[Rumour] Chris Johnston: Lindholm is interested in staying

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by MrMike

If Backlund wants to stick around, I’d trade Lindholm then. Between Kadri and Backlund we have two years to hope for Dube/Zary/other to fill in the center position. Add in the cap space and return for Lindholm that’s what I’d like.

Backlund needs to go, whether he wants to stay or not. Since his priority is winning, if he actually wants to stay, that will mean he's been told this team is commited to trying to win... but...

- Kadri is untradable
- This team won't win anything with Kadri and Backlund as its two best centers.
- That means we also need Lindholm - and since Backlund would be #3 behind Lindholm and Kadri...
- Backlund at #3 is the kind of expensive luxury that only a team who's a Backlund away from winning can afford, and we are not in that group.

Ergo, re-signing Backlund doesn't make sense. Not in any capacity. Even if a young player steps up and becomes a 1, 2 or 3 C...

Young player
Lindholm
Kadri

or

Lindholm
Young player
Kadri

or

Lindholm
Kadri
Young player

Is still better than

Young player
Kadri
Backlund

or

Kadri
Young player
Backlund

or

Kadri
Backlund
Young player


It's unfortunate, but moving Backlund is yet another cost of signing Kadri.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Playoff hockey in the Saddledome is special. And some time in the next 3-5 years, it’s going to become nothing but a memory.

Maybe it’s as simple as ownership wanting to create as many new playoff memories as they can in the time the Dome has left.

Stuff like that matters to people.

I think you nailed it. The owners are just giving us what we want. We can watch the team slowly disintegrate at the same time as the arena.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Hackey

I think you nailed it. The owners are just giving us what we want. We can watch the team slowly disintegrate at the same time as the arena.

There’s something to be said for watching a rebuild from the comfort of a new arena.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

There’s something to be said for watching a rebuild from the comfort of a new arena.

Exactly why it should have started the second Tkachuk said he was out. But the owners wanted to give us a few last memories so I understand why they chose a different direction.

[Redlan]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

[URL="https://www.sportsnet.ca/960/flames-talk/eric-francis-on-lindholm-backlund-hanifin-and-more/"]...

Steinberg adds that his sources in the organization all point to Backlund's desire to win with the Flames.

I have said since the year end media availability regarding Backlund, Lindholm, Hannifin, whomever... if your not part of solution, you are part of the problem. If there is a commitment to win and these guys are waffling on staying based on how successful the team is, they obviously do not think they have the wherewithal to be the difference. They are essentially admitting they are secondary players to a successful team and not the drivers. If they want to stay and win with the Flames then that is leadership, otherwise good riddance.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Redlan

I have said since the year end media availability regarding Backlund, Lindholm, Hannifin, whomever... if your not part of solution, you are part of the problem. If there is a commitment to win and these guys are waffling on staying based on how successful the team is, they obviously do not think they have the wherewithal to be the difference. They are essentially admitting they are secondary players to a successful team and not the drivers. If they want to stay and win with the Flames then that is leadership, otherwise good riddance.

That sounds nice and all but I think every player in the league recognizes that they, alone, cannot be “the difference.” That’s why good players “chase” cups. It’s why Iginla never won one. It’s why they can talk for ages about McDavid being the best player in the world and his team can’t even win a game past the second round.

I agree that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. But I don’t think it’s unreasonable for anyone to evaluate a team and consider whether the “solution” they’re going to be part of is actually going to go anywhere with or without them. It doesn’t make them secondary players.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Redlan

I have said since the year end media availability regarding Backlund, Lindholm, Hannifin, whomever... if your not part of solution, you are part of the problem. If there is a commitment to win and these guys are waffling on staying based on how successful the team is, they obviously do not think they have the wherewithal to be the difference. They are essentially admitting they are secondary players to a successful team and not the drivers. If they want to stay and win with the Flames then that is leadership, otherwise good riddance.

I don't think this is an accurate read on the situation. My take is that players are cautious regarding long-term commitments beyond this year, and are most concerned about the day-to-day work culture after the coaching and management changes. On ice success is undoubtedly a part of that, but it goes much deeper than you are positing. It suggests that a lot of players were pretty traumatized by what transpired last year, and how different things will be now. I don't think this has anything at all to do with how confident they are in their own abilities, nor that of their team-mates. This is an issue concerning their working environment, and how much they want to be a part of it for the remainder of their hockey careers.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Sure, whatever you say Grand Poohbah. One says offers have been made and the other says no negotiations have happened. That's the same thing and a variance of opinion/source? In what word? Log it in your spreadsheet and tell us about opinions. One is an absolute that something has taken place, the other is an absolute nothing has taken place. One is right and the other isn't. 1+1=2 is not the same as 1+1=/= 2. One has sources and the other s full of ####. Which is which is about be determined.

Jesus ... the spreadsheet insult again?

Just astounding to see how some need to take others down because they're getting more attention (insiders). We see it from the same characters against the two mentioned, Scorp in the past. Head shaking.

And no it's not proof of anything about either of them, no matter how much you want it to be so. Nuggets of info could have spin in them, and that's being reported and doesn't jive with the other side. Could mean they're making it up. Could mean their source (valid as it is) is planting info.

So sad ...

[sa226]

People getting bent out of shape over the insiders is one of the weirder things on here over the summer.

[TheIronMaiden]

Silly season is for speculation.

[VilleN]

You can really tell which posters need to get a life. I’ll give a hint Lanny_M… no that’s too obvious, L_Macdonald.