Who will be our starting Goalie in early November?

[Dion]

Ramo and Ortio will end up 1A and 1B for the season. Hiller will be the odd man out and will be traded or sent down.

[getbak]

Here is each team's current goalie situation with a month to go before training camp...

ANA - Khudobin, Andersen
ARI - Smith, Lindback
BOS - Rask, Smith
BUF - Lehner, Johnson
CGY - Hiller, Ramo
CAR - Ward, Lack
CHI - Crawford, Darling
COL - Varlamov, Berra
CBJ - Bobrovsky, McElhinney
DAL - Lehtonen, Niemi
DET - Howard, Mrazek
EDM - Scrivens, Talbot
FLA - Luongo, Montoya
LAK - Quick, Enroth
MIN - Dubnyk, Kuemper, Backstrom
MTL - Price, Tokarski
NAS - Rinne, Hutton
NJD - Schneider, Kinkaid
NYI - Halak, Greiss
NYR - Lundqvist, Raanta
OTT - Anderson, Hammond
PHI - Mason, Neuvirth
PIT - Fleury, Zatkoff
SJS - Jones, Stalock
STL - Elliott, Allen
TBL - Bishop, Vasilevskiy
TOR - Bernier, Reimer
VAN - Miller, Markstrom
WAS - Holtby, Peters
WPG - Pavelec, Hutchinson
----------
UFA - Gustavsson, Budaj, Emery


I'm not sure where things sit with Backstrom in Minnesota. He suffered nerve damage last season and couldn't even use his right arm for a time. He had surgery and says he'll be ready for training camp. Kuemper will require waivers to go to the AHL, and I think he's more likely to get claimed than Ortio, so I doubt Minnesota wants to risk it.


Boston's second-best goalie is a 25 year-old with zero NHL games played; and Pittsburgh's is a 28 year-old with 21 NHL games played. You have to think either of them will be looking for a solid backup. I don't see either of them being in the market for Hiller or Ramo at their contracts. Boston and Pittsburgh are the two teams I'd be most concerned might pick up Ortio from waivers.

Buffalo and San Jose look like the most likely targets for a Hiller/Ramo trade. If I was Buffalo, I'd be more comfortable running a tandem of Hiller and Lehner than Lehner and Johnson, same with Hiller and Jones over Jones and Stalock.

If Buffalo made a deal for Hiller, they could flip Johnson to Boston, where he could backup Rask, like he did when they won the President's trophy two seasons ago.

[codynw]

Carey Price

[Enoch Root]

The earliest that Ortio would be the #1 is after the trade deadline, IMO.

Toss up between Hiller and Ramo

[CSharp]

If the Flames keep playing in their own zone for 50 minutes a game like they did a lot of times in the latter part of the season, I think Russell will become the starting goaltender. Ramo's gonna start and Ortio will backup.

[kyuss275]

Don't really know the answer to this. I'm not as convinced as some that Hiller is the odd man out. I think the re-signing of Ramo indicates that they are not 100% sold on either Hiller or Ortio. I don't see Ramo being any better than Hiller and if they 100% thought Ortio would be the back-up they wouldn't have re-signed Ramo. I am also not convinced that if Ortio can't beat out one of the 2 veterans that he would get claimed on waivers. I'm hoping Ortio becomes the #1, but that's because i don't think either Hiller or Ramo are true #1 goalies.

[Itse]

I would be surprised if Rämö wins out over Hiller.

Last season Hiller played way more games (about a 60/40 split in favour of Hiller), had better GAA, better SV% and a better win%. Even if the margin wasn't great, Hiller was on average the better goalie, and I don't expect that to change.

That said the difference isn't huge, so they might move Hiller because of age or other such issues. (For example because another team is more interested in Hiller than Rämö.)

If Ortio becomes the starter, the age difference between Rämö and Hiller becomes a rather moot issue IMO, since they're both too expensive to be longterm backups anyway.

[Poe969]

I'd love to see Hiller moved. I think a tandem of Ramo and Ortio would be amazing moving forward, not in that they'd be the best ever but that it would allow the team to stay competitive while bringing a prospect into the league slowly. I'd prefer if neither Hiller or Ramo were here next year though.

Depending on what we could get in a deal for Hiller or Ramo also has a lot to do with things. I'd prefer Ramo but if a team wants to over pay for Ramo and we'd keep Hiller, I'd be ok with that too.

[Vulcan]

What makes it interesting is that when Ortio was given his one way contract, we didn't think we'd be in contention to challenge for a run for the cup. If we didn't make the playoffs last year, it would be easy to have Ortio make the team and let him learn while we absorb any loses as it wouldn't be critical. Things have changed and if Ortio wants to be part of this team, he needs to produce right now.

[Robbob]

I think Hiller is the plan B if Ortio can not come into camp and take the step needed to compete and push Ramo to create that competitive environment they had last year. I think Ramo will be the starter but the back up won't be far behind (another 1a/1b situation).

Looking at the goalie list above, I don't think there is much of a market for Hiller. Unless a team has a goalie go down in training camp/preseason, I think the flames may break camp with three goalies.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Does it really matter? They re-signed Ramo for Insurance after all their digging for another goaltender dried up. It wasn't like the signed him right out of the gates. They tried finding better and didn't have an luck. Seemed pretty clear to me that Ramo was down the Flames list of people to sign.
Bringing Ramo back is all about competition in camp. Instead of having 2 goalies battle for the #1 spot the goalies now have to battle for 2 spots between the 3. This is Treliving and Hartleys mantra.

Saying this is the least likely scenario out of any scenario is just as crazy as no goalie has stolen a spot out of camp yet and no goalie has been anointed by anyone save the fans.

The title was who will be the #1 by november. Ramo won't be here is my prediction.

Wow you are a bit full of yourself.

On one hand you think that you are smarter than every scout and management of everyone in the NHL in the as Kylington is a Bennett (top 1 to 4 draft pick) talent. This being based on his play as a 16 year old on a large ice surface rushing the puck.... NOT as his play against other 17-18 year olds where he was the worst d-man in the u-18 Swedish team.


Then the Flames just signed Ramo, not to a so much as show me, win a job at camp deal but a 3.8 M deal.

3.8M is the 27th highest goalie cap hit in the NHL That makes it #1 goalie money. Hillier at 4.5 is the 19th highest cap in the NHL. The Flames management have identified and signed 2 #1 goalies (by salary level) and you are basically calling them out as stupid as Ortio who they have been watching every game and practice of his career is somehow obviously superior. This is despite his rather middle of the road AHL numbers of the last season and his 15 game .899 NHL save percentage.


What did they miss that you have such a greater insight?


What team is so desperate for a goalie that they would be willing to commit one of their 2/3 goalie spots and 600k cap space for the full year to Ortio at waiver time?


Ortio does have some competition. Gillies is the front runner to be #1 at Stockton.

[CroFlames]

Very odd situation indeed. Logic tells your one of Ramo or Hiller need to get traded right away.

The problem is, Ortio is still unproven. What if you trade one of your two NHL goalies, and Ortio turns out to not be ready?

I'm not clear on this though: Can Ortio be sent to the AHL directly from camp? Or does he need to be in the NHL straight from camp? I realize if he gets sent down during the season, he is subject to waivers.

PS: Add a poll to the thread.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Very odd situation indeed. Logic tells your one of Ramo or Hiller need to get traded right away.

The problem is, Ortio is still unproven. What if you trade one of your two NHL goalies, and Ortio turns out to not be ready?

I'm not clear on this though: Can Ortio be sent to the AHL directly from camp? Or does he need to be in the NHL straight from camp? I realize if he gets sent down during the season, he is subject to waivers.

PS: Add a poll to the thread.

He can be sent down at any time, and has to clear waivers regardless of when that is.

The issue on that front is that, at the beginning of the season, after camp, every team has to send guys down and typically no one has room for extra players. So virtually everyone clears.

Markstrom cleared last year. But I think Ortio might attract more attention. And there is also the Oilers factor - they could easily keep him up on their roster and they might be interested in grabbing him simply because its the Flames.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Very odd situation indeed. Logic tells your one of Ramo or Hiller need to get traded right away.

The problem is, Ortio is still unproven. What if you trade one of your two NHL goalies, and Ortio turns out to not be ready?

I'm not clear on this though: Can Ortio be sent to the AHL directly from camp? Or does he need to be in the NHL straight from camp? I realize if he gets sent down during the season, he is subject to waivers.

PS: Add a poll to the thread.

He still has to clear waivers during camp. The only advantage to doing it at that time is everybody has bloated rosters and are sending players down.

[erikk3]

Originally Posted by getbak

Here is each team's current goalie situation with a month to go before training camp...

[FONT="Courier New"]
NYI - Halak, Greiss

Hey man I think you made a mistake here. You forgot about DiPietro

[StrykerSteve]

Ortio is the starting goalie.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Wow you are a bit full of yourself.

On one hand you think that you are smarter than every scout and management of everyone in the NHL in the as Kylington is a Bennett (top 1 to 4 draft pick) talent. This being based on his play as a 16 year old on a large ice surface rushing the puck.... NOT as his play against other 17-18 year olds where he was the worst d-man in the u-18 Swedish team.


Then the Flames just signed Ramo, not to a so much as show me, win a job at camp deal but a 3.8 M deal.

3.8M is the 27th highest goalie cap hit in the NHL That makes it #1 goalie money. Hillier at 4.5 is the 19th highest cap in the NHL. The Flames management have identified and signed 2 #1 goalies (by salary level) and you are basically calling them out as stupid as Ortio who they have been watching every game and practice of his career is somehow obviously superior. This is despite his rather middle of the road AHL numbers of the last season and his 15 game .899 NHL save percentage.


What did they miss that you have such a greater insight?


What team is so desperate for a goalie that they would be willing to commit one of their 2/3 goalie spots and 600k cap space for the full year to Ortio at waiver time?


Ortio does have some competition. Gillies is the front runner to be #1 at Stockton.

Jeez, should I have developed some sort of index to base my opinions?

Just so we are clear. I believe Ortio will win the job by Novemeber. OOooooo so full of myself. I also believe that the statistically better goalie with more reliable experience to lean on between Hiller and Ramo will keep their job with the Flames....Oooooooo so cocky....so brazen...

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I think it's 50/50 we see a deal for a goalie during the season. Bernier?

That's a very interesting suggestion. Of all the #1's around the league that would be a good fit (He's 27) I could see him being available if the price is right. Toronto is going to be looking to tank hard this season and possibly next, and Bernier is in a position to steal them games.

I wonder what it would take to land him?

I think he'd be a clear upgrade on Hiller/Ramo and would solidify us as having a goalie capeable of stealing a few.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Are you saying he was only interested in a goalie because he didn't know if he could sign Ramo? I think that's unlikely. He re-signed Ramo to a 1 year deal once he knew he wasn't trading for a goalie.

I'm saying I believe re-signing Ramo was plan B when they were unable to acquire another goaltender at a reasonable price.

[Coach]

I might be alone here, as it seems everyone thinks a number 1 absolutely MUST emerge at some point. I personally see no problem with running a tandem of equally good goaltenders. When one is cold, you put the other in and vice versa. There are so many quality goaltenders that float around and then flounder under the pressure of 60-70 games. If you don't have one of the top 5 guys, I think the tandem is the way to go until someone really sets themselves apart.

FTR, I think Ortio will be our starter by season's end.