[GDT] The 2020 UFA Big Board (frequently being updated!)

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

So..
Thomas Greiss, Aaron Dell and Ryan Miller are the top three remaining goalies. I wonder if the Oilers can afford one of them.

A trade isn’t out of the question. Someone like Mrazek, Kuemper or a Jacket goalie could be in play. If it isn’t Greiss, I think that’s the likely scenario.

[Harry Lime]

Absolutely cheering for Lucas Wallmark at 1.85M/3 Years. His last contract was 830K.

[rvd123]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

So..
Thomas Greiss, Aaron Dell and Ryan Miller are the top three remaining goalies. I wonder if the Oilers can afford one of them.

Mike Smith would like to have a word.

[Icon]

The Oilers are set. Koskinen and Forsberg, they'll be fine!

[dino7c]

Greiss does seem like an Oilery name

[Brad Marsh]

Lots of Flames news on day 1 of free agent frenzy!

Brodie was arguably the Flames best defenceman last season, and without question he was that in the playoffs. Tough to see him sign in Toronto, and on a decent contract. Sounds like the failed Kadri trade sealed that move.

I also thought it was tough to see Rieder go elsewhere for so little term and dollar. He outperformed his contract last year and will likely next year as well. I know it's just a deoth piece but smart depth on value contracts are so mportant - moreso now than ever before with the flat cap. Talbit also provided this last year, IMO.

I was hoping the Flames would sign Markstrom, so was glad to see that happen. And I'm excited that the team finally has a legitimate #1 starter heading into a season. It's the most important position and I'm glad Treliving addressed it. Also, he's been trending up the last 2-3 years and so that's positive too. And while I thought term and dollar were too long and too high, it's the UFA market, and Treliving had to address the goaltending, even at a premium, and that's what he did. The silver lining for me is that the only acquisition cost was capspace. On balance I support this signing, but not overwhelmingly so. The reason I'm not super excited about it is because when you think back to this past season and playoffs, I don't think goaltending was as big of a problem as other areas: special teams, moving the puck out of the zone, sustaining pressure in the offensive zone, etc. So for me, while I like the signing, it seems like we made the biggest improvement at a position where we needed it the least given all of the other weaknesses in the lineup, and allocating this much resource to this position really limits the opportunity to addres what I consider to be bigger problems elsewhere.

The real headscratcher of the day for the Flames, and I would say top-3 worst signings from day 1 league-wide, was Chris Tanev. Yikes!! Treliving just can't help himself it seems but sign an aging, declining vet to a contrat that's too long and too rich for the value they being. I like that he adds a skillet that the defensive corps otherwise lacks, and I like that he adds some right-side depth, but this is player who's best days are well behind him. Terrible value on this contract almost immediately, let alone for years 3 and 4. Treliving didn't have to do this, especially on day 1.

My biggest question is whether the total sum of ins and outs has substantively improved the team? I don't see it. Better in goal, worse on defense with less depth, and no meaningful changes at forward, where the team needed the biggest shakeup, IMO.

Now, I know many of you will say "relax, its day 1, season doesn't start tomorrow, still lots of time to make other changes, etc., etc.,". Well, I agree with all of that! But I am nervous about that too though because many of us have been been saying those kinds of things for a couple of years now bu the needed improvements have generally not been forthcoming. But hopefully Treliving has another play or two, because if this is the finished product (save for a couple of RFA signings and plugs to fill the remaining holes, which is all we have cap space for, btw, at least at the moment), then I don't think we've done anything this off-season to address the major problems and improve the team.

Also, I felt like the team lost a couple of players that outperformed their contracts (Brodie, Talbot, and Reider), and added two big pieces that have almost no chance of doing that. That becomes problematic in a cap based system.

I was really intrigued about UFA this year given the flat cap and the cap crunch that so many teams are under, coupled with the fact that the Flames had some money to spend. I was hoping to see some creativity with trades, and some smart, bargain, "efficient" signings. Instead our two big signings seem more like the traditional big term and big dollar UFA signings that so often end up being mistakes.

Sorry, post too long. Actually, don't have time right now to write a shorter one.

Bottom line for me: still more work to do and time to do it. Hopefully there is more to come than a few small moves to round out the roster.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Greiss does seem like an Oilery name

Not sure if serious.... but I would agree!

Greiss is pronounced "graisse", which is literally grease in French.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Brad Marsh

I was really intrigued about UFA this year given the flat cap and the cap crunch that so many teams are under, coupled with the fact that the Flames had some money to spend. I was hoping to see some creativity with trades, and some smart, bargain, "efficient" signings. Instead our two big signings seem more like the traditional big term and big dollar UFA signings that so often end up being mistakes.

Sorry, post too long. Actually, don't have time right now to write a shorter one.

Bottom line for me: still more work to do and time to do it. Hopefully there is more to come than a few small moves to round out the roster.

Agreed.

I can live with Markstrom because at some point you just need to take a leap on a goalie. But with the way the market was the Tanev deal feels like one that nobody else was giving in this market.

If they could have combined the Markstrom deal with some smaller moves that would have been ideal. Especially in a week when the market has likely dried up and teams that still have space will likely be able to have cheap depth, Flames won’t have that chance anymore.

And the Tanev deal just feels so close to the other mistakes that Treliving has made in the form of Hamonic, Brouwer, Stone, and Neal.

Those moves kill us. If we didn’t trade for Hamonic we wouldn’t be so desperate for a RH dman because Noah Dobson would be knocking on the doorstep.

If we didn’t make those other bad signings and hadn’t signed Tanev we would have had an extra $12.5M in cap space to work with right now to add an actual top end piece. This team needs to stop spending UFA money on mid-tier middling free agents.

[Rollin22x]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Agreed.

I can live with Markstrom because at some point you just need to take a leap on a goalie. But with the way the market was the Tanev deal feels like one that nobody else was giving in this market.

If they could have combined the Markstrom deal with some smaller moves that would have been ideal. Especially in a week when the market has likely dried up and teams that still have space will likely be able to have cheap depth, Flames won’t have that chance anymore.

And the Tanev deal just feels so close to the other mistakes that Treliving has made in the form of Hamonic, Brouwer, Stone, and Neal.

Those moves kill us. If we didn’t trade for Hamonic we wouldn’t be so desperate for a RH dman because Noah Dobson would be knocking on the doorstep.

If we didn’t make those other bad signings and hadn’t signed Tanev we would have had an extra $12.5M in cap space to work with right now to add an actual top end piece. This team needs to stop spending UFA money on mid-tier middling free agents.

Someone would have to play in those spots so I don’t think it would be close to that in cap space.

[CaptainYooh]

Well, three biggest name UFA's still unsigned - Pietrangelo, Hall and Toffoli.

Pietrangelo reportedly said that Krug's signing caught him off-guard (on his way to meet with Vegas brass and, presumably, sign). Not Calgary, obviously.

Dreger thinks that Hall is going to Montreal, Columbus or Nashville. Again, not Calgary.

Which leaves Toffoli. I really do want Toffoli playing for Calgary. This is realistic in terms of our cap space and the contract $/Years he is worth. This would address the need for tougher offense. This would give him a chance to play 1st or 2nd line with good centres. The only question remains: does he want to play in Calgary?.. Has there been any info leaks out there on Toffoli's talking about where he wants to play?

[JurassicTunga12]

^Well, Monahan is one of his best friends apparently, so that would probably make Calgary an attractive option for Toffoli. As well as the Flames need for RH RW.

[kyuss275]

Anybody know what type of offer Toffoli turned down to stay in Vancouver ?

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Anybody know what type of offer Toffoli turned down to stay in Vancouver ?

Even when these rumours are made public, I always question their value. All negotiations are made in strictest confidence, which agents, teams and players are contractually bound by. How do these details get known is really puzzling. Most likely, analysts, commentators and bloggers just guessing out loud.

[jesters91]

Didn't Boston sign #12 on this list?

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by jesters91

Didn't Boston sign #12 on this list?

Scorpion must have passed out somewhere, there are quite a few not updated now.

[agulati]

The list hasn’t been updated today I think.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I could see the Flames looking at Toffoli and Virtanen. I sort of forgot about Virtanen.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Scorpion must have passed out somewhere, there are quite a few not updated now.

I’m at work right now, will update when I get home.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I could see the Flames looking at Toffoli and Virtanen. I sort of forgot about Virtanen.

Virtanen is an RFA though, so they'd have to trade for him or offer sheet him.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Virtanen is an RFA though, so they'd have to trade for him or offer sheet him.

My mistake, I thought they didn't qualify him and he was UFA.