[Trade] Flames get Travis Hamonic + 4th for a 1st and 2x2nds

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by AC

I think we're all ignoring the biggest plus in this.

If the Flames ever use Gio/Brodie as a pair again for a spell, it means we can deploy the Hamilton-Hamonic Ham Sandwich.

Pretty sure if they did it full force the poor sod in between would have to be stretchered off the ice.

[Flaming Choy]

Originally Posted by Plaedo

A lot of fans on here seem to fear the win-now mode.
Probably from emotional scarring in the past (warranted), but just remember that this window is barely opening and is set to be open for a decently long term. You gotta face your fears as a fan at some point

With Monahan and Gaudreau together for the next 5 years (and Gaudreau a UFA after that), I think realistically our window is the next 5 years.

[Husky]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Nashville is living proof why you build out from your blue line.

I am glad the flames appear to be taking that approach.

Completely disagree. d is important but nashville is a bad example. Thry have had a top D core all the way back to Suter and weber and have done nothing in the playoffs up until this year.

[sa226]

If you were to take a 10 year snapshot of the league and average out how many draft picks turn into full time NHLers, I would guess that the Flames are about middle of the road.

Then you add up the picks turned into "now players" (Lazar, Hamilton etc) I think asset management wise, Treliving is doing a great job.

On principle I hate giving up so many high draft picks, but look at the "Now" results.

Gaudreau
Monahan
Ferland
Bennett
Backlund
Tkachuk
Brodie
Giordano *

All drafted or developed.

Hamilton
Lazar
Hamonic

All good players and full time NHLers that were brought in for picks only.

Andersson
Jankowski
Kylington
Fox
Parsons
Gillies
Poirier (hopefully)
Klimchuk
Mangiapane

All knocking on the door.

And I wouldn't be surprised if Treliving was able to recoup a couple picks here or there.

Are we the envy of the league? Nope.

Are we in pretty good shape? I would say so.

[red sky]

Hamonic and more importantly his wife get a 30% pay raise from the exchange rate. Taxes in NY make Calgary look like dream. And cost of living. Well then, go shopping Mrs. Hamonic

[sureLoss]

Wes Gilbertson @WesGilbertson
Great stuff from #Flames trade acquisition Travis Hamonic on joining Brodie, Giordano and Hamilton in Calgary ...

[sureLoss]

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by FBI

Stay-Golden actually liked the deal? Must be a good one!

I approve this message

[Locke]

"7 rounds of drafting is just too much, we need to miss one. Yes....we'll just skip the second round, that'll do. Put it in my contract! Brad doesnt do the second round, Brad aint got time for that!"

- Treliving. Presumably.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Husky

Completely disagree. d is important but nashville is a bad example. Thry have had a top D core all the way back to Suter and weber and have done nothing in the playoffs up until this year.

But they were still consistently a playoff team. They just didn't have the skilled, point producing forwards to take the next step. That was addressed over the past couple seasons, now look where they are.

Flames have equivalent if not better skilled forwards right now, but didn't have the blue line depth. If they can get Stone back, and roll with this top 4, they're pretty close, comparable teams. Both teams also carry some great two way forwards. Backlund and Fisher do very similar things for both clubs, but I'd give the clear edge to Backlund as a player who is younger.

The one edge the Preds still have on the Flames is elite goaltending. Let's hope one of these promising kids can close that gap and the Flames can enjoy a similar breakthrough in the next couple years. Smith is no slouch though, either.

[The Cobra]

My take on this:

The Flames window starts now.

It was an expensive acquisition, but good players on good contracts always are.

Hamonic fits the Flames like a T, the perfect compliment to Brodie and our top 4 d-men.

The Flames team today is good enough to make the playoffs and take a run at the Cup.

There is a ton of randomness when you reach the playoffs these days. The margins are very slim, and the difference between winning in the playoffs and losing is often simply a matter of the bounce of the puck.

In a cap world, once you get a team capable of making the playoffs fairly easily, it is incumbent on the GM to basically go all in for those 5 years or so to give yourself the best chance at winning the cup.

This is not the time for a GM to sit on his hands and plan for the future.

The future for the Flames is now, and good on Treliving for recognizing that.

Sit back and enjoy the next few years as the Flames have a chance of competing for the SC.

That's all you can ask for, no guarantees ever of winning.

[TheScorpion]

I'm not even mad that the Flames traded away a first and two seconds... they got a fourth back, and as we all know those are the Flames' favourite picks!

[indes]

CapFriendly.com Armchair-GM User-Generated Roster

FORWARDS (14)

Left wing: Centre: Right wing:
J. Gaudreau ($6,750,000)S. Monahan ($6,375,000) - M. Ferland ($1,500,000)
M. Tkachuk ($925,000) - M. Backlund ($3,575,000) -M. Frolik ($4,300,000)
M. Jankowski ($925,000) -S. Bennett ($3,300,000) T. Brouwer ($4,500,000)
C. Lazar ($1,500,000) - M. Stajan ($3,125,000) G. Hathaway ($750,000)
L. Bouma ($2,200,000) F. Hamilton ($612,500)

DEFENSE (7)

Left: Right:
M. Giordano ($6,750,000) - D. Hamilton ($5,750,000)
T. Brodie ($4,650,400) - T. Hamonic ($3,857,143)
B. Kulak ($750,000) - M. Stone ($3,500,000)
M. Bartkowski ($612,500)

GOALTENDER (2)
M. Smith ($4,250,000) -
C. Johnson ($1,700,000)

BUYOUTS
M. Raymond ($1,050,000)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 23
NHL Salary Cap: $75,000,000
Cap Hit: $73,207,543
Cap Space: $1,792,457

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by doctajones428

...Why?

Hamilton/Hamonic/Brodie/Stone is a solid top 4 and we need a top line forward

The Flames have some great young forwards but Giordano is still the best player on this team. There is no reason to expect that he won't continue to be one of the best players on this team for another year or two.

This gets debated a lot on this board, and I know that people feel very strongly about how important it is for the Flames to add a top-line winger, but I think this is premature. The rebuild may be finished, but with the window opening, there are still going to be years of growth and improvement. Moreover, given that so much of the Flames offense originates from their blue line, this helps to mitigate that need somewhat.

Treliving has gone on record saying that he is building this team from the backend and the middle out. He is sticking to that with very solid depth at centre and now one of the best top-four defensive units in the NHL. I would expect that the focus of improvement will now shift more earnestly to the wings as these players at crucial positions continue to develop.

[CliffFletcher]

Great addition. Hamonic is exactly what this roster needed. D-corp is now probably the second best in the NHL, and the Flames can be confident in match-ups against Anaheim and Edmonton. I expect Hamonic will be a fan favourite.

The price was high, but Hamonic's age and salary represent tremendous value. And these are likely late picks the Flames are giving up. Still, the loss of that intake of prospects will cause pain down the line. Not in 2 or 3 seasons, but in 5 or 6. Given the age of the core, that was probably a trade-off worth making.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't get why anyone would say this is an overpayment of any type.

The kid is a 26 year old defenseman, some consider him to be an elite middle pairing blueliner. He has 3 years left on a deal with a 3.8 million dollar cap hit.

The Flames didn't give up any of their real good prospects that can filter into the lineup.

Tre should be smoking a cigar that he lit with a 100 dollar bill while smirking.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by sa226

If you were to take a 10 year snapshot of the league and average out how many draft picks turn into full time NHLers, I would guess that the Flames are about middle of the road.

THN just did that. Since 2000 (ok, a bit longer window) the Flames are:

• 15th in number of picks
• 19th in average 1st round position
• 20th in pick% playing >200 games
• 17th in pick% playing > 400 games
  

[Kybb79]

I really like this trade.Hats off to BT for pulling this off.Is it true Hamonic declined a trade to the Oilers?

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I'm not even mad that the Flames traded away a first and two seconds... they got a fourth back, and as we all know those are the Flames' favourite picks!

Haha I was just going to mention this. I was thinking 'why a fourth in return, of all picks?'

Then I remembered that a standard NHL 4th round pick = a coveted Calgary Flames 1st.

[Oling_Roachinen]

As I posted in the other threads, I would have been fine if Treliving did cave in and gave up the reported 2 firsts being asked.

Only having to give up 1? I love this trade.

If they do end up going with a Brodie and Hamonic second pairing, that's easily going to be one of the top second pairings in the league. And they'll have a combined 8.5M cap hit. That's simply amazing. I mean Phaneuf's cap hit is 7M...

Take a look at some of our divisional rival defenseman making the same amount as Hamonic.

Russell: 4M
Gudbranson: 3.5M
Sbisa: 3.6M
Bieksa: 4M
Martinez: 4M
Braun: 3.8M

A player of Hamonic's worth is rarely making under 4M, especially with term. Getting a player of that calibre on the team with such a great cap hit while the team's at it's best window is amazing. I've been cautiously optimistic on even huge "wins" for the Flames, but for this trade I'm just stoked.

It would be different if Hamonic was making 5 or 6M, but at 3.8M...giving up a first and some seconds seems like a no brainer to me.