[Rumour] UPD: Jagr confirms Flames have interest in him.

[Love]

Originally Posted by JFK

If Jagr is close I'd imagine Bennett is as well. Announcing Bennett and Jagr back to back would be really exciting. And I know everyone wants to see 68 with 23 and 13 but my mind would explode if it was 19 - 93 - 68

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkahuck - Bennett - Jagr
Jankowski - Backlund - Frolik
Versteeg - Stajan - Brouwer

Extra - Curtis Lazar, Freddie Hamilton

Injuries will happen and you won't get through training camp without at least one up front. To me, that's one heck of a good forward group.

Perfect. Rotate Lazar and Stajan

[rage2]

Originally Posted by Groot

I would love to see Bennett with Jagr and Tkachuk.

Fun fact - Jagr was a two-time Stanley Cup and Art Ross winner before Bennett was even born.

Another fun fact - Tkachuk's dad was drafted after Jagr (same year, 5th vs 19th).

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Parallex

True... but Tkachuk/Bennett dinged us on bonus overages this season so that's not a new expense and we're getting 1M back from the Raymond buyout ending after this season so that helps some. We may have only Stajan's contract ending next year but that covers Backlund's raise and Jankowski's (presumeably) base and we won't have any real upward cap pressure until the 2019-2020 season since the core is locked up (and any overage from Jagr won't affect that).

2019-2020 is going to be a PITA from a cap management stand point. Treliving may have to buyout Brouwer (and maybe Stone) at that point.

This is why it bugs me when people wave their hands at bad money on the roster. "Oh it's not that big a problem." or "Every team has a bad contract or two." or "We can always ship them out if their dont' live up to it."

Here we have a discreet example of how Brouwer's terrible contract is hurting the Flames' roster building. Without paying $4 million for a 4th liner we'd be able to fit Jagr in easily. At the end of the day, these bad contracts come back to bite you.

[Enoch Root]

Just thinking about Jagr as a strong possession player, given favourable zone starts...

if I'm Gulutzan, I've got the Backlund line (with either Jankowski or Lazar in place of Tkachuk) to take defensive zone starts and drive possession forward - they were the best line in the NHL at this last year.

Then I follow that up with a favourable zone start for the Tkachuk-Bennett-Jagr line, because those guys, in the offensive zone, could wreak havoc. Plus, it forces the other team to play their 3rd line in a defensive zone start situation.

Then I follow that up with the Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland line

And as a fourth line, you've got Versteeg-Stajan-Brouwer.

I like it.

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Just thinking about Jagr as a strong possession player, given favourable zone starts...

if I'm Gulutzan, I've got the Backlund line (with either Jankowski or Lazar in place of Tkachuk) to take defensive zone starts and drive possession forward - they were the best line in the NHL at this last year.

Then I follow that up with a favourable zone start for the Tkachuk-Bennett-Jagr line, because those guys, in the offensive zone, could wreak havoc. Plus, it forces the other team to play their 3rd line in a defensive zone start situation.

Then I follow that up with the Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland line

And as a fourth line, you've got Versteeg-Stajan-Brouwer.

I like it.

That gives you four lines all perfectly capable of producing. That's some seriously scary playoff depth for other teams to deal with.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

This is why it bugs me when people wave their hands at bad money on the roster. "Oh it's not that big a problem." or "Every team has a bad contract or two." or "We can always ship them out if their dont' live up to it."

Here we have a discreet example of how Brouwer's terrible contract is hurting the Flames' roster building. Without paying $4 million for a 4th liner we'd be able to fit Jagr in easily. At the end of the day, these bad contracts come back to bite you.

Sure, but again: every team has them and there is no getting around that fact. It will happen.

If Brouwer's contract is the worst on the team, that's pretty damn good. There is no such thing as perfection. Some players are going to regress and not live up to their contract. Guaranteed. It happens to every team.

Whining about Brouwer every time a cap discussion comes up, does nothing to solve the problem.

[Tinordi]

Yes Jagr with Bennett is an interesting option. Bennett certainly has problems keeping possession and distributing in the offensive zone. Jagr's bread and butter is possession. That could be a great mix to turn Bennett into a better player.

[Gaudfather]

If Brouwer has a bounce back year this season, there will only be two years left on his contract by season end - he will be a much more movable piece next spring (if he has a better year).

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sure, but again: every team has them and there is no getting around that fact. It will happen.

If Brouwer's contract is the worst on the team, that's pretty damn good. There is no such thing as perfection. Some players are going to regress and not live up to their contract. Guaranteed. It happens to every team.

Whining about Brouwer every time a cap discussion comes up, does nothing to solve the problem.

And they have to always be measure as how bad are they?

In two years I think Lucic's contract has a chance to be bad to the degree of $3M per season for 4 more years. That's a lot of pain.

If Brouwer bounced back even a bit, then you're looking at $1M to $1.5M of pain for two more years.

I never liked Jay Bouwmeester in Calgary at $6.68M per season, but the same player at $5M would have been a great contract.

[IgiTang]

One thing Bennett certainly can do is work the boards and separate players from the puck and Jagr would be all over that loosey... with Steeger also a puck hungry little SOB, I could see that line working and helping Bennett find his confidence. That is the only benefit to bringing Jagr in from my perspective. Ok, sure he would help on the PP as well..

Has anyone spoken to Jagr's camp to get a feel for if he would even be willing to come out west and have a last go with the Flames?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Corral

Isn't this whole forum pretty much based on personal observations from the stands or the TV?

Most of it yeah. That's why talking about players motivation levels stands out as pretty clear BS since most of us have no access to them and guessing their motivation level is utterly foolish. You can speculate on it wildly based on your interpretation of their on ice work ethic but Jagr does not appear disinterested on the ice so questioning his motivation just seems bizarre. We can't ever know his motivation level except how you judge his interviews. Motivation level is not a hockey skill like skating, puck handling, puck protection, etc.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Darren Haynes‏ @DarrenWHaynes
God bless the reader that always signs their story comments as "The Scorpion". Makes me feel like I've written a spy novel. #Falcon

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

And a reply to this...

Alright, fess up... who are you, Gabe?

That just seems made-up.

[Hackey]

On Fan960 they made it sound like Flames interest in Jagr was basically the same level of interest we would have in any decent free agent. Basically a call just to see what the situation is. Is there anything more than that which would have people actually thinking there is a reasonable shot of him coming here?

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Hackey

On Fan960 they made it sound like Flames interest in Jagr was basically the same level of interest we would have in any decent free agent. Basically a call just to see what the situation is. Is there anything more than that which would have people actually thinking there is a reasonable shot of him coming here?

Elliott Friedman was talking about the past connection to GG. I am not aware of Treliving making any public statement about Jagr - positive or negative.

[djsFlames]

It's Fan960 protocol to be wet blankets about anything and everything until the news actually breaks.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Hackey

On Fan960 they made it sound like Flames interest in Jagr was basically the same level of interest we would have in any decent free agent. Basically a call just to see what the situation is. Is there anything more than that which would have people actually thinking there is a reasonable shot of him coming here?

The big one to me is the Sharp attempt.

Veteran right winger on a modest contract ... Flames were runner up, and they haven't taken on a right winger since.

If Jagr took $1M without bonuses he would have already been done. But they aptly need to get Bennett done first to fit him in.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Most of it yeah. That's why talking about players motivation levels stands out as pretty clear BS since most of us have no access to them and guessing their motivation level is utterly foolish. You can speculate on it wildly based on your interpretation of their on ice work ethic but Jagr does not appear disinterested on the ice so questioning his motivation just seems bizarre. We can't ever know his motivation level except how you judge his interviews. Motivation level is not a hockey skill like skating, puck handling, puck protection, etc.

Sure fine. But its not BS - but rather its just speculation that you and others don't agree with. Just about everything written on this forum is 'wild speculation' and just because you don't like or agree with someone else's speculation here doesn't make it BS.

As but one example, we don't know exactly what transpired between Iginla and Flames brass when he was shipped out, but are you trying to tell me that most of what has been written on CP about that doesn't try to get into motivations of one party or another in that situation. Come on now.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

...Has anyone spoken to Jagr's camp to get a feel for if he would even be willing to come out west and have a last go with the Flames?

Are you talking about one of us personally having done so? I would guess "no" in that case. But given that there are multiple, somewhat credible rumours circulating about the Flames interest in Jagr, then I would have to think that if they are in discussions with him then this is probably one of the first questions asked.

[Gaudfather]

Me waiting for news on Jagr;

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Corral

Sure fine. But its not BS - but rather its just speculation that you and others don't agree with. Just about everything written on this forum is 'wild speculation' and just because you don't like or agree with someone else's speculation here doesn't make it BS.

As but one example, we don't know exactly what transpired between Iginla and Flames brass when he was shipped out, but are you trying to tell me that most of what has been written on CP about that doesn't try to get into motivations of one party or another in that situation. Come on now.

YOU come on now. I am not about to dive into the hundreds or thousands of posts discussing Iginla's departure from the Flames, but a good amount of it is based on information that has been passed on from sources close to the organisation as well as the player.

How can you not see the difference between what you are positing and the dozens of other fruitful discussions on this board?