STH Info Sessions (May 24, May 25, June 15)

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Don't see how that gets you Reimer cheaper? If anything, if flames can't make a trade for a goalie before July 1st, I would think Reimers agent would have an upper hand. Lets face it, Reimer is the only goalie on the UFA market that would make sense to go for as a starter. His agent can just turn to flames GM and say take our price or go with your second option. What's flames second option on UFA market? Ward, Enroth? LOL.

Here's the thing... the Flames can simply just turn around and say "we're probably the only ones looking for a starting goalie that's willing to pay a starters wage."

Because it's true. Who needs a starting goalie upgrade... Dallas? They're paying 10.4 on the cap for what they have now, they ain't gonna bump that to 15. Carolina? A budget team that's gonna be doubling Eddie Lacks pay next year. If Reimer wants to be a starter... unless something changes in the market I think it's basically Calgary or Bust.

If you look at it in terms of supply and demand I think the supply of starter quality goalies (or at least preceived starter quality) exceeds the demand right now (factoring in both the trade and UFA market). I think Reimer could be had at a reasonable price come July 1.

[NomNomNom]

Hey, it's @brandonbyskal. I was at the session last night (obviously), so feel free to hit me with any questions you might have.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

The instigator penalty makes the idea of someone protecting a more fragile player obsolete. If the other team cheap shots your skill players your team needs to make their skill payers pay. You don't need Bollig for that.

"2 minutes well served"

I think Hartley was fired because the team wouldn't protect Johnny and the other skill guys enough. I could imagine Burke and Tree losing their minds watching him run from behind and slashed and not having anyone on the team do anything about it.

[NomNomNom]

To elaborate on the Jokipakka comment, Burke did not say he doesn't believe he'll be protected - that was just my opinion. But I guess there's lots of hockey to be played up until that time so you never know.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

Hey, it's @brandonbyskal. I was at the session last night (obviously), so feel free to hit me with any questions you might have.

When Burke said that Bollig would play more was the crowd reaction...

A: Shocked silance
B: Howls of an angry mob
C: Thunderous Applause

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

Hey, it's @brandonbyskal. I was at the session last night (obviously), so feel free to hit me with any questions you might have.

Was there any draft talk?

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

I don't know if this is the right way to think but the implication of a coach with more structure to me screams boring. And the game is already kinda getting over coached and boring enough.

The Sharks have been playing with more structure under DeBoer than they did with Todd McLellan.

I also think they've been way more entertaining with Burns jumping into the play and the amount of odd man rushes they generate in the neutral zone.

Structure isn't a bad thing if it puts the puck on the stick of your most skilled players instead of on Deryk Engelland's stick as he goes glass-and-out for the next five consecutive possessions before finally getting a change.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Don't see how that gets you Reimer cheaper? If anything, if flames can't make a trade for a goalie before July 1st, I would think Reimers agent would have an upper hand. Lets face it, Reimer is the only goalie on the UFA market that would make sense to go for as a starter. His agent can just turn to flames GM and say take our price or go with your second option. What's flames second option on UFA market? Ward, Enroth? LOL.

Works the other way as well. The clear cut starting jobs consist of the Flames and probably Leafs. If the Leafs use their stockpile of picks they pretty much will be in on any goalie trade. If the Leafs trade for goalie or Toronto wants no part of Reimer, it will be hard to start a bidding war with no other teams.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

even more:

Brandon Byskal ‏@brandonbyskal
Burke also mentioned the main thing he told his scouting staff was to find big guys in the late rounds who can play #Flames

This is a tough one for me.

Big guys who can play are hard to find in late rounds. If they are big, and can also play, then they are usually gone earlier in the draft.

It's usually easier to find smaller, talented, skilled guys who are overlooked because of size or quality of competition in the late rounds. That or guys who are overlooked because they played a smaller role on a good team.

Somebody like Victor Mete from London would be a great late round pick. Smaller d-man that has produced a ton but gets overlooked on the stacked London team.

Think Tyson Barrie as a good puck mover that was overlooked on a stacked team and due to his small stature.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by dammage79

That's a pretty disenfranchising thing to say about any player. Not a fan of that kind of commentary. Sure it's an honest POV, and from a Business side of things sure, might work out that way. But who outside of Brodie, Gio and Hamilton is there to protect, seems perfectly legit that Jokipakka could earn the 4th D man slot.

Maybe he could, maybe it's motivation. People get way too worried or up in arms about what our executives say in public. I'm not saying it's not possible to offend a player with something said in public, but it also seems like fans often feel like Burke, Tree and the coaches aren't talking to the players behind closed doors.

Joki likely knows exactly where he stands right now, because he talks to the management team and coaches directly. He probably wasn't caught off guard, or surprised by Burke's comments. I wouldn't be surprised if they appreciate the directness versus being upset about the comments. My experience is that people appreciate transparency and the truth, it's when you start dancing around things that people become upset.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

This is a tough one for me.

Big guys who can play are hard to find in late rounds. If they are big, and can also play, then they are usually gone earlier in the draft.

Yeah, Burke may as well have told the scouting staff to be on the lookout for magical unicorns. You don't find big guys who can play in the later rounds. Your best shot at it is looking at these three scenarios...

1: 19 year olds passed over last year who had some aspect of their game change (confirmed by scouts who saw them both years).

2: Guys stuck playing a depth role on a uber stacked team

3: Guys with decent personal performance on a truly terrible team.

... and even then I doubt you'd find any that would last past the 3rd round.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Yeah, Burke may as well have told the scouting staff to be on the lookout for magical unicorns. You don't find big guys who can play in the later rounds. Your best shot at it is looking at these three scenarios...

1: 19 year olds passed over last year who had some aspect of their game change (confirmed by scouts who saw them both years).

2: Guys stuck playing a depth role on a uber stacked team

3: Guys with decent personal performance on a truly terrible team.

... and even then I doubt you'd find any that would last past the 3rd round.

#1 = Hunter Smith. How's that working out?

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by edslunch

#1 = Hunter Smith. How's that working out?

Not well... which is why you should only look to take a guy like him in the later rounds not 54th overall. The Flames mistake wasn't in taking Hunter Smith, it was in taking him that early.

The point is the only way you find big guys who can play in the later rounds is if you're looking for guys that aren't going to be high on other scouts radars... guys who don't produce only because they get crap ice time, or because they don't have other talent to play with, or because the other scouts focus is on the 1st time eligible.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Got me curious to see this Shrek lookalike. Looks normal to me. Maybe like a lot of teens he spends too much time in front of the mirror.

He DOES look like Douglas Murray.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Not well... which is why you should only look to take a guy like him in the later rounds not 54th overall. The Flames mistake wasn't in taking Hunter Smith, it was in taking him that early.

The point is the only way you find big guys who can play in the later rounds is if you're looking for guys that aren't going to be high on other scouts radars... guys who don't produce only because they get crap ice time, or because they don't have other talent to play with, or because the other scouts focus is on the 1st time eligible.

Man the kid has 1 year of pro hockey. People are too quick to write guys off if they don't step in and produce right away. It's not like the kid was a 1st round/top 10 pick. He did ok for a first year and the role he plays. 8 pts in 54 games, plus 2. 90 PIMs. Not outstanding but not the worst. Morgan Klimchuk had 1 more point in 1 more game played.

[NomNomNom]

Originally Posted by Parallex

When Burke said that Bollig would play more was the crowd reaction...

A: Shocked silance
B: Howls of an angry mob
C: Thunderous Applause

A, literally nobody said a thing. But you could kinda hear a hush amongst fans who knew better.

And dammage, there wasn't any draft talk besides the ledge he identified in the first meeting (after 3, after 6) and that they feel they will get one of their "guys" No mention of any prospects in the draft, not even name dropping or "so-and-so is having a good Memorial Cup"

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Not well... which is why you should only look to take a guy like him in the later rounds not 54th overall. The Flames mistake wasn't in taking Hunter Smith, it was in taking him that early.

The point is the only way you find big guys who can play in the later rounds is if you're looking for guys that aren't going to be high on other scouts radars... guys who don't produce only because they get crap ice time, or because they don't have other talent to play with, or because the other scouts focus is on the 1st time eligible.

That's still a mistake.

[Racki]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I bet he's glad Burke is there to spin his blarney and let Treliving do his job with that much less media attention. Nothing Burke or anyone says at these things mean anything. They're PR exercises. Do people really think the players and other GMs hang on every word spouted by a blowhard like Burke at these events? Nobody outside the people present and a few hundred uber-fans on this forum give a moment's thought to what's said at these things.

Nevertheless, if I'm Brad I would find Burke's saber rattling annoying. Does he really need to talk about things like how much more Brandon Bollig is going to play?

[Roof-Daddy]

If they change the expansion draft format to 6-4-1, I wonder if the Flames plan on dealing away Wideman and bringing in a different top 4 defenseman more suited to our needs. A bigger, more mobile defensive minded guy.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I love when Burke speaks. Just hilarious to watch all his hatres over read into everything he says just so they can have something to cry about.