Can you beat the Florida Flames (or Calgary Panthers)?

[TheScorpion]

Was recently chatting with some friends about which team has the best lineup of past or current Flames — or, rather, if any other team could beat the hybrid Calgary Panthers:

Gary Roberts – Joe Nieuwendyk – Matthew Tkachuk
Jonathan Huberdeau – Sam Bennett – Jaromir Jagr
Cory Stillman – Olli Jokinen – Valeri Bure
Martin Gelinas – Dave Gagner – Michael Frolik
Todd Bertuzzi / Jiri Hudler / Kristian Huselius

Jay Bouwmeester – MacKenzie Weegar
Jordan Leopold – Dennis Wideman
Todd Simpson – Rhett Warrener
Steve Montador / Erik Gudbranson

Mike Vernon
Jacob Markstrom
Trevor Kidd

To help pass the time, I decided to come up with a few different teams for a piece over at FlamesNation. As you might expect, the hybrid Calgary Blues would be a powerhouse, whereas the Edmonton Flames are truly No Good.

But I ask you ... what's the best lineup you can make out of players who played for both the Flames and another team? (This Hockey-Reference tool makes it easier)

[topfiverecords]

Cool idea!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Ha. Kinda fun.

The NJ Flames aren't bad because you get to include Lanny as part of the Rockies lineage.

So you go:

Lanny-Nieuwendyk-Jagr
Coleman-Gilmour-Cammalleri
Morrison-Bridgman-McAmmond
Toffoli-MacMillan-Ashton

Housely-Hamilton
Ramage-P. Russell
Mottau-Bahl?

Markstrom
Jeff Reese

[TheScorpion]

The Calgary Ducks:

Rene Bourque - German Titov - Curtis Glencross
Niklas Hagman - Matthew Lombardi - Todd Bertuzzi
Nick Ritchie - Rob Niedermayer - Marty McInnis
Andrei Nazarov - Brendan Morrison - Mike Leclerc
Derek Grant / Tim Jackman / Ed Ward

Toni Lydman - Steve Montador
Todd Simpson - Erik Gudbranson
Bobby Dollas - Oliver Kylington
Shane O'Brien / Brendan Mikkelson

J-S Giguere
Jonas Hiller
Curtis McElhinney

Not much there at all, wow.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Calgary Maple Leafs have to be strong down the middle. Nieuwy/Gilmour/Kadri/Jokinen?

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ha. Kinda fun.

The NJ Flames aren't bad because you get to include Lanny as part of the Rockies lineage.

So you go:

Lanny-Nieuwendyk-Jagr
Coleman-Gilmour-Cammalleri
Morrison-Bridgman-McAmmond
Toffoli-MacMillan-Ashton

Housely-Hamilton
Ramage-P. Russell
Mottau-Bahl?

Markstrom
Jeff Reese

In the article I set three rules. The third one applies to the Flames and all the other relocated teams:

– Players must have played at least one regular season or playoff game for both teams to qualify. We’re not including guys who were drafted by one team but never played for them (looking at you, Craig Anderson). Generally speaking, precedence will be given to players who made strong contributions to both teams.
– We’re only taking into account the quality and quantity of games played for the two teams in question at any given time. For example, a guy like Grant Fuhr would be one of the top picks for a Calgary/Edmonton team, but he wouldn’t grade out particularly well for a Calgary/Los Angeles team.
– We’re not including anyone who played for Atlanta but not Calgary. However, if someone played in both cities, we’ll take their entire Flames tenure into consideration (call it the Nilsson Rule).

So I wouldn't give the Devils credit for Lanny. But I would give them Steve Tambellini and Brent Ashton, for instance, because they played for both the Devils and the Rockies, as well as the Flames. And I'd give them credit for their Rockies tenures, too.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Your rules suck. I break your rules.

[Lewis_D]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Calgary Maple Leafs have to be strong down the middle. Nieuwy/Gilmour/Kadri/Jokinen?

Decent goaltending options too with Cujo and Giguere, those are the first two that come to mind but probably others there as well I'm forgetting.

[blankall]

What other teams have the Flames made a lot trades with?

I'd assume Vancouver would be high on the list? Also, a Toronto, a lot of former Flames ended up there.


The Toronto Flames/Calgary Maple Leafs:

Roberts - Nieuwendyk - L. McDonald
R. Reichel - Gilmour - Kadri
G. Leeman - Bullard - O. Nolan
Versteeg- O. Jokinen - Stajan
Stepniak/Hagman as extras?

Giordano - Housley
Phaneuf- C. Tanev
Macoun - Brodie/Ramage

Curtis Joseph
T. Kidd


JS. Giguere and G. Fuhr too, but not in their primes.

I'm sure I've screwed up the wing positioning for many of these guys.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Calgary Maple Leafs have to be strong down the middle. Nieuwy/Gilmour/Kadri/Jokinen?

I did the Leafs for the article:

Gary Roberts – Joe Nieuwendyk – Lanny McDonald
Robert Reichel – Doug Gilmour – Gary Leeman
Mike Bullard – Nazem Kadri – Lee Stempniak
Jonas Hoglund – Matt Stajan – Owen Nolan
Matthew Lombardi / Niklas Hagman / Freddy Modin

Mark Giordano – T.J. Brodie
Jamie Macoun – Chris Tanev
Dion Phaneuf – Phil Housley
Brad Marsh / Rob Ramage

Curtis Joseph
Ken Wregget
Grant Fuhr

Good down the middle but pretty weak on the wings, had to shift Reichel and Bullard over and resorted to Leeman on Line 2. Didn't include Giguere because he didn't do much of anything with either Calgary or Toronto.

[Lewis_D]

I'd be way better at this if I still played puckdoku.

[Monahammer]

Yuck but the Oiler-blues are probably giving us a run:

Glenn Anderson-Gretzky-Guerin
Holloway-Oates-Weight
Neal-Arnott-Tikanen
Corson-McAmmond-Perron
Maroon

Pronger-Walman
Broberg-Brewer
Kris Russell-Brad Hunt

CuJo
Fuhr

[flambers]

The Calgary Blues

Eddy Beers Doug Gilmour Brett Hull
Mike Bullard Mark Hunter Joe Mullen
Cory Stillman Olli Jokinen Valeri Bure
Dan Quinn Craig Conroy Gino Cavallini


Al MacInnis Phil Housley
Jay Bouwmeester Rob Ramage
Ric Nattress Jordan Leopold

Curtis Joseph
Roman Turek
Grant Fuhr

[Monahammer]

OilRangers are also stupid.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Yuck but the Oiler-blues are probably giving us a run:

Glenn Anderson-Gretzky-Guerin
Holloway-Oates-Weight
Neal-Arnott-Tikanen
Corson-McAmmond-Perron
Maroon

Pronger-Walman
Broberg-Brewer
Kris Russell-Brad Hunt

CuJo
Fuhr

Oilers/Kings

Kurri-Gretzky-Smyth
Cammalleri-Carson-Carter
Lucic-Nicholls-Moreau
Buchburger-Stoll-Penner

Coffey-McSorely
Huddy-Visnovsky
Sekera-Petit

Fuhr
Talbot

[Robbob]

Boston Calgary is kind of fun.

Jarome Iginla-Marc Savard-Jaromir Jagr
Elias Lindholm-Michael Nylander-Joe Mullen
Milan Lucic-Stephane Yelle-Willi Plett
Doug Mohns-Bob Sweeny-Chuck Kobasew

D. Hamliton - Brad McCrimmon
Brad Stuart - Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference - Derrick Morris

Rejean Lemlin
Pat Riggin

[mile]

Calgarado


Tanguay - Kadri - Iginla
Nolan - Drury - Fleury
McAmmond - Reinprecht - Bourque
Niemenen - Yelle - Donovan
Colborne, Simon, Jones

Leopold - Morris
Zadorov - Barrie
Hannan - Sarich
Kylington, Boughner

Giguere
Elliott
Tabaracci


Not the best but would be a fun team to watch. Forwards have a nice mix of skill and grit. D needs a star - hopefully Makar joins soon.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

OilRangers are also stupid.

Really fell apart on D, these teams don't look for dmen often lol.

Kurri-Gretzky-Tikkanen
Anderson-Messier-Weight
Graves-Nedved-Nichols
Carter-Brassard-Sykora
Dvorak

Hamrlik-Poti
Marchant-Lowe
Buekeboom-Boris Mironov

Talbot
Markannen

[Geeoff]

The Calgary Blues are pretty good since we get MacInnis and Hull and Chris Butler

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

The Calgary Blues are pretty good since we get MacInnis and Hull and Chris Butler

LOL, one of these things are not like the other