally nobody I really want to see leave, or even that I think should be the one or two to leave. Conroy really has his hands full this off-season.

[Jay Random]

Out of thanks, Calgary4Life, so… thanks!

The value of practising at game speed and (as far as possible) game intensity is hard to overstate. Likewise the value of players who bring everything to practice as well as games.

I think I learned this lesson when Dave King started coaching the Flames. They just came out of a terrible season under Risebrough, punctuated by the awful Gilmour trade that gutted the team. King had to rebuild them, and had less talent to work with.

At first the players didn't seem to be getting his message. They particularly hated to block shots. One day Kevin Dahl, who was a tweener at best, blocked a shot in practice. King rewarded him by putting him in the lineup for 61 games that season… and soon the whole team was blocking shots. If you wanted to keep your job on that team, you had to follow the coach's instructions as much as Dahl did. That buy-in helped the team maintain a winning record, despite bleeding talent every year, until King was inexplicably fired in '95. Then they went straight into the crapper until Darryl Sutter fished them out.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Fire

Trade
Rasmus Andersson
Blake Coleman
Daniil Miromanov

Don't Re-sign
Kevin Rooney (UFA)
Anthony Mantha (UFA)

Re-sign or Extend
Dustin Wolf - 8 year extension $7.5 million/yr
Matt Coronato - 8 year extension $6.75 million/yr
Connor Zary - 1 year deal $2 million. Need to figure out what he is.
Morgan Frost - 5 year deal $4.5 million.
Adam Klapka - 2 year deal $1.2 million/yr
Sam Morton - 1 year deal $900k
Justin Kirkland - 1 year deal $850k
Kevin Bahl - 6 year deal $4 million/yr

No big UFA signings

Next year lineup

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Klapka
Lomberg-Kirkland-Pospisil

Weegar - (UFA Signing)
Bahl - Parekh
Bean - Pachal
Solovyov

Wolf
Vladar(or UFA signing)

Why in the world would you have Bean in the lineup?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Why in the world would you have Bean in the lineup?

He's a more proven commodity on the left side than ‘(UFA Signing)’ on the right side. If something better comes along, great. If not, Bean is a cromulent #6.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by dino7c

You answered your own question...people are pushing back against the usual suspects and their I told you so's

even though the team beat their expectations by five miles. Also, read the room...its less than 24 hours since a missed empty net and a goal with 20 seconds left ended their season.

Weird response to my post. If by read the room you mean flinging #### like you and Paulie Wingnut? No thanks.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

He's a more proven commodity on the left side than ‘(UFA Signing)’ on the right side. If something better comes along, great. If not, Bean is a cromulent #6.

They were looking at adding a LD at the deadline but couldn't find the right match. They will have a lot more time to find that fit in this offseason, I can't see any way Bean is in the starting lineup come October.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by VilleN

Weird response to my post. If by read the room you mean flinging #### like you and Paulie Wingnut? No thanks.

Well I meant he needs to read the room not you, I agree with your post.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Why in the world would you have Bean in the lineup?

They are trying to embrace the tank?!?

I think the plan was to tank this year and next as a part of the retool and so most of my armchair GM thoughts try to keep this in mind that we want to hit big in the 2025 & 2026 drafts. 2025 won't have the top end pick that we want but 2026 can still happen.

But for this to really happen, I think the Flames need to get a tiny bit worse and, probably more importantly, the Sharks, Blackhawks, Ducks all need to stop tanking and the Preds, Kraken, UHC, and Canucks all need to stop sucking (because I do not think the second batch of teams meant to tank). The West just had too many teams in the basement for there to be room for another.

I think the best way for the Flames to get worse is to
1) Trade Andersson but only for futures / prospects
2) Let our UFAs walk
3) Fill all of the spots from within the system
4) Stretch goal - Trade Coleman

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Klapka
Lomberg-Kerins-Pospisil
Stromgren

Bahl - Weegar
Solovyov - Pachal
Kuznetsov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Cooley

I think this roster gets the tank going more successfully. However, I doubt Conroy goes down this path. I think Vladar is going to get another contract, I doubt Coleman gets dealt, and I would guess that the Flames sign a LD in July to avoid that group that I just typed out. I also hope that in either scenario that the offer sheet goes out to Bourque.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Bourque*- Pospisil
Lomberg-Backlund-Coleman
Klapka

Bahl - Weegar
Provorov* - Pachal
Solovyov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Vladar

I think that roster would be a minor upgrade on this year's.

[Savvy27]

UFA

Sam Bennett - good fit for the Flames. Loved by fans, pre-existing chemistry with Huberdeau, adds snarl and clutch in playoffs.

Joel Hanley - proved he can be a regular

Release

Mantha
Rooney
Barrie
Kirkland

Trade

Bowen Byram - I'd start by offering a first and Mews or Brzustewicz.

Andersson - move for futures to help make up for Byram acquisition

Forwards

Huberdeau Bennett Coronato
Zary Kadri Klapka
Coleman Backlund Farabee
Sharangovich Frost Pospisil
Lomberg

No need for a typical 4th line. Their style is demanding and spreading out the ice time with four good lines can help sustain it.

Defence

Byram Weegar
Bahl Parekh
Hanley Pachal
???

I like this group better. Flames will be moving the puck better and Hanley will be slotted better this way. I expect big things from Bahl and Parekh. If Zayne falters then Byram can play the right side with Bahl and then Hanley Weegar are still available.

Goalies

Dustin Wolf
Dan Vladar

This plan improves their first forward line and defence pair. It also carries forward most of the group from this season, In case of injury to the forward group, Honzek, Suniev, and Kerins should be pushing for spots as well as Solovyov and Poirier.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Savvy27

UFA

Sam Bennett - good fit for the Flames. Loved by fans, pre-existing chemistry with Huberdeau, adds snarl and clutch in playoffs.

Joel Hanley - proved he can be a regular

Release

Mantha
Rooney
Barrie
Kirkland

Trade

Bowen Byram - I'd start by offering a first and Mews or Brzustewicz.

Andersson - move for futures to help make up for Byram acquisition

Forwards

Huberdeau Bennett Coronato
Zary Kadri Klapka
Coleman Backlund Farabee
Sharangovich Frost Pospisil
Lomberg

No need for a typical 4th line. Their style is demanding and spreading out the ice time with four good lines can help sustain it.

Defence

Byram Weegar
Bahl Parekh
Hanley Pachal
???

I like this group better. Flames will be moving the puck better and Hanley will be slotted better this way. I expect big things from Bahl and Parekh. If Zayne falters then Byram can play the right side with Bahl and then Hanley Weegar are still available.

Goalies

Dustin Wolf
Dan Vladar

This plan improves their first forward line and defence pair. It also carries forward most of the group from this season, In case of injury to the forward group, Honzek, Suniev, and Kerins should be pushing for spots as well as Solovyov and Poirier.

Not good enough to be wasting assets.

We messed up with Bennett, let's not make it worse by paying to get him back. Just move on, his next contract isn't going to be a good one.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Wolven

They are trying to embrace the tank?!?

I think the plan was to tank this year and next as a part of the retool and so most of my armchair GM thoughts try to keep this in mind that we want to hit big in the 2025 & 2026 drafts. 2025 won't have the top end pick that we want but 2026 can still happen.

But for this to really happen, I think the Flames need to get a tiny bit worse and, probably more importantly, the Sharks, Blackhawks, Ducks all need to stop tanking and the Preds, Kraken, UHC, and Canucks all need to stop sucking (because I do not think the second batch of teams meant to tank). The West just had too many teams in the basement for there to be room for another.

I think the best way for the Flames to get worse is to
1) Trade Andersson but only for futures / prospects
2) Let our UFAs walk
3) Fill all of the spots from within the system
4) Stretch goal - Trade Coleman

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Klapka
Lomberg-Kerins-Pospisil
Stromgren

Bahl - Weegar
Solovyov - Pachal
Kuznetsov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Cooley

I think this roster gets the tank going more successfully. However, I doubt Conroy goes down this path. I think Vladar is going to get another contract, I doubt Coleman gets dealt, and I would guess that the Flames sign a LD in July to avoid that group that I just typed out. I also hope that in either scenario that the offer sheet goes out to Bourque.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Bourque*- Pospisil
Lomberg-Backlund-Coleman
Klapka

Bahl - Weegar
Provorov* - Pachal
Solovyov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Vladar

I think that roster would be a minor upgrade on this year's.

Provorov will probably get 6 to 7 years for way too much money. I like adding a veteran dman, but think we need someone that won't command big money with term. Maybe Brian Dumoulin?

Maybe try and sign Ryan Lindgren if the contract isn't too expensive.

We don't need to be in on any big time players, they will be too pricey.

[The Cobra]

Bennet is a very good playoff performer, but his next contract will age very badly, as I expect his style of play will result in him falling off the map at a young age, much like Bolland.

Maybe a contending team can afford to have him for 2-3 years and then live with him during the rebuild years. But that's not the Flames.

Let someone else make that mistake.

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I think the best way for the Flames to get worse is to
1) Trade Andersson but only for futures / prospects
2) Let our UFAs walk
3) Fill all of the spots from within the system
4) Stretch goal - Trade Coleman

Huberdeau-Kadri-Sharangovich
Zary-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Klapka
Lomberg-Kerins-Pospisil
Stromgren

Bahl - Weegar
Solovyov - Pachal
Kuznetsov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Cooley

I agree with this strategy 100%

I hope to see the following lines next year:
Huberdeau-Kadri-Klapka
Sharangovich-Frost-Pospisil
Zary-Backlund-Coronato
Farabee-Kerins-Lomberg
Kirkland

Bahl - Weegar
Solovyov - Pachal
Kuznetsov - Parekh
Bean

Wolf
Cooley

I see this lineup being worse on defense and ideally getting us into the bottom 5.

Realistically, we would never be permitted to ice a D core that green. I expect a UFA signing (Ekblad) to shore up the LD, and doubt Conroy will offload Anderson and Coleman - even though he probably should.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Bennet is a very good playoff performer, but his next contract will age very badly, as I expect his style of play will result in him falling off the map at a young age, much like Bolland.

Maybe a contending team can afford to have him for 2-3 years and then live with him during the rebuild years. But that's not the Flames.

Let someone else make that mistake.

Bennett is the type of player a team with an open Stanley Cup window signs that will be willing to accept short term gain for long term pain. That is not the Flames who would be simply accruing long term pain by signing Bennett to a long term deal.