24/25 Calgary Flames Roster and Line Combination Discussion Thread

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by keenan87

After this season, he will have about $60 MM left.

Sign him for 3 years at $20 MM a year.

Probably not going to happen.

Because its not allowed. While teams and players can mutually terminate a contract, that player cannot then sign with the same team.

[zukes]

I am so sick of the tinkering by every coach. The lines were rolling along, we were 5-0-1. I get moving guys in and out when you have guys in the press box, but changing the whole mix has once again derailed a strong start. Like I said when it happened, this just happened with Sutter a few years ago with another hot start.

The time for experimenting with lines is now. This is when the lines should have first been shuffled. Not when you start 5-0-1.

Nobody has any patience anywhere. Only somewhat related but it's like in fantasy sports, you draft your team and within a week or two people are making trades for the sake of making trades. Have some damn patience!!

[traptor]

I would just stick Huberdeau with Backlund and Coleman. Give the kids the more offensive roles.

It's clear he's never going to be that offensive dynamo he once was. We're stuck with him for the next number of years.

Best we can hope for is he becomes a reliable middle 6 winger that doesn't give up alot.

He won't pull Backlund and Coleman off their games.


Kuzmenko - Kadri - Mantha
Zary- Pospisil - Sharky
Huberdeau - Backlund - Coleman


Be ready to demote or sit guys who aren't working (e.g. Mantha or Kuzmenko) and replace them with kids (e.g. Coronato, Honzek and Pelletier)

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Brzustewicz is 19 years old, has no goals and one assist so far in the ahl Sure let the kids play but maybe don't put them in situations they're clearly not ready for. We're still early in the season, the kids that need to be in the nhl will.

He’s not a forward. He looks like he’s ready to play.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

What's Kuzmenko doing more than these players? 2 points (both against the Jets) in his last 5 games and hasn't registered a single shot on goal in the past two games. This guy isn't a lot different than Mantha at the end of the day.

I wouldn’t say that. Stat lines don’t tell the whole story. He works his ass off.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Goriders

He’s not a forward. He looks like he’s ready to play.

Based on what?
He's not a forward but he is an offensive dman. The stats suggest he is not ready.

[DeluxeMoustache]

It may be worth putting Huberdeau or Mantha with Backlund and Coleman . These guys just seem unable to bring it consistently.

The optimist in me hoped Mantha and Huberdeau would click and that Pospisil had just the game to complement them. Kind of in the sense that he plays a straight line heavy game like Bennett

Maybe it will take ~20 games like it did with Dougie Hamilton and you profit

Or maybe that isn’t what’s happening. Florida Bennett flourished with Florida Huberdeau. But Huberdeau isn’t Florida Huberdeau. What if Pospisil is Calgary Bennett and Huberdeau is his Troy Brouwer? Yikes.

It’s a tall ask of a young guy like Pospisil to step in, drive Huberdeau to rediscover his game and to make the most of Mantha’s show me contract. He should theoretically complement them but shouldn’t have to resurrect them

Yeah. Maybe you first put Mantha with two reliable consistent guys, who won’t let him lollygag, and as soon as he shows something, trade his ass, then put Huberdeau with them and see if he can get his #### together.

[SeanCharles]

I like the idea of the Backlund bump for Huberdeau and Mantha. I get him and Coleman are great together but they can separately benefit two lines.

Coleman-Kadri-Pospisil
Huberdeau-Backlund-Mantha
Zary-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Lomberg-Kirkland-Klapka

Post TDL, call up Honzek and Coronato for full-time duty after trading away Mantha and Kuzmenko.

Possibly Grushnikov can get some minutes by then after we trade/waive Barrie and Hanely while Bean can be the #7.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Based on what?
He's not a forward but he is an offensive dman. The stats suggest he is not ready.

Maybe he is thinking of Grushnikov

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Yeah. Maybe you first put Mantha with two reliable consistent guys, who won’t let him lollygag, and as soon as he shows something, trade his ass, then put Huberdeau with them and see if he can get his #### together.

Waiting for Mantha to consistently try every game is the same as waiting for an ex to change their crappy behaviour. He was available on a one year contract because he is wildly inconsistent and there is zero reason to expect that to change now.

Huberdeau is more confusing because he looks like he is trying but looks like he lost all of his talent after signing in Calgary.

[TheScorpion]

Well the Flames did almost exactly what I wanted them to. That's nice

[FanIn80]

I don't see what the problem is with benching Huberdeau now and then when he deserves it. I mean, what's he going to do... demand a trade?

...hmm... maybe bench him even when he doesn't deserve it too, then.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I don't see what the problem is with benching Huberdeau now and then when he deserves it. I mean, what's he going to do... demand a trade?

...hmm... maybe bench him even when he doesn't deserve it too, then.

Really depends on the objective of benching him. They have to live with each other for another 7 years.
I can't really think of when benching a veteran player has led to anything positive.

Edit: Depends if we are talking about benching in a game, v. scratching him for a game. I'm assuming more the latter?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Really depends on the objective of benching him. They have to live with each other for another 7 years.
I can't really think of when benching a veteran player has led to anything positive.

Edit: Depends if we are talking about benching in a game, v. scratching him for a game. I'm assuming more the latter?

I was just facetiously suggesting that benching him might have the additional effect of making him waive his NMC lol.

In all seriousness though, if I were in his skates, I'd be willing to consider a change of scenery to try to get my game back. I like the guy, and my biggest wish is that he figures it out here and returns to top-line form for us. I feel like this city would go nuts for him if he could do it. I'm just not sure it's going to happen here. Would love to see a whole month of him being centered by Pospisil though.

That's my other gripe. It's not like we're challenging for the Cup or anything here... why can't we make longer commitments to certain lines or pairings? I don't mind losing if we're trying to get better along the way, but losing without anything productive to show for it is just mind bottling.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I was just facetiously suggesting that benching him might have the additional effect of making him waive his NMC lol.

In all seriousness though, if I were in his skates, I'd be willing to consider a change of scenery to try to get my game back. I like the guy, and my biggest wish is that he figures it out here and returns to top-line form for us. I feel like this city would go nuts for him if he could do it. I'm just not sure it's going to happen here. Would love to see a whole month of him being centered by Pospisil though.

I don't think Huberdeau's NMC is what's blocking any type of trade right now.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I was just facetiously suggesting that benching him might have the additional effect of making him waive his NMC lol.

In all seriousness though, if I were in his skates, I'd be willing to consider a change of scenery to try to get my game back. I like the guy, and my biggest wish is that he figures it out here and returns to top-line form for us. I feel like this city would go nuts for him if he could do it. I'm just not sure it's going to happen here. Would love to see a whole month of him being centered by Pospisil though.

That's my other gripe. It's not like we're challenging for the Cup or anything here... why can't we make longer commitments to certain lines or pairings? I don't mind losing if we're trying to get better along the way, but losing without anything productive to show for it is just mind bottling.

Huberdeau would probably waive to any team right now.

[dino7c]

Huberdeau hasn't been the worst player in the lineup anyway

team is having trouble scoring so bench their leading scorers lol. Huberdeau and Kuzmenko are tied for 2nd in scoring on the team with Zary.

[SuperMatt18]

Looking at tonights lineup and I still think we need to find a way to get Pelletier and Coronato back on the big club.

The focus this season has to be development, and those two aren't learning more than they already have in the AHL IMO.

Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Zary - Kadri - Pospisil
Honzek - Backlund - Coleman
Lomberg - Kirkland - Mantha

Becomes

Huberdeau - Sharangovich - Kuzmenko
Zary - Kadri - Coronato
Pelletier - Backlund - Coleman
Lomberg - Pospisil - Mantha

• Keep trying to develop Pospisil as a center, him with Lomberg and Mantha could be a sneaky effective line.
• Honzek to the AHL - he still has lots of development at that level.
• One of Rooney / Kirkland / Mantha to the AHL, or maybe try to find a home in a trade for Rooney.
• Also feels like Kuzmenko, Coronato, and Mantha would be pretty interchangable across those 3 lines, as well as Pelletier and Zary on those two lines.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I don't see what the problem is with benching Huberdeau now and then when he deserves it. I mean, what's he going to do... demand a trade?

...hmm... maybe bench him even when he doesn't deserve it too, then.

Deserves it? Based on what exactly?
Huberdeau's caphit makes it impossible for this fanbase to objectively evaluate his play. He will never be worth the 10.5M, it's better to just accept that. He however is not even close to the worst player on this team.

Tied for team lead in goals.
First among forwards in points.
+4 goal differential at five on five
Allows by far the fewest high danger chances against when on the ice at five on five
Behind only Backlund for fewest Scoring chances against at five on five

His puck play has been very poor the last few games and it has killed any offensive output, but the entire team has been ass. At the very least he, and his linemates are limiting what they are giving up which is something that can't be said for many others.

If you want to bench a high profile player it better be Kadri who is currently playing an incredibly selfish brand of hockey to start the year and is bleeding both goals, and goal scoring chances against.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Looking at tonights lineup and I still think we need to find a way to get Pelletier and Coronato back on the big club.

The focus this season has to be development, and those two aren't learning more than they already have in the AHL IMO.

I agree with getting those two up sooner rather than later, but I think you’re wrong on the AHL thing. I’m not actually sure why people have this idea that there’s some limit to what can be learned or improved while playing in the AHL.

Both Coronato and Pelletier have been in the NHL, they know what it takes to succeed and what they need to work on to put themselves in a situation like Zary and Pospisil who nobody even considers sending down anymore.

There’s nothing stopping them from getting to that level in the AHL. In fact, it’s likely the place they’re going to do it the easiest, where they have more time and space to work on their game instead of just being in the NHL and trying to keep their heads above water.

There’s no shortage of guys who develop in the AHL until they’re fully ready for the NHL and never go back down. There’s also plenty of guys who go back and forth until it finally clicks. I just don’t think anyone can honestly look at either of those players and think they’ve nothing left to learn, or that whatever they have left to learn can only be learned in the NHL. It’s just not real.