[Rumour] Dreger: Bowen Byram trade talks heating up. Calgary one of many teams interested

[Calgary4LIfe]

If Anderson = Forsling, I am pretty sure that Andersson would have been re-signed, rebuild or not. I love Andersson, and I think he is a very good all-round defencemen who also has a lot of leadership to offer as well as plays with a lot of swagger. I would not want him re-signed given his age. However, if he was like Forsling, I would be stomping my feet and posting annoyingly daily that this team has to re-sign Andersson.


Nothing against Andersson. I think on a contender, he is a solid #3 guy who can fill-in as a #2 with injuries admirably. That's valuable. I also think he is a guy you win with. He just isn't Forsling.


Forsling is an elite minute-muncher. He may not dazzle you with offensive plays, and he may not be that physical 'change the game with a big hit' type of defencemen, but he is about as elite as it gets at being a minute-muncher. Like Hanifin, only way better. Hanifin was the guy I would have re-signed simply because I would hope he would end up like Forsling.

[BigThief]

Minute munching is the least respected part of the game..and there's probably a reason for thhat.

[SuperMatt18]

Forsling is an elite shut down defender.

He looks like Lidstrom out there defensively at times these last couple playoffs.

If Andersson was as elite shut down defender as Forsling has been the past couple seasons then the Flames wouldn't be worried about re-signing him at all.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Wolven

It seems like you are undervaluing the quality of Forsling's D partner. Getting to play the bulk of his minutes last season with Ekblad and Jones is a significant difference from Bahl and Hanley.

Depending on where Andersson goes, I expect to see his stats recover a fair bit. For example, if he goes to the Stars and ends up playing ~24 minutes per game with Heiskanen on a team that scores 277 goals in the season instead of 225 then he is likely to have significantly more points, better +/-, and improved advanced stats.

Look at Harley. Most of his minutes was with Lyubushkin and their CF% was 47.62 (worse than Andersson with Bahl). When Harley was with Heiskanen their CF% was 60.82.

D partners make a difference.

Forsling has been elite for the last few years. Ekblad has missed tons of games over the last 3-4 years. Lots of players have played with him and some aren't household names, and he has been great in all scenarios.

Forsling is way better than Ras.

[Sandman]

Not bad for a player who was plucked off of waivers.

[ComixZone]

If Andersson was Forsling, or near Forsling levels of good, we wouldn’t have been pumped by the Oilers in the playoffs when we had to rely on Hanifin-Andersson.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Forsling is the Panther's best dman.

I like him a lot but if that's the case they don't havean elite 1D. They have a very good one. And as it relates to Rasmus, that makes him a top pairing guy on a lot of teams.

[dammage79]

Wow. Forsling was a cast away up until he got claimed by FLA. Just goes to show you cannot count on those fancy star cards to determine how a player could potentially fit within a different system. I bet you would get a different outcome for all the 30 other teams if they'd have claimed him instead of FLA or left to rot with Chicago in their system.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I like him [Forsling] a lot but if that's the case they don't havean elite 1D. They have a very good one. And as it relates to Rasmus, that makes him a top pairing guy on a lot of teams.

If Forsling isn't an elite 1D in this league then nobody is. He's a top 10 defenseman in this league without even batting an eye. I can't think of 10 better defensemen in the league at the moment.

It's no slight on Rasmus. As someone else said, he's a good 2/3 on a contender.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Wow. Forsling was a cast away up until he got claimed by FLA. Just goes to show you cannot count on those fancy star cards to determine how a player could potentially fit within a different system. I bet you would get a different outcome for all the 30 other teams if they'd have claimed him instead of FLA or left to rot with Chicago in their system.

Technically, Forsling was in the Carolina organization when Florida claimed him off waivers.

It's interesting though because Florida went through a lot of defensemen at the time they acquired Forsling. Ekblad and Nutivaara had COVID, Stralman was just terrible and was later put on waivers, and they had called up 5 other defensemen from the minors previously. I'm not so sure that picking up Forsling on waivers was a genius move as much as it was just claiming an available defensemen with previous NHL experience out of necessity. They went through 13 defensemen that season.

I guess we don't know if they would have claimed him without all those issues. Maybe they would have, but I have my doubts.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

If Forsling isn't an elite 1D in this league then nobody is. He's a top 10 defenseman in this league without even batting an eye. I can't think of 10 better defensemen in the league at the moment.

It's no slight on Rasmus. As someone else said, he's a good 2/3 on a contender.

Forsling is a very good defenseman playing on an elite team. Careerwise Andersson has been a better scorer on a much weaker team and decent until this past season.

I would take Forsling on my team any day, but I wouldn't pass off Andersson as not as good. Try looking at it if Andersson was on Florida and Forsling was on the Flames, what would their stats look like?

[Paulie Walnuts]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1942321497982620063

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

If Forsling isn't an elite 1D in this league then nobody is. He's a top 10 defenseman in this league without even batting an eye. I can't think of 10 better defensemen in the league at the moment.

It's no slight on Rasmus. As someone else said, he's a good 2/3 on a contender.

Forsling absolutely shut down McAvi in the SCF. For that alone, he’s worth it.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Bubba17

Forsling is a very good defenseman playing on an elite team. Careerwise Andersson has been a better scorer on a much weaker team and decent until this past season.

I would take Forsling on my team any day, but I wouldn't pass off Andersson as not as good. Try looking at it if Andersson was on Florida and Forsling was on the Flames, what would their stats look like?

Sorry that warrants a closer look

When Andersson has put up more points than Forsling, he has had a good chunk of PP points (19 and 21 in his best seasons)

If you look more closely I think you will find that they are fairly close in even strength points but still with a slight nod to Forsling

Can’t short Forsling for not having the opportunity to pad his stats on the PP

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Minute munching is the least respected part of the game..and there's probably a reason for thhat.

What?

[1qqaaz]

If Byram gets a 2 year deal from arbitration, that would take to to being a 26 year old UFA.
Pretty scary if your team isn't a contender.

Part of the appeal in young players in the long term contract control and efficiency. Arbitrated deals are scary, even when they are 1 year deals that result in another year of being an RFA.
They are like bridge deals without the upside.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Sorry that warrants a closer look

When Andersson has put up more points than Forsling, he has had a good chunk of PP points (19 and 21 in his best seasons)

If you look more closely I think you will find that they are fairly close in even strength points but still with a slight nod to Forsling

Can’t short Forsling for not having the opportunity to pad his stats on the PP

I agree, but the divide between the 2 of them is rather small when you consider the talent they are playing with. Florida's defense system by all the forwards makes the D able to play more agressive. You can't say that for the Flames system since Sutter left. As I said I would take Forsling on my team in a second, but realistically Andersson isn't too much behind, both good players.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I like him a lot but if that's the case they don't havean elite 1D. They have a very good one. And as it relates to Rasmus, that makes him a top pairing guy on a lot of teams.

Dear lord don't make me defend the Panthers again...Forsling is top 5 shut down D in the entire league...ask McDavid. Like did some of you not watch the last two playoffs? He got deserved Conn Smythe votes both runs.

Guy is as elite as they come.

Canucks draft pick too!

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

https://twitter.com/user/status/1942321497982620063

Old news EF....

[TheScorpion]

So. Bo Byram. What's going on here? Gonna be a career Sabre?