Building The 2018/19 Flames Roster

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

From The Athletic's top 25 buyout candidates , on which Brouwer ranks #1 in the entire league.

Not exactly sold on the methodology of the 'Annual Replacement Value' the article talks about. I mean I get that the 3M in in savings divided by the two years he has left equals 1.5M per year. The problem is the cap saving comes in the first two years but he remains on the books for 4. As has been said, it might not be wise to tie one's self to those 1.5M cap hits in 20-21 and 21-22 when the Flames might really need that space elsewhere.

[Strange Brew]

I think tying yourself to four more years of cap hit right now is a mistake. Bury Brouwer in the press box if you truly don't want him on the ice. Hell this team carried Bartkowski all year long.

Unless you are up against the cap this year I say hang on to him. And if you are up against the cap this year, lets hope we're overpaying an elite player vs. a character guy.

[Dajazz]

If GG would have employed Hamilton on the top PP we wouldn't be have this problem.

He's got a wicked one time and wrister, and knows when to slide up to the dot and rip it.

Keep Brodie faaaaaar away from PP1 and go with

Jonny - Monahan - Tkachuk
Hamilton - Gio

Sure, I'm all for a RH top 6/9 winger but they are hard to find.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

If GG would have employed Hamilton on the top PP we wouldn't be have this problem.

He's got a wicked one time and wrister, and knows when to slide up to the dot and rip it.

Keep Brodie faaaaaar away from PP1 and go with

Jonny - Monahan - Tkachuk
Hamilton - Gio

Sure, I'm all for a RH top 6/9 winger but they are hard to find.

He did end up using Hamilton and Gio, which I agree was a better move than Brodie and Versteeg (or Ferland or whoever else was used when Versteeg was hurt). But the PP didn't produce any better. It was still too slow and stationary.

The unit you posted should work fine, as long as they can move the puck better.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

I'm of the opinion that Brouwer is a black hole that makes any line-mates he plays with worse.

So whether we put him in the press box, Stockton, or buy him out, I'd prefer any of those options over icing him in any capacity as I think he's a net negative.

Our bottom six was a big problem for us this last season, and having him out of it would would be addition by subtraction in my opinion. Your suggestion he wasn't the worst player on the bottom line last year is disingenuous in my opinion. I think any rookies or struggling players paired with him were worse off as a result.

Regardless, I don't view it as a "colossal mistake" to buy him out and thought that was extremely over-stated.

I’m not going to try to defend Brouwer too much because I don’t think his play up to this point has warranted any. But with the shear amount of cap space we have, I personally don’t think there’s any need in adding dead money to the 21-22 season when we might actually need the space then. Brad Treliving is the gm of this team and he’ll make the final decision on it, but I can almost guarantee that he’ll look at from same standpoint.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

If GG would have employed Hamilton on the top PP we wouldn't be have this problem.

He's got a wicked one time and wrister, and knows when to slide up to the dot and rip it.

Keep Brodie faaaaaar away from PP1 and go with

Jonny - Monahan - Tkachuk
Hamilton - Gio

Sure, I'm all for a RH top 6/9 winger but they are hard to find.

This is false thinking. Hamilton was already on the top PP for about a third of the season and if you look at the PP numbers in just that time frame by itself, we still had one of the worst powerplays in the league.

There was a small period in which it was successful, but once teams adjusted to our 3-2 formation, they shut it down with ease as evidenced by our PP% in March which sat at a laughable 3%. That’s as bad as it gets.

This team needs an elite right handed shot and they need to set up the 1-3-1 formation again because it was the only reason we saw any prolonged success in the first place.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He did end up using Hamilton and Gio, which I agree was a better move than Brodie and Versteeg (or Ferland or whoever else was used when Versteeg was hurt). But the PP didn't produce any better. It was still too slow and stationary.

The unit you posted should work fine, as long as they can move the puck better.

With Versteeg on the PP, we had a top 10 PP last season and before Versteeg’s injury this season. After he went down, it went straight to the crapper and even Dougie’s presence on the top unit didn’t fix it long term. The numbers don’t lie, Versteeg was a massively positive presence on the PP.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I’m not going to try to defend Brouwer too much because I don’t think his play up to this point has warranted any. But with the shear amount of cap space we have, I personally don’t think there’s any need in adding dead money to the 21-22 season when we might actually need the space then. Brad Treliving is the gm of this team and he’ll make the final decision on it, but I can almost guarantee that he’ll look at from same standpoint.

As has been shown to you already, the only net cost of buying him out this year is the $1.5M in 21/22. Are there contracts due at that time? Of course. But there will also be young replacements on the D-corp, and also in net.
$1.5M in 2021/22, when the cap will probably be between $85 and 90M, is not a concern.

If Treliving sees an opportunity to improve the team his year, he is going to take it. And even though there is a fair amount of cap space available for a move, he would probably still want to have room to make another move as the season unfolds.

I agree that if nothing happens this summer, and they have miles of cap space, then it makes sense to let Brouwer eat popcorn and wait until next year to buy him out.

But the cost of buying him out is minimal, and gives Treliving lots of flexibility. Suggesting he sees it your way is short-sighted.

[indes]

I would really like to see Brouwer under a new coach. I couldn't stand him at all this year but the guy has been a middle 6 player for the last while with a few pretty good teams, maybe he turns it around?

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by indes

I would really like to see Brouwer under a new coach. I couldn't stand him at all this year but the guy has been a middle 6 player for the last while with a few pretty good teams, maybe he turns it around?

I don't see the need. He's had a look on all four lines. I don't see how a new coach changes that he seems to be a black hole for possession.

He was on the Backlund-Frolik line and while his own starts slightly improved he dragged that line down.

I actually didn't mind the signing at the time of as I thought we'd see some positive intangibles but it's been beyond a disappointment.

He should not be on the active roster this coming season, no matter how the logistics work to make that the case.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by indes

I would really like to see Brouwer under a new coach. I couldn't stand him at all this year but the guy has been a middle 6 player for the last while with a few pretty good teams, maybe he turns it around?

I think this will ultimately depend on how Brouwer himself views last season... maybe he’s been busting his ass all off-season and will come into a camp a different person.

Barring that, I don’t see a coach turning his game around.

[Samonadreau]

I don't mind if Brouwer is back for 1 more season as long as Backlund has his 'A'. Then you can sit him in the pressbox if you have to.

But ya a buyout next off season is a no brainer.

[Sylvanfan]

At this point having Brower contract on the roster is simply preventing the Flames from signing another Brouwer. It's not cap space that is hindering the Flames from adding better players to the roster. So long as Peters makes him earn his ice time and can put him in the press box if 12 other guys are better I don't think his cap hit matters as much as many of us fans think.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

At this point having Brower contract on the roster is simply preventing the Flames from signing another Brouwer. It's not cap space that is hindering the Flames from adding better players to the roster. So long as Peters makes him earn his ice time and can put him in the press box if 12 other guys are better I don't think his cap hit matters as much as many of us fans think.

Brouwer is part of a leadership group that was called out last year - and I think Brouwer himself was called out very directly in that stick throwing incident. It's hard to speculate on the in-room stuff, but everything to do with Brouwer has rubbed me the wrong way right from when Johnny had his hand broken and Brouwer scoffed/wrote it off publicly. Brouwer doesn't belong in our top 12 from a playing perspective, and I have a feeling he wouldn't take kindly to being a healthy scratch more nights than not.

One of my biggest hopes this off-season is that he is removed from the roster one way or another.

[ForeverFlameFan]

JT Miller, Tyler Johnson, Coburn and Callahan for Brodie, Fox (if he signs), Brouwer, and Bennett. This is assuming Fox signs with Lightning and the NTC's/NMC's are ignored.

Breakdown:
Johnson for Fox and Bennett --> Suck to lose Bennett, but Johnson is a proven 50-65 point producer
Miller and Coburn for Brodie --> Coburn has only a year left
Callahan for Brouwer --> This entices the Lightning to do the deal even more because they save 1.3m per year.

We take on more cap, but the Lightning receive extra cap for future signings (Kucherov/Point) as well as McDonagh and Stralman that need to be re-signed too. If one of those guys don't get re-signed, then Brodie is their insurance for that extra year.
The Flames do it because we have LD's Valimaki and Kylington knocking on the door, and we could definitely use some forwards in the top 9. Brouwer/Callahan try out their new teams.

Flames' lineup:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Johnson
Tkachuk - Jankowski - Miller
Frolik - Backlund - Callahan
Ferland - Shore - Lazar

Gio - Hamilton
Coburn - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone

Kulak could probably play with Hamonic, he got a lot more ice time towards the last 10 games of the season with Brodie being out. Defense wasn't the problem, it was our offense not getting anything done. Gaining Johnson and Miller would help bolster the forward group greatly. Could even have Callahan on the 4th line and Ferland up on the 3rd line, or even Johnson moved onto the 2nd line and Miller with Monahan and Gaudreau.

[1qqaaz]

I don't really care what the Flames do with Brouwer. As long as they remove the "A" from his jersey.

Oh and for the love of God, keep him off the power play.

[Strange Brew]

Ultimately it’s less about Brouwer I suppose, and more about who else they bring in or what prospects are considered ready. Is he so bad you pay simply to get him off the team, even if no need for the cap savings this year? I believe that distinction is reserved for the truly awful dressing rom guys.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I think this will ultimately depend on how Brouwer himself views last season... maybe he’s been busting his ass all off-season and will come into a camp a different person.

I saw Brouwer riding his bike with his wife at Fish Creek this morning. Should I have told him to pick up the pace?

[handgroen]

need to get some help up front that shoots right. i think whoever we see brought in will be shooting right. here are some names i think fit the bill.

okposo
lindholm
reinhart
perron
zibinajed
connor brown
william nylander
bozak
kasperi kapanen
bryan little
palmieri
bobby ryan
mark stone
josh anderson
brendan gallagher
bjugstad
craig smith
kessel

[TheScorpion]

If I had to guess, I'd say that the two biggest RHS forward names the Flames bring in this summer won't even be on that list.