Building the Defense

[GettinIggyWithIt]

Originally Posted by moon

Fistric is no better than the marginal NHLers we already have (Russell, SOB, Butler, Wideman). I would rather see guys like Cundari, Smith and even Breen than another retread guy like Fistric.

I actually agreed with your post until you included Wideman in that group. Wideman is much more than a marginal NHL defenseman. He would be top 4 on most NHL teams. The other guys are hard pressed to be 5-7 type guys.

[StrykerSteve]

I'd be happy with a back end consisting of Ekblad/Brodie
Wotherspoon/Ramage
Sieloff/Kanzig

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Walter Reed

I thought the Flames might have given Mark Fistric some consideration as a stop gap player until some of your younger guys on defense were ready ....

to try and tank?

[Poe969]

Kanzig is a huge question mark. The guy looks like a young Chara, I'm not saying he'll be anything like him but he could.... Who knows. I do agree that Ekblad should be the Flames top priority at the draft (still think the Flames draft him with the 3rd overall pick this coming draft). I wonder if Dion would ever come back to the Flames...

[Bourque's Twin]

Moon hates Wideman but Wideman proved the other night that he's much better than a brink guy (even though he had nothing to prove). Butler, however, is horrible, not that young, and has no upside. He's flat out brutal. Give Cundari his spot.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I would prefer if the flames used first round picks for forwards and later picks for defenceman. Players like Brodie, Ramage, Sieloff, Cundari for the bottom 4 are fine.

The odd player will turn out better than expected and fill the holes via free agency.

The top two lines are still way too empty IMO to consider drafting a defenceman in the first round.

[Itse]

One thing to remember;

Forward prospects straight out of draft tend to look a lot better than defensive prospects straight out of draft.

1-2 years from now is about the earliest we can hope to see something as exciting from our defensive prospects as the forwards have been.

That said, I think our defensive prospect depth is a bit lacking. I think it will get some extra attention this season and possibly in the next draft.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

My question is why are we trying to build a pre lockout (2 lockouts technically) blue line? The game is not the same as it once was so we should be trying to build a recent Stanley cup winning blue line instead.

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I would prefer if the flames used first round picks for forwards and later picks for defenceman. Players like Brodie, Ramage, Sieloff, Cundari for the bottom 4 are fine.

The odd player will turn out better than expected and fill the holes via free agency.

The top two lines are still way too empty IMO to consider drafting a defenceman in the first round.

It doesn't make sense to over pay in free agency every time. You need to develop some guys and as for not taking defensmen early, you should take the BPA. Those star defensmen have to be drafted by some team, lets hope the Flames are one of them soon. I'm not big on taking defensmen early but I think for someone like Ekblad you have to. That's only my opinion though. My dream is the Flames getting Ekblad this year, sucking next year and then getting McDavid.

[The Original FFIV]

We have 3 UFA defensemen as it currently stands. For sure Smith and Butler are going to be gone, iffy on Russell as we don't have a body of work to see.

So next year:

Gio
Wideman
Brodie
SOB

Openings for 2-3 spots:

Ramage
Wotherspoon
Cundari
Sieloff

I can see Sieloff going back to junior which will elevate Wotherspoon and Ramage to slot in our top 6. Cundari is 7th

After that, SOB's contract expires. Logical to bring Sieloff at that time.

Organization has a plan, and I'm sure it looks something like the above. Yes, missing that top pairing D but that's what the future drafts are about.

[C_of_Red28]

If it was up to me.. I would of traded Gio.. however he's our captain now.. So I'm guessing he's not going anywhere... Our defensive core isn't very good.. and it hasn't been since Regehr left. I'm hoping Tyler Wotherspoon and Patrick Sieloff will quickly develop if not.. I'm afraid we will be looking at free agency or trade

[cowtown75]

Does anyone here have an accurate assessement as to where Breen is at in his development ? I have been hearing like Zero about him.

[TheDebaser]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Does anyone here have an accurate assessement as to where Breen is at in his development ? I have been hearing like Zero about him.

Good point, why isn't he at camp?

[moon]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Does anyone here have an accurate assessement as to where Breen is at in his development ? I have been hearing like Zero about him.

He is injured.

[Freeway]

Breen is in the Ramage/Wotherspoon/Sieloff/Cundari pile of "almost there" guys.

[dissentowner]

In the future I want to see Breen and Kanzig paired up. Have fun with that, opposition!

[Imported_Aussie]

I think this defensive group needs Seiloff and one of Kanzig/Breen to develop into guys in the top 6 D in the next 2-4 years. They need more toughness. O'Brien is a good stop-gap, will clear the crease, eat up minutes on a team not challenging in the short term.
And Wideman is not bad, he is just not a guy you want as a 1/2 on your depth chart. To me, he is a great second pairing guy who plays on the first powerplay. Hopefully, Brodie can become a solid top pairing guy, but even right now, I see that D group having no true top pairing guy. 3 second pairing guys (Brodie, Wideman, Giordano) and a bunch of 5-7 guys, most with potential. Butler has been the guy victimized by stepping up as a top 4 guy when he is not there yet (if he ever grows into that role) - will he be that guy again this year?

[heep223]

Originally Posted by C_of_Red28

If it was up to me.. I would of traded Gio.. however he's our captain now.. So I'm guessing he's not going anywhere... Our defensive core isn't very good.. and it hasn't been since Regehr left. I'm hoping Tyler Wotherspoon and Patrick Sieloff will quickly develop if not.. I'm afraid we will be looking at free agency or trade

Our defensive core isn't very good so we should trade one of our best d-men? Solid strategy

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

My question is why are we trying to build a pre lockout (2 lockouts technically) blue line? The game is not the same as it once was so we should be trying to build a recent Stanley cup winning blue line instead.

Care to elaborate on this? Do you mean prospect-wise, or with our current line-up?

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I would prefer if the flames used first round picks for forwards and later picks for defenceman. Players like Brodie, Ramage, Sieloff, Cundari for the bottom 4 are fine.

The odd player will turn out better than expected and fill the holes via free agency.

The top two lines are still way too empty IMO to consider drafting a defenceman in the first round.

Its a nice idea but a bad rule. I think it has been discussed here enough times that the only hole on a team's roster that is harder to fill than the #1D spot is the #1C.

Yes - its true that teams have been able to find guys like Weber and Chara outside of the first round. And we can certainly hope to do that too but that is a long shot, and definitely not a certain gameplan for drafting a #1D. For every Weber picked out of the second round there are 15 Ramholts that make teams kick themselves for not picking Weber.

If the Flames go up to the podium in 2014 and Ekblad is on the board I would be seriously disappointed if the Flames passed him up. The kid has the makings to be a future NHL stud. The kind you end up having to pick in the top 3, like Niedermayer or Pronger. When an opportunity comes up to pick a player like this, AND your team is in dire need to add such a player, you do not pass him up just because you think you should keep adding forwards in the first round.