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

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by #-3

I've never looked into this,

Are the trade conditions met if he re-sign after July 1st?
Or does that give the pick back to the Flames

Believe Freeway confirmed the pick still transfers if he signs after July 1st.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Believe Freeway confirmed the pick still transfers if he signs after July 1st.

Darn no sneaky way out

[flame^thrower]

Originally Posted by Corral

The Flames really have to shift to win now mode so that they don't get beat by the McDavid effect in Edmonton. I think this is pushing the Flames to make trades like this for Hamonic - we just gave up a lot of high draft picks for this guy - sort of like a team that thinks its on the verge of greatness with its current line up. Sadly, I don't think that is the current Flames. Too early for this. Overpaid - should of stuffed Treliving in a closet with no means of communication until mid July.

I disagree, I think Treliving is doing a great job. Some people seem to want to stay in a mode where we are on the verge and keeping all our picks. I really don't think the future has been hurt in any way. If need be we will have the assets to recoup picks. This rebuild is pretty much over and we are turning the corner. If those picks are "high" picks then we are failing. I don't think they will be high picks at all ... late round I am hoping.

[Geeoff]

I think it would be smart for Stone to wait til free agency. A bunch of teams just lost defensemen to Vegas. He will get paid if he waits IMO

[CaptainCrunch]

Here's hoping that we can introduce McDavid to a Reggieeque tunnel of death effect.

We saw what happened when the Ducks took away his neutral zone windup. McDavid pretty much became a passenger.

I'm not worried about the Oilers, they're going to be a one line team with no depth in the near future, I'm more worried about the real serious contenders in the West.

The Oilers will be below us next season when they crash back to earth.

This is about winning a cup and not worrying about beating one team.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

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.

Already out of thanks this AM...

Just wanted to add that I think people also may be wary about Gio hanging around like Iginla, implying that the Flames may not maximize his potential trade value if they keep Gio around...

As you allude to however, the difference here is that Gio is an older leader on a relatively young (and skilled) roster. That is the kind of vet:youth ratio you want on a team.

Iginla was an aging leader on an aging (and less skilled) roster and still was in many ways the team's best asset. Over several years of the "win-now" mentality being fuelled by adding aging players, the team had put itself in a situation where both trading Iggy and keeping Iggy were tough decisions to make.

Gio's situation is markedly different, as he is one of only a few older guys on the team.

He is also universally respected by the young guys on the team, who all look up to him as captain (not comparing him to Iggy here--standalone statement about Gio exclusively). Even if his play starts to decline, the Flames can accommodate that potentiality, while still benefitting from his leadership and work ethic.

Treliving is doing a great job of righting the "peak age" and prospect imbalance that plagued the team for much of the last decade. It's fun to watch a good GM at work!

[Harry Lime]

With the top four set, and six potential NHL AHL tweeners (Bart, Andersson, ollas mattson, rafikov, wotherpoon, kulak) is that enough depth going into the season? Maybe sign a veteran for the AHL.

Is there such a Ned for stone to sign at this point?

[Oling_Roachinen]

Hamonic has, up until his injury filled season last year, been consistently getting the top minutes for the Islanders are on a team that had Boychuk and Leddy. In 2014 he averaged 25 minutes a game! He's not a number 4 defenseman anymore than Malkin is a number 2 center.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I think it would be smart for Stone to wait til free agency. A bunch of teams just lost defensemen to Vegas. He will get paid if he waits IMO

You're probably right.

I still think the wife's family being locally based plays a part in this. The Flames will need to throw a decent dollar amount his way, but I don't think they need to be the top bidders. One can hope..

[jg13]

To everyone saying the Flames overpaid..

This is a guy who can be flipped on an extremely reasonable contract in 2020 at the deadline for most likely a 1st +.

By then at least one of our defensive prospects in Fox/Andersson/Kylington will be more than ready to go.

This is a complete steal by Treliving and extremely calculated imo.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by debil

wow that's brutal. flames again in win now mode?

Honestly, why do you follow hockey and come here? You are NEVER happy with anything.

Forever Debil downer.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Honestly, why do you follow hockey and come here? You are NEVER happy with anything.

Forever Debil downer.

That's rather his point I think. You never see a comment when the Flames have legitimately messed up.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by the2bears

That's rather his point I think. You never see a comment when the Flames have legitimately messed up.

What????

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Corral

Overpaid - should of stuffed Treliving in a closet with no means of communication until mid July.

Yep, that's what I always say when you get a young, strong GM. Lock him in a closet and don't let him touch the team!

[Roughneck]

This trade should also temper the worries people had about the Flames drafting a goalie in the second round every other year going forward.

[psicodude]

The Flames tweeted out this ESPN video from a few years back. It's about Travis losing his father and the program he runs to support children in a similar situation. It's really well done and a little tough to watch.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=11915798

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

The constant comparison of loading up the team's defence to the Bouwmeester acquisition of a decade ago is becoming tiresome. The two situations literally have nothing to do with one another. Please stop reflecting on this as some sort of reliable indicator of what we should expect for the Flames current defence core.

It's a cautionary tale about how rosters on paper don't necessarily equate to playoff or Stanley Cup success and is very relevant as I never said it pointed to any certainties. It seems like whenever someone posts something that's not praising the Flames you have to come out with a contrary post telling us that all is good and that fan concerns aren't relevant. I get you are trying to be the mod-cheerleader for the team and try to pick apart anything you deem negative but this trade doesn't guarantee the Flames anything. It's not like Hamonic was a game changer on Long Island so lets not plan any parades or start tooting horns that we have even a top 10 blue line group as this club hasn't been close to a top 10 defensive team in a long time and until it happens it's nothing but conjecture.

Maybe Hamonic improves the defense some but this is a major overpayment for a 4th defender IMO and if this guy doesn't play a lot better than he did for the Islanders it's going to be looked at as a very large payment for a guy that's not a difference maker.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by flame^thrower

I disagree, I think Treliving is doing a great job. Some people seem to want to stay in a mode where we are on the verge and keeping all our picks. I really don't think the future has been hurt in any way. If need be we will have the assets to recoup picks. This rebuild is pretty much over and we are turning the corner. If those picks are "high" picks then we are failing. I don't think they will be high picks at all ... late round I am hoping.

To "win now", you preferably want guys on ELC's drastically overperforming their contracts. Guys like Guentzel for example. Unless you're rebuilding, you don't need super high draft picks to find new core players, but you still need enough draft picks to give yourself a decent chance to find good support players on the cheap.

That's why IMO in the cap world, trading away draft picks and trying to win it all don't go together very well.

I mean sure, Hamonic might have a good value contract, but if that contract comes at the price of having one less guy on an ELC somewhere in the lineup, we'll likely just waste that cap advantage on a more expensive veteran.

Draft picks are also flexibility if you need to make a trade.

However, it is what it is now. Some of our current prospects better work out.

[ResAlien]

I think I like this. If stone can be kept for the bottom pairing as well that'll be mind bottling team defence. We just need Smith to play his role as Rinne now. Feels like the Nashville blueprint.

[flame^thrower]

Originally Posted by Itse

To "win now", you preferably want guys on ELC's drastically overperforming their contracts. Guys like Guentzel for example. Unless you're rebuilding, you don't need super high draft picks to find new core players, but you still need enough draft picks to give yourself a decent chance to find good support players on the cheap.

That's why IMO in the cap world, trading away draft picks and trying to win it all don't go together very well.

I mean sure, Hamonic might have a good value contract, but if that contract comes at the price of having one less guy on an ELC somewhere in the lineup, we'll likely just waste that cap advantage on a more expensive veteran.

Draft picks are also flexibility if you need to make a trade.

However, it is what it is now. Some of our current prospects better work out.

True, I would say we just excercised that flexibility!!