Does Treliving accomplish the needs we needed at the start of last season?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

...Frolik for the Hudler replacement is a long reach. He was put on the Jets top lines due to injuries and was an adequate but not a solid top-6 guy. Stafford stepped up a heck of a lot more with his opportunity.

Why would you assume that Frolik is a "Hudler replacement"? His production with Winnipeg was definitely more than adequate for the second line, which is where I expect him to play in Calgary this season. His contract reflects this.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Why would you assume that Frolik is a "Hudler replacement"? His production with Winnipeg was definitely more than adequate for the second line, which is where I expect him to play in Calgary this season. His contract reflects this.

Frolik is the #26 RW in salary cap in the league. It does not seem that the Flames will be able to afford to pay Hudler even a $5M deal going forward so to say that it is okay to have Frolik as a 2nd (or 3rd line checking penalty killer) is not a viable signing.

Frolik only makes sense if Trevling thinks that he has not reached his full potential and will be at very least be a 1a RW.

I really don't like that he was so weak an option as a top 6 RW that for the last 2 years the Jets kept moving Byfuglien up to the #2 RW slot.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Frolik is the #26 RW in salary cap in the league. It does not seem that the Flames will be able to afford to pay Hudler even a $5M deal going forward so to say that it is okay to have Frolik as a 2nd (or 3rd line checking penalty killer) is not a viable signing.

I don't see how one has all that much to do with the other. The Flames needed depth on the right, and Frolik addresses that need. He slots in on the second line and is being paid in accordance with that. Yes, the Flames will need to find a solution for the top line next summer, but the insertion of Frolik into the lineup (which essentially replaces David Jones' cap hit beyond this season) is only tangentially related to that matter. For all we know there will be more trades in the season, at the TD, and the draft which will help to address it. For all we know, a prospect (or prospects) will step up this season to show signs of addressing it.

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Frolik only makes sense if Trevling thinks that he has not reached his full potential and will be at very least be a 1a RW.

No. Frolik makes sense because he is a more than competent second line player who drives possession.

Originally Posted by ricardodw

I really don't like that he was so weak an option as a top 6 RW that for the last 2 years the Jets kept moving Byfuglien up to the #2 RW slot.

As expected, this is an utterly myopic view of this signing.

[GioforPM]

At the start of last season I considered the Flames to be two seasons away from the POs, and that wasn't an unusual opinion. They made the POs, so well above expectations.

At the beginning of last season I considered the D NHL depth and D prospects to be a bit suspect. Treliving made the obvious huge coup as far as depth and made really good prospect moves.

I'm not concerned about goaltending because the only real issue is this coming year with Hiller and Ramo. Like I said before, I still consider next season a rebuilding year, so one or both of those guys is an OK stopgap. Then the Flames have decent prospects in goal with Ortio, Gillies, Macdonald. And of course, they can always make more moves after this season when Ramo and/or Hiller are both done.

[Strange Brew]

[QUOTE=Textcritic;5384690]I don't see how one has all that much to do with the other. The Flames needed depth on the right, and Frolik addresses that need. He slots in on the second line and is being paid in accordance with that. Yes, the Flames will need to find a solution for the top line next summer, but the insertion of Frolik into the lineup (which essentially replaces David Jones' cap hit beyond this season) is only tangentially related to that matter. For all we know there will be more trades in the season, at the TD, and the draft which will help to address it. For all we know, a prospect (or prospects) will step up this season to show signs of addressing it.

I think you are a little harsh in criticizing Ricardo's reasoning here. David Jones has nothing to do with the Frolik signing. Two different types of players and to say that Frolik replaces Jones' cap hit is simplistic and ignores the other salary cap decisions facing the Flames next year.

You are right that for all we know there will be more trades and prospects emerging but that doesn't really support any argument. I could just as easily say for all we know the Flames will lock themselves into cap jail and have to dump players a la Boston.

I do agree that it comes down to whether Frolik and associated salary is good value for a second line winger. I am not totally convinced he is an upper tier 2nd line winger but seems there are others here who honestly know his game better than I do.

But another line of thinking is that Flames would have been better off keeping some of their powder dry in anticipation of landing a top line player or hoping a prospect emerges to be a second line winger and save some cap flexibility. The latter option seems especially valid if you believe the next two years are still rebuilding years.

There are valid arguments supporting any of these positions.