LeBrun: How one more Stars win in 2016 could have made Frederik Andersen a Flame

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Toonage

^ Which is why I think the Flames move their 1st round pick this year to secure the rights/sign for a guy like Varlamov.

They may have no choice but to do something like this especially if the season ends badly because of goaltending as Gaudreau will be into the 3rd last season of his contract.

[corporatejay]

He's already the best player on the team.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You guys make it sound like Tkachuk is going to carry this team to the playoffs. He hasn't, won't, and can't. Andersson could. It's silly to compare Rittich to Anderson because one goaltender has a career .919 SV% over 278 games while the other one is still unknown. All the Flames have needed over the past few years is a goaltender that puts up consistently league average or better to be a perennial playoff team. I like Tkachuk but unless we are talking about Ovechkin there's no way a winger has value to a team like a top goaltender.

I really think you are badly underselling Tkachuk's value to this team, especially in the long run. You also seem to suggest that the hole created by the loss of Tkachuk would be easily filled in retrospect. I wonder how you imagine this would work out?

This isn't the first time it has been said on this board, but continues to bear repeating: goaltending for a few years has been but one of SEVERAL required upgrades on this roster. While it now remains probably the only unresolved weakness some posters talk about it like it has always been this way. It has not. Treliving has been building towards the team in place today, and with the addition of a goalie I think it will be a finished product.

Arguably, Andersen gets the Flames into the playoffs last year, or he helps push them past the Ducks in 2017. But then what? The team at EVERY OTHER position is demonstrably and significantly better today than it has been for years. Going into next season with an anticipated upgrade to the last position of weakness I would assert that the Flames will be substantially better than with the swap-out of just Tkachuk and Andersen.

[Strange Brew]

I wouldn't trade Tkachuk for Anderson, No one would.

But I don't subscribe to the whole "oh my god, can you imagine if we had done that" catastrophe, That's a little too dramatic for this team IMO.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I wouldn't trade Tkachuk for Anderson, No one would.

He’s a top 5 goalie in the league (IMO 3).

Still wouldn’t make that trade.

[bluejays]

Andersen a top 3 in the league? lol. I'm pretty sure all things considered, he's not in the top 10 goaltenders in the league on largest assets you'd give up to get (contract ignored).

[flamesforcup]

No way u trade Tkachuk for Anderson. Goalies just dont have that kind of value. But i agree Flames have to get a goalie ASAP. Our first should be on the table for a goalie. I doubt we can afford to re-sign Varlamov or Bobrovsky so it would have to be a young goalie and i cant think of anyone who will be available.

[Inferno]

I've never been high on Andersen so this news doesn't disappoint me. It's not that I think he's a bad goalie, I was just never disappointed that the Flames missed out on him.

I don't think things change much other than maybe not having a complete meltdown like Elliott did against the Ducks and getting swept. But even with that the Flames may have still lost the series. I don't think any goalie gets the Flames in the playoffs last year with Gulutzan as coach.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Oh those silly Leafs fans love to hold their hometown heroes on a pedestal. Media plays in to it.

My goodness, I hate the overuse of save percentage as an indicator of a goalie’s value. In the real world, Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson put up save percentages above .930 playing for Jacques Lemaire. Kipper put up ~.930 with Darryl and ~.910 with Keenan, and it was not because he became an average goalie.

No way do you value the Flames with Andersen and without Tkachuk higher than the converse.

Goalies should be, as Burke said, accountable for the shots they should stop.

Smith has struggled but the delta between Smith and reasonable quality goaltending is much more impactful than between quality goaltending and Andersen.

[awildermode]

I wonder why Matthew chose to wear #19, while Brady wears #7 like their dad.

[TheOnlyBilko]

If we were giving up #6 I'd much rather have had Marc Andre Fleury

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by awildermode

I wonder why Matthew chose to wear #19, while Brady wears #7 like their dad.

7 wasn’t available here. He wore 7 with the London Knights.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

They may have no choice but to do something like this especially if the season ends badly because of goaltending as Gaudreau will be into the 3rd last season of his contract.

I think if goaltending lets them down again this year, the guys upstairs would want to see how next year went with someone off the scrap heap before really investing in a NHL goaltender. Poor goaltending this year would only be 4 years in a row that the Flames had poor goaltending. Why not make it 5? The Drive for Five, it has a ring to it.

That being said, hopefully Rittich is the guy. Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle.

[Toonage]

To reiterate my opinion, which I know won't be super popular - at the end of this season you give up a 1st and whatever else you may need to (within reason) for the rights to a guy like Varlamov (or whichever pending UFA goalie they want). Opportunities have been missed over the past few years because they waited too long. This is something that needs to get done as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

He’s a top 5 goalie in the league (IMO 3).

Still wouldn’t make that trade.

I'd put him back of Bob, Vasilevski, Gibson, Varlamov, Price (assuming any kind of return to form), and, gun to head, Price, Rinne, MAF, Hellebuyck, Quick.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Toonage

To reiterate my opinion, which I know won't be super popular - at the end of this season you give up a 1st and whatever else you may need to (within reason) for the rights to a guy like Varlamov (or whichever pending UFA goalie they want). Opportunities have been missed over the past few years because they waited too long. This is something that needs to get done as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

I think sending picks for negotiating rights is a terrible idea—especially under the current CBA which stipulates a full week negotiating period for all pending UFAs. But even beyond that, a first round pick in exchange for an opportunity to start talks with a player who may not even sign a contract when all is said and done is just not an acceptable risk.

I imagine that the Flames will have a handful of good options heading into the summer.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I think sending picks for negotiating rights is a terrible idea—especially under the current CBA which stipulates a full week negotiating period for all pending UFAs. But even beyond that, a first round pick in exchange for an opportunity to start talks with a player who may not even sign a contract when all is said and done is just not an acceptable risk.

I imagine that the Flames will have a handful of good options heading into the summer.

See, not a super popular opinion

Seriously though, I get what you're saying and its hard not to agree. But I look at this as the one glaring need and if the team has the chance to secure the asset, they do it.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by awildermode

I wonder why Matthew chose to wear #19, while Brady wears #7 like their dad.

[bax]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Oh those silly Leafs fans love to hold their hometown heroes on a pedestal. Media plays in to it.

My goodness, I hate the overuse of save percentage as an indicator of a goalie’s value. In the real world, Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson put up save percentages above .930 playing for Jacques Lemaire. Kipper put up ~.930 with Darryl and ~.910 with Keenan, and it was not because he became an average goalie.

No way do you value the Flames with Andersen and without Tkachuk higher than the converse.

Goalies should be, as Burke said, accountable for the shots they should stop.

Smith has struggled but the delta between Smith and reasonable quality goaltending is much more impactful than between quality goaltending and Andersen.

That Leaf's D is a bit of a tire fire at times though. The only using the have a low GA is because Andersen has played really well this year. Still wouldn't give up Tkachuk for him though.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'd put him back of Bob, Vasilevski, Gibson, Varlamov, Price (assuming any kind of return to form), and, gun to head, Price, Rinne, MAF, Hellebuyck, Quick.

It’s his consistency that I really like. He’s just so steady in there. Reminds me of kipper.

Yeah there are quite a few amazing goalies, I like em all haha.