He did this year. Best player on a team that had players with twice as much cap hit.
It's a lot easier putting up points when you're getting 3 minutes of powerplay a game and don't care about defense like Cammalleri and Tanguay. Stajan was charged with shutting down the other teams top line every night. And he did it with a + rating on a team that gave up 113 5-on-5 goals. (Florida gave up 99 and the next worst team gave up 89). If everyone played above their cap hit like Stajan did, this is a President Trophy winning team.
Unless a team overpays for him, I'd be all for re-signing him short-term. Let the youngins see what playing 200 feet looks like from him.
I have liked Stajan's game this year but he needs to go at the deadline if the flames draft a potential #1 center. Reinhart and Backlund will have hopefully have secured 2 center spots by the deadline and the newbie will need to start getting ice time the following season.
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I have liked Stajan's game this year but he needs to go at the deadline if the flames draft a potential #1 center. Reinhart and Backlund will have hopefully have secured 2 center spots by the deadline and the newbie will need to start getting ice time the following season.
I was thinking in terms of the Flames needing him as we are still light on centers obviously but you bring up a good point. The Flames should trade Stajan for a late round pick at the draft if they draft a center in the top 10 who can play right away.
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Trade away Tanguay and Glencross up front.
Let the following UFAs walk (Begin, Cervenka, MacDonald).
Re-sign Butler and McGrattan.
Trade Butler, Smith, Jackman and Jones.
Say goodbye to Kipper.
I'm on the fence about Cervenka. He is obviously skilled, but at the end of the day he's soft and needs to find a way to produce in the NHL. If management believes in Cervenka, should the team look to sign Cervenka for two years for cheap? Or give him a one way deal and make him prove himself? I'm leaning towards letting him go. I just don't think he'll amount to anything in the NHL.
I'm on the fence about Cervenka. He is obviously skilled, but at the end of the day he's soft and needs to find a way to produce in the NHL. If management believes in Cervenka, should the team look to sign Cervenka for two years for cheap? Or give him a one way deal and make him prove himself? I'm leaning towards letting him go. I just don't think he'll amount to anything in the NHL.
Cervenka has been underwhelming.
But we're in a rebuild - why wouldn't we give him another shot next year? There is no way that we are going to have so many awesome prospects that we can't afford to risk a contract on him.
I mean, we're talking Nemisz, Lamb, etc. as the competition for that 47th, 48th contract.
If nothing else, he might have a decent season and become a deadline asset.
I am a strong supporter of moving Glencross at the draft. The flames are strong at LW and he carries the most value out of all our vets. He is a cheap cap hit but that doesn't mean much for the flames where the cap isn't an issue. He will play top minutes and likely score 30g and 60pts over the next couple years and cost $5M to keep around at 33 years old. Feaster should cash in on his value now while the team rebuilds if Glennie accepts a trade
Cammy is a guy I keep until the deadline where I think he will brim back a solid return as a rental. He might be our top sniper next year and with good numbers and a proven playoff resume we could get a 1st at the deadline
I keep Hudler, Wideman, Giordanobut really all vets are fair game if you ask me
B
Hudler: Isn't the greatest of skaters and is soft, but can be a magician with the puck. So creative and smart in the offensive zone, if not so much in the defensive zone. Keeper.
Where does Hudler get this reputation for being soft? All I ever see him do is fight for space in front of the net and dig pucks out of corners. He's constantly getting bumped around and come back everytime playing his game consistently.
Hudler is in no way a periphery player or a dangler. He's got great hockey sense and an amazing release.
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First and foremost, I think you want to know which veterans want to be there. Because there are some who don't want any part of this process.
^ I definitely had the same first thought. I'm thinking of Tanguay in particular as I think he specifically came back to play with Iginla. However, maybe once things settle down he will decide he really likes the city and playing for Hartley, in which case he could become a great leader in the room next year. His skillset would be excellent for setting up the young players with chances to score goals and boost their confidence.
I really want to keep Cammi and he will be our best asset to trade out at the deadline next season. If he doesn't have a contract extension in place by the deadline then move him for a significant return. If he wants to stay through the rebuild then I'd consider making him the new captain.
I would also keep Stajan on and see if we can trade him at the deadline. He could be a great 2/3 center for a team looking to run at the cup and maybe return a late 1st round pick or a couple seconds if he keeps playing like he did this year.
I like Sarich on the team, I think he is a fantastic mentor for young players but Giordano and Wideman should be able to take on that role and allow Sarich's spot to be filled by another young player. See if we can trade him
I'd be willing to try Cervenka out again for another season with the expectation of him now playing as a scoring winger. If he doesn't come back it isn't a big deal.
I like both Jackman and McGratton and I am most torn about whether or not they should both be kept. The 4th line should be an easy place for us to inject young players and having 2/3 of the line filled with Vets poses a bit of a logjam. However, both of them are hard working "Heart and Soul" kind of guys and I would definitely consider keeping them on to protect and inspire the kids especially if we are making room in the top9 for youth.
The exit interviews are going to be very important this year for finding out which players are committed to the rebuild.
This is a tough one. What is the goal and plan for this team? Compete for the playoffs next year? Build for the future? If it's the latter, what is the timeframe?
This.
Can't answer the main question, until these questions are answered.
Where does Hudler get this reputation for being soft? All I ever see him do is fight for space in front of the net and dig pucks out of corners. He's constantly getting bumped around and come back everytime playing his game consistently.
Hudler is in no way a periphery player or a dangler. He's got great hockey sense and an amazing release.
Probably comes from how easy he is to push off the puck, how quick he goes down if he feels any contact, how reluctant he is to throw a check and how he avoids contact at any cost.
He is decent at keeping the puck if he can avoid contact but when guys get close and he looks like he is going to get hit he has no problem sacrificing the puck to save his body.
Glencross, Hudler, Cervenka, Wideman, Giordano are all here to stay. Cervenka should get another year, see how he adjusts. Need to be above the cap floor anyway... The others provide good leadership and guidance for the younger players.
I would keep Cammalleri, Tanguay, Stajan and Stempniak until the trade deadline. Hopefully they're playing well and we get maximum value for them.
Not too concerned with what happens to McGrattan, Jackman or Begin. They've been fine in their roles. Taken the mor leave them.
Not sure what Smith's future looks like. He has struggled this year and injuries continue to nag him. He's too old to be a legitimate part of the rebuild. Especially with Cundari, Wotherspoon, Ramage and others making a push this summer.
If Sarich wants to stay I keep him, he'll be a great role model for guys like Gundari and Ramage. He's also been better than Butler, Smith, Babchuk, etc.
I hope the Butler experiment is over. Still don't see what Feaster sees in him, looks like an incredibly average defenceman with almost no upside to me.
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Probably comes from how easy he is to push off the puck, how quick he goes down if he feels any contact, how reluctant he is to throw a check and how he avoids contact at any cost.
He is decent at keeping the puck if he can avoid contact but when guys get close and he looks like he is going to get hit he has no problem sacrificing the puck to save his body.
He doesn't throw hits, true.
However, I think you vastly underestimate how hard it is to dig a puck out of the corner or fight for space in front of the net in the NHL. In both situations you're going to have 6'2 200lbs+ defencemen bearing down on you. Hudler scores many of his goals from very dirty places.
Here's a video of all his goals from the 2011/2012 season:
Many of them are the result of him fighting much larger defencemen in front of the net. He scores his goals while being crosschecked in the back. He looks very difficult to "push off the puck". He also makes no effort to avoid contact. He's purposely going to areas where there is constant contact.
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I hope the Butler experiment is over. Still don't see what Feaster sees in him, looks like an incredibly average defenceman with almost no upside to me.
The guy's only 26, which is still young for a d-man. Best case scenario he develops into a bonafide top 4. Worst case scenario he remains a solid bottom pairing guy who can slip into a top 4 role to replace injured palyed.
Too many posters criticizing our lack of development, while simultaneously demanding we get rid of young potential talent. As long as Butler remains cheap, he should be kept around. I understand it was frustrating to see him paired with JBo on the top line, but in a lesser role he's very effective. As a bottom pairing guy, he's comparables should be guys like Smith, Carson, Mickelson, Pardy, Staios, Kronwall, etc.. No, he hasn't progressed the way Brodie has, but he's not really expected to. If we can re-sign him for 1.5 mil or less, he should be kept around.
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Pretty crazy situation for the Flames this off season, when you look at guys signed, RFA's that will likely be back, young guys that are on the verge of being NHLers, and cap space/roster space.
Alex Tanguay ($3.500m) XX/ Mikael Backlund ($1.500m) / Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m)
Sven Baertschi ($1.425m) X/ Matt Stajan ($3.500m) XXXXX/ Jiri Hudler ($4.000m)
Curtis Glencross ($2.550m) / Roman Horak ($0.803m) XXZX/ Lee Stempniak ($2.500m) Lance Bouma ($0.600m) / Max Reinhart ($0.870m) XXXX/ Tim Jackman ($0.613m)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ Blair Jones ($0.650m) XXXXXXX/ Akim Aliu ($0.620m)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ Paul Byron ($0.645m) XXXXX/ Ben Hanowski ($0.900m)
DEFENSEMEN
T.J. Brodie ($1.800m) XXX/ Dennis Wideman ($5.250m)
Mark Giordano ($4.020m) XX/ Chris Butler ($1.400m) Mark Cundari ($0.620m) X/ Cory Sarich ($2.000m)
Derek Smith ($0.775m) XXX/ Christopher Breen ($0.600m)
1. A lot of NHL, borderline NHL players and younger players that may or may not make the jump.
2. Lots of cap space, even with Kipper still on the team, and no big money vets dealt away.
3. Not a very strong line up, or at least on paper it isn't.
How in the world do they find room for any UFA signings/re-signings, while at the same time keeping roster spots open for youngsters who look to have earned spots moving forward?
Trade away some vets?
Well, the roster above isn't exactly a strong one, so if you subtract some key vets from it to bump younger guys up the depth chart, it may only make the roster even weaker, no?
Unless you replace the vet they traded away with a UFA. Well, the UFA market isn't exactly littered with big names, and how many of them would much of an upgrade over a vet that's been traded away?
So many questions going into this off season, more than there has been in a long, long time.
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Where does Hudler get this reputation for being soft?
When he first broke into the league Hudler didn't really go to the dirty areas and he wasn't very strong on the puck. He improved tremendously in both departments the past couple of years but he still lacks strength.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
All I ever see him do is fight for space in front of the net and dig pucks out of corners.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
Hudler scores many of his goals from very dirty places.
Here's a video of all his goals from the 2011/2012 season:
Many of them are the result of him fighting much larger defencemen in front of the net. He scores his goals while being crosschecked in the back. He looks very difficult to "push off the puck". He also makes no effort to avoid contact. He's purposely going to areas where there is constant contact.
I have a different interpretation than you do. I don't see Hudler fighting for space in front of the net or digging pucks out of the corners. That's not his game and there's no need to make him out as such. Not every small skilled player needs to be like St. Louis or Gionta. Hudler is a quick strike kind of guy. An opportunistic goal scorer with a great touch and very quick release who knows how to find space. Hudler is willing to stand in front of the net but he won't stand there with someone constantly crosschecking him and hacking at him and he certainly won't be the first guy going into the corners and coming out with the puck. In other words, he doesn't "fight" for space in front of the net but will stand there to tip pucks in (post lockout NHL rules does wonders).
As you can see from the video you posted, Hudler is willing to go to the dirty areas and take a hit to score a goal, but that's more out of a necessity (you don't get that much room in the NHL). He obviously benefitted a lot from Zetterberg's passing but the fact is he had the ability to recognize openings and get himself into good scoring position. Did you see him consistently go into the corners and coming up with the puck in the video? I didn't. Did you see him battling big defensemen in front of the net? I didn't. Did you see him driving to the net with the puck with defenders drapped all over him? Fighting off checks? I didn't. What I saw was a quick, skilled player who found the openings and finished off his chances.
Fact is Hudler is one of the smallest players in the NHL and has proven himself capable of being a top 6 player in the NHL. But he doesn't play like a Brian Gionta at this best. No need to make him tougher than he is.
Begin: love or hate his signing by taking a job away from Blair Jones, he's an admirable hard working player and I feel like he can be a veteran leader/4th line center, and penalty killer going forward. Keep
Cammalleri: well, let's do a pros and cons list. Pros: he's got a lethal shot and is a veteran goal scorer, especially on the PP. He is versatile and can play wing or center (surprisingly), as well as a decent 2-way game. He is incredibly fit and has a good work ethic, and has some leadership skills. Cons: He is very small and doesn't make a difference physically. In fact, you need at least 2 big men on his line to make sure he can still be effective. He can occasionally look invisible out on the ice. He has a large cap hit. Overall, he adds more than he takes away. Keep
Glencross: Oy...his blunders give me a headache, but he can score his fair share of goals. Most of the time he does a good job out there, but can take selfish penalties and make mental errors. Being as the Flames are trying to go with a "high hockey IQ" mentality, he doesn't seem to fit the mould. Plus, you could get a good return for him, especially with his contract. Go
Hudler: He looked so good to start the year but now he regularly is invisible for almost the entire game...that is until he decides to play hard and makes an amazing play. He has great skill but an irregular effort. He is a worse version of Tanguay. Go
Stajan: He's been a hard luck candidate for so many years. This year he has finally shown his worth as a dependable 2-way center with some holes in his game. Since we have nothing better at center coming down the pipe, I say... Keep
Jackman: I love his effort, but he isn't a guy that seriously out classes anyone else on the roster. He is a replaceable player with one of the many crash and bang wingers we have in the minors. As much as it pains me to say it... Go
McGrattan: I was unsure about bringing him back here, but he has been so motivated to be a contributing player since arriving. I am so impressed by his effort and decent skill level that I think we should keep him for another 3 years. No more than 900 K per year though. Keep
Stempniak: Our best and most consistent player this year...PERIOD. His contract is ridiculously valuable for all the things he does to help the team. This is a no-brainer. Keep
Tanguay: I'm so sick of his pathetic efforts. The guy always plays well for a handful of games to make you hopeful. His skill is very good, but he doesn't help the team in a lot of other areas. We need guys that are willing to put it on the line, and he doesn't seem like that kind of guy to me. Go
Babchuk: He had his chance for a while to show he can be a regular. He hasn't done it. Go
Sarich: I want him to mentor the young physical defenders on how to play that type of game in the NHL. Guys like Breen, Wotherspoon, Cundari, Ramage, and Sieloff can learn a lot from him. He has a couple years left to do that work so, Keep
Giordano: I just don't know what's wrong with him this season. I know that he'll be the ultimate competitor going forward though and he is a good 2-way defender. Keep
Wideman: he had some truly awful stretches this year, but I feel like he can be a solid veteran for us going forward both offensively and defensively. Keep
McDonald: a waiver pickup ends up being our best goaltender this shortened season. Assuming Kipper is done, we need his veteran presence to at least backup whoever wins the starting job. Keep
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When he first broke into the league Hudler didn't really go to the dirty areas and he wasn't very strong on the puck. He improved tremendously in both departments the past couple of years but he still lacks strength.
I have a different interpretation than you do. I don't see Hudler fighting for space in front of the net or digging pucks out of the corners. That's not his game and there's no need to make him out as such. Not every small skilled player needs to be like St. Louis or Gionta. Hudler is a quick strike kind of guy. An opportunistic goal scorer with a great touch and very quick release who knows how to find space. Hudler is willing to stand in front of the net but he won't stand there with someone constantly crosschecking him and hacking at him and he certainly won't be the first guy going into the corners and coming out with the puck. In other words, he doesn't "fight" for space in front of the net but will stand there to tip pucks in (post lockout NHL rules does wonders).
As you can see from the video you posted, Hudler is willing to go to the dirty areas and take a hit to score a goal, but that's more out of a necessity (you don't get that much room in the NHL). He obviously benefitted a lot from Zetterberg's passing but the fact is he had the ability to recognize openings and get himself into good scoring position. Did you see him consistently go into the corners and coming up with the puck in the video? I didn't. Did you see him battling big defensemen in front of the net? I didn't. Did you see him driving to the net with the puck with defenders drapped all over him? Fighting off checks? I didn't. What I saw was a quick, skilled player who found the openings and finished off his chances.
Fact is Hudler is one of the smallest players in the NHL and has proven himself capable of being a top 6 player in the NHL. But he doesn't play like a Brian Gionta at this best. No need to make him tougher than he is.
Hudler is shifty & has good vision. He seems to have played his best on a line with another creative player (Cervenka) and a hard worker/space-creator (Horak). Last season he got career highs playing with Zetterberg & Filppula, which is a similar vibe.
1. A lot of NHL, borderline NHL players and younger players that may or may not make the jump.
2. Lots of cap space, even with Kipper still on the team, and no big money vets dealt away.
3. Not a very strong line up, or at least on paper it isn't.
How in the world do they find room for any UFA signings/re-signings, while at the same time keeping roster spots open for youngsters who look to have earned spots moving forward?
Trade away some vets?
Well, the roster above isn't exactly a strong one, so if you subtract some key vets from it to bump younger guys up the depth chart, it may only make the roster even weaker, no?
Unless you replace the vet they traded away with a UFA. Well, the UFA market isn't exactly littered with big names, and how many of them would much of an upgrade over a vet that's been traded away?
So many questions going into this off season, more than there has been in a long, long time.
You are correct in saying that lineup is weak, but I would make the case that it is strengthened by subtracting a veteran player or two.
It is no coincidence that our sudden winning form has arrived with the veteran floaters on the sidelines or traded away. If at all possible we should or roll with the current lineup next season.
Horak is making a solid case for himself as a top 6 forward. Baertschi has 5 points in the last 4 games since he's been promoted to a top 6 role. Backlund is a force every game, and as long as he keeps fit he could be wearing an 'A' in the not-too-distant future. Kiprussoff is not playing like someone who intends on retiring.
If this were a normal 82 game season these youngsters would have another 40 games to make a push for the playoffs. It's very promising to see these results.
