Predict the 2016/2017 Flames Starting Lineup

[Harry Lime]

Grant is a different player now then when he was with ottawa. I don't think looking at his numbers while not a member of this organization is representative of anything.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Regarding Jooris, I watched the AC Gaudreau highlights for 2014-15 (thanks!) the other day, and couldn't help but notice how often Jooris is set up our involved in a scoring play with Gaudreau. He really benefited breaking into the league last year. I think he earned the chance on his own, but really floated through because of a special linemate breaking into the league with him.

[FBI]

Color me unimpressed with Grant in the NHL so far in everything except for Faceoffs.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by FBI

Color me unimpressed with Grant in the NHL so far in everything except for Faceoffs.

Color me unimpressed with Jooris in the NHL this year outside of his speed getting in on the forecheck.

[MarkGio]

Jooris put up 12gs and 24 points last year as a 4th liner. That's exactly what you want from a 4th liner. Most 4th liners have a hard time putting up points so I don't have an issue with him this year.

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Jooris put up 12gs and 24 points last year as a 4th liner. That's exactly what you want from a 4th liner. Most 4th liners have a hard time putting up points so I don't have an issue with him this year.

But that was last year, show me consistency. Last year was a fluke. Just like Colbourne this year !

[Jason14h]

Jooris lit it up at the beginning of the year when he had the top players with him . Since then he has been a borderline nhler

Let's not pretend he got 12 goals on the 4th line

[AC]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Jooris put up 12gs and 24 points last year as a 4th liner. That's exactly what you want from a 4th liner. Most 4th liners have a hard time putting up points so I don't have an issue with him this year.

But Jooris wasn't a 4th liner much last year.

Just skimmed my Jooris video from last season, and here are his linemates for goals he was involved in last year:

1) Glencross/Stajan
2) Bouma/Bollig - an assist
3) Gaudreau/Byron
4) Hudler/Monahan
5) Monahan in OT
6) Glencross/Hudler
7) Monahan/Byron
8) Gaudreau/Ferland
9) Gaudreau/Hudler
10) Gaudreau/Hudler
12) Gaudreau/Hudler
12) Hudler in OT
13) Colborne/Raymond
14) Colborne/Backlund
15) Gaudreau/Backlund
16) Colborne/Stajan
17) Gaudreau/Granlund

I see one that was on the 4th line, many on the top line before Gaudreau/Monahan/Hudler was solidified.

He finished as a 4th liner after getting injured and his production falling off. Jooris has 7 points in his last 32 games including the playoffs.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Color me unimpressed with Jooris in the NHL this year outside of his speed getting in on the forecheck.

Yeah was unimpressed with Jooris as well but he wasnt playing with any skilled players this year.

[AC]

For me, Jooris has the speed and tenacity that makes him a good 4th liner if his scoring isn't good enough to be a 2nd or 3rd liner.

That being said, a hard-working 4th line player with speed is probably one of the easiest roles to replace with hungry players looking to earn a spot (see Hathaway).

Like I said, a Jooris - Grant - Hathaway line would be fine by me. Especially if it meant no more Bollig.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

You want a management change?

Treliving didn't sign Wideman. He didn't sign Stajan. Those are our two worst contracts.

Raymond is the worst. Wideman and Stajan have been worth their contracts at times. Raymond doesn't even fit the lineup even though wings are a weakness for this team. (Unlike center and defense.)

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by FBI

Yeah was unimpressed with Jooris as well but he wasnt playing with any skilled players this year.

He had a short stretch with Johnny and Mony at the end of the season where he looked like a grinder for the most part with the occasional decent play. He just didn't show any hands this year. I didn't think he was unlucky either, he just didn't show much offensive creativity or finish. He's a great forechecker, gets in fast with speed and usually finishes his checks. But I don't think his checks are as punishing as Bouma's or Ferland's or Hathaway's are. And I suspect Hathaway may pick up more garbage goals than Jooris picked up this year. I think Grant and Hathaway are both a touch bigger and stronger. I think they would make us harder to play against than when we have Jooris in.

Bouma-Grant-Hathaway is my ideal 4th line to start next season. Good two-way, big, physical, punishing, shot blocking, cycling, face-off winning, pain in the ass line to play against. That looks like a killer 4th line to me.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Itse

Raymond is the worst. Wideman and Stajan have been worth their contracts at times. Raymond doesn't even fit the lineup even though wings are a weakness for this team. (Unlike center and defense.)

All GM's seem to make mistakes. But I'd take the magnitude of Treliving's mistakes over Button's or Feaster's potential screwups.

Well better a 3 million for 3 year mistake by a rookie GM than something like Richards for 7 years at 7.5 million and that from a non-rookie GM (Feaster). Better Raymond than trading Giguere so you don't have to protect him in the expansion draft and instead protect Brathwaite (Button). Better Raymond than buying out Martin St. Louis (Button).

If Treliving's worst move as a GM is signing Mason Raymond then we should be very, very happy with his performance so far. I fricking hate Raymond too! But his contract is a mild handicap for one more year, more of a nuisance than anything. Far better than giving away some of your better prospects for little to nothing (Giguere and St. Louis) or signing someone to a massive 7 year albatross deal that the Flames might be still be suffering with.

[JJ1532]

Raymond is also a deal that you'd probably do again anyway. He was coming off 2 decent years with the Canucks and Maple Leafs, he had a 0.5 PPG season before we signed him. 3 x 3 for that, I think you do it again easily.

I don't see it as a bad signing, nor do I hang it on Treliving. That contract is bad because the player bombed out and didn't perform.

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by JJ1532

Raymond is also a deal that you'd probably do again anyway. He was coming off 2 decent years with the Canucks and Maple Leafs, he had a 0.5 PPG season before we signed him. 3 x 3 for that, I think you do it again easily.

I don't see it as a bad signing, nor do I hang it on Treliving. That contract is bad because the player bombed out and didn't perform.

Totally agree, Raymond had some good seasons and at the time it made sense.

Stajan was a bad signing (i believe this was Feasters)

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by smiggy77

Totally agree, Raymond had some good seasons and at the time it made sense.

Stajan was a bad signing (i believe this was Feasters)

Stajan was Burke's signing

[Da_Chief]

Disagree on Raymond. He went to Leafs camp on a tryout. Had a decent season in and cashed in.

That's like giving Lee Stempniak a 3 year deal worth 3+ mill this year. Would anyone? I doubt it but he will get signed early in the summer this year.

The Flames didn't think they'd strike gold with Gaudreau that quickly. Raymond was suppose to come in and play top 6 for 3 very lean years. To a nice surprise, Gaudreau and the whole team did well. Raymond couldn't keep up.

It shouldn't have been a 3 year deal, shouldn't have 3+ mill, shouldn't have had modified NTC. Lots went wrong with that deal but that was one of Treiling's first deals. Hopefully he's learned, all GMs make mistakes.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by JJ1532

Raymond is also a deal that you'd probably do again anyway. He was coming off 2 decent years with the Canucks and Maple Leafs, he had a 0.5 PPG season before we signed him. 3 x 3 for that, I think you do it again easily.

I don't see it as a bad signing, nor do I hang it on Treliving. That contract is bad because the player bombed out and didn't perform.

I also think the organization was overcompensating on not only the loss of Cammelleri, but also the loss of receiving any value from Cammelleri.

You never know who the Flames could have drafted. Had the Flames got a pick for Cammy like Vanek did earlier in the season, the Flames could be looking at some nice talent, such as Demko, Pastrnak, Dvorak, or even the Flames' own Brett Pollock

[Da_Chief]

I think Kulak has a good chance to be with the Flames next year.

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?...id=DL|CGY|home

Kulak - Heat Dman of the year.
Kylington - Heat rookie of year.
Grant - Heat's Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player Of The Year, and this season's Fan Favourite.

[Bourque's Twin]

I know people have said Wideman for Iginla, and after thinking about it longer I think it makes a lot of sense. Let's ignore the NMC's that both Iginla and Wideman have.

The Flames are shortest on RWers. Iginla would undoubtedly slot in on the first 3 lines and most likely the first 2. He would be competing against Frolik, Pribyl, and if we're lucky Laine / Puljujarvi. The Flames have a lot of D depth and could perform well without Wideman. Brodie, Giordano, and Hamilton are a very solid trio to manage big minutes and the PP.

The Avalanche need D. Adding a guy like Wideman would really help their depth. He would become their 2nd best offensive threat from the backend (after Barrie) and would chew up some hard minutes from Erik Johnson. If COL gets Radulov, they will have another winger in their mix among a great group of forwards: (MacKinnon, Duchene, Landeskog, Grigorenko, and Radulov).

Their cap hits are almost identical and both contracts end after this year. The Flames would also not be as pressured to overpay for a UFA this season to fill the top-line RW spot. I think Lucic is the only perfect fit and he's going to be expensive. Iginla could delay the process by 1 year, and if he's successful, he could sign another 1-2 year deal to finish his career out on the Flames 3rd line while they're hopefully a playoff contender.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Iginla
Ferland - Bennett - Shinkaruk/Pribyl
Colborne - Backlund - Frolik
Bouma - Stajan - Hathaway