2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by getbak

It's exactly what Nashville did with Saros, and he doesn't seem to have been hurt by the experience.

In 2016-17, Saros played 21 games in the NHL and 16 in the AHL. The following season, he played 26 in the NHL and 9 in the AHL. Between those two seasons, he was recalled from the AHL 10 times (not counting a deadline paper transaction). That was with the Predators' AHL affiliate 500 miles away in Milwaukee, not sharing the same building.

That's a fair example. But Nashville was trying to sort between a couple of goalie prospects and ease Saros into the NA game. He wasn't sharing starts or the backup net with another back up. As such he was able to get a good number of NHL games and was on the NHL roster more then he wasn't.

Calgary is likely a bubble team. It's tough enough to find starts for one back up in that scenario. Also Wolf already has two full seasons in the AHL and is ready for sustained NHL time. This is not a good situation to be in and it's not a good way to manage your best prospect.

[Pickle Juice]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

It is not a foregone conclusion that Wolf will light it up in the NHL. IIRC, he started slow in his first shot in the AHL. Either way, Vladar has value to the Flames as a backup and injury insurance. If Wolf really does set the world on fire, then it is a pretty easy decision to send Vladar down. The Flames might even prefer he gets picked up for nothing.

I do know one thing, if we were talking about Wolf being a forward and accumulating the same type of accolades but stuck in the AHL because the team wasn’t making room for him there would be people with pitch forks around here (myself included). My fear is, at what point does Wolf become like the rest of this team and request a trade? He has nothing left to prove in the AHL and its up to him to prove he doesn’t deserve an NHL job as I believe Conroy put it. Also just another point of contention for me with Conroy in his short stint so far as GM with him making a point that we were going to give the kids a chance to play.

And for those who say he’s better off getting playing time in the AHL then riding the bench in Calgary, I look further north to a player that was in the AHL 2 years ago with worse numbers then Wolf who has taken over the starting job regardless of money. The goal is to win, but he needs that chance to prove it rather then becoming complacent in the same old setting. Just my two cents but out of any prospect on the flames he is the one player I am most excited to see play in the show. Of course this is coming from some random guys tweet that may or may not be true but it is my preference to see Vladar traded and see what we got in this kid.

[CliffFletcher]

People are acting like Wolf is 25. He’s 22 - which is the age at which most highly-regarded goalie prospects start getting NHL games (typically 20-25 at this age). There’s nothing at all unusual about his development path. The Flames aren’t holding him back.

[Pickle Juice]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

People are acting like Wolf is 25. He’s 22 - which is the age at which most highly-regarded goalie prospects start getting NHL games (typically 20-25 at this age). There’s nothing at all unusual about his development path. The Flames aren’t holding him back.

Agreed, this should be the age that Dustin should be getting his shot! Not sitting in the AHL for another year. A 3 headed goalie tandem does not sound like he is going to get much of an opportunity.

Andrei Vasilevskiy drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2014. 2 years
Connor Hellebuyck drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2015. 3 years
Marc-André Fleury drafted 2003 began in the NHL same year. 0 years
Ilya Sorokin drafted 2014 began in the NHL 2020. 6 years
Juuse Saros drafted 2013 began in the NHL 2016. 3 years
Jake Oettinger drafted 2017 began in the NHL 2020. 3 years
Jacob Markström drafted 2008 began in the NHL 2012. 4 years
Frederik Andersen drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2013. 1 year
Igor Shesterkin drafted 2014 began in the NHL 2019. 5 years
John Gibson drafted 2011 began in the NHL 2014. 3 years
Dustin Wolf drafted 2019 currently 3 years

Just for context in draft terms not age. A few exceptions to the list but this is the typical time frame most of the notable goalies began getting their shots.

Again things can change a lot prior to the season its just my opinion that its time to see him get his chance.

[blankall]

Wolf needs to show he's capable of holding down sustained NHL play before the team bets on his as the backup. I'm excited about Wolf, but this could easily be a situation where he just stinks at the NHL level. Taking vladar before we even know what Wolf's NHL capabilities are is premature. Wolf definitely needs NHL starts, but he doesn't need to go through waivers, so this is a perfect situation to test the waters with him.

[traptor]

As a jaded flames fan I just know this 3 headed goalie monster is going to blow up in their faces.

They're going to overcook him or he'll get badly injured in the AHL or he will feel insulted by the org.

Then vladar will end up walking for free anyways.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by blankall

Wolf needs to show he's capable of holding down sustained NHL play before the team bets on his as the backup. I'm excited about Wolf, but this could easily be a situation where he just stinks at the NHL level. Taking vladar before we even know what Wolf's NHL capabilities are is premature. Wolf definitely needs NHL starts, but he doesn't need to go through waivers, so this is a perfect situation to test the waters with him.

Take a look at how much Vladar played at NHL level before we traded for him and made him the bonafide #2. Hint….his total NHL games played with Boston rhymes with jive. He wasn’t even in our organization and we made that bet.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Pickle Juice

I do know one thing, if we were talking about Wolf being a forward and accumulating the same type of accolades but stuck in the AHL because the team wasn’t making room for him there would be people with pitch forks around here (myself included). My fear is, at what point does Wolf become like the rest of this team and request a trade? He has nothing left to prove in the AHL and its up to him to prove he doesn’t deserve an NHL job as I believe Conroy put it. Also just another point of contention for me with Conroy in his short stint so far as GM with him making a point that we were going to give the kids a chance to play.

And for those who say he’s better off getting playing time in the AHL then riding the bench in Calgary, I look further north to a player that was in the AHL 2 years ago with worse numbers then Wolf who has taken over the starting job regardless of money. The goal is to win, but he needs that chance to prove it rather then becoming complacent in the same old setting. Just my two cents but out of any prospect on the flames he is the one player I am most excited to see play in the show. Of course this is coming from some random guys tweet that may or may not be true but it is my preference to see Vladar traded and see what we got in this kid.

I doubt very much Wolf would ask for a trade, especially for this reason.

The Flames were the team that drafted him when all other 30 teams, at the time, passed on him, several times. The Flames also have given him, evidently, everything he’s needed to reach his potential. Everything that seems to come from Wolf is gratitude.

I think the relationship here is pretty strong and Wolf probably understands quite clearly the position the flames are in. they would probably like to make room for Wolf but not in a shortsighted way in which they are bending over backwards, at least not yet. He’s likely to see NHL games this year but may have to be a bit more patient. His time will come.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

I never thought they were a contender before kipper. After they were much better than a 6th seed.

Best team in league no but a contender

Lockout didn’t happen and crack down on interference changed the game. Team was still good but 04 team was built for that style hockey

5th in conference goal differential, which is a pretty good indicator

[The Original FFIV]

Not sure how reliable but if Pittsburgh drops out of karlsson “sweepstakes” due to cap factors, could circle back to hanifin.

Granlund would be stop gap at C. Pickering would be one of our top rated D prospects. And a first. Not ideal but reflective of the market teams looking to trade are facing.

https://www.nhltraderumor.com/noah-h...urgh-penguins/

[Bongsong]

We need some news, what's up sec?

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think there is too much hand-wringing going on with Wolf, and people calling it a '3-headed monster'. It is not. A 3-headed monster happens when a team is stuck with 3 goalies, making things very awkward, especially practices. I would imagine that Wolf will be in practices when the team is giving Markstrom a break. With the AHL team being in Calgary, travel is a non-issue for a big chunk of the season, and Wolf can get 50+ starts in this year.



Vladar isn't some problem that we should beg some team to solve for us. There is value in having him here - in fact, having him here helps Wolf get more games in, as he can take the games that require more travel time for Wolf. It can get Wolf's feet wet in the NHL, and the Flames can give him as many or as little starts as Wolf's development seems to indicate. If a goalie goes down, then you have the insurance of Vladar being there. There is value to all of this. Vladar has value to the organization, and isn't just a roadblock.


I think with the defensive adjustments that Huska has planned, there will be a chance that Vladar and Markstrom will be much better. Markstrom had one bad season. Vladar had one disappointing season after looking like a 'starter in the making' in the previous season. They were both disappointing last season, and I would bet that they were a symptom of the issues on the team, rather than the reason.


I would rather hang onto Vladar for insurance, and to make sure that the Flames receive the best asset in exchange as possible, as this benefits the team in the long-run. Wolf is going to get NHL games this year, and if he plays well, there will be many of them regardless of who else is here.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Tiger

I do feel you have a bit of a revisionist history here. It was like thank God we got in, please just beat the Canucks. Then it was like oh well its detroit at least we beat the Canucks. The. After the start of the Detroit series that was the point where everyone started believing.

I mean, different people would have had different expectations.

But it is not revisionist history at work here, I remember having - and discussing with many others, also having - very high hopes that it was a dangerous team.

Not saying that people were predicting a cup final appearance, I'm saying that the expectations were not at all that of an 8th place, 1st round fodder team.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Then guy selling you tickets guaranteed a win... T Don't get me wrong it was a great run and a great team to watch. Kiprusoff came back from an injury and was still the great player who he was before and his play especially in the Detroit series was incredible.

The Flames were an underdog the entire way though. They weren't universally picked to go far and while Iginla and Kiprusoff were great they were a team that hasn't made the playoffs in seven years.

Don't get me wrong it was a great team to watch but it always felt like they were a team that was flirting with destiny that wasn't supposed to be there but managed to win largely on the back of two of the best performances ever from Kiprusoff and Iginla.

I just can't believe it has been almost 20 years since that run when some days it feels like it has been closer to 20 months.

To the bold - obviously, I was simply using it as a starting point for the conversation. The season went from the sales guy 'guaranteeing' playoffs (yeah, right), to 'this team is built for the playoffs', to 'this is a dangerous team', to 'bring on the Canucks!' as the season progressed.

It was not a surprise, Cinderella run, for many of us here is town. If they surprised you - cool. As a Van fan, you wouldn't have seen or felt the (very palpable) buzz that was building, right from the moment the clinched a playoff berth.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by D as in David

My recollection of the 2004 run was that Calgary was the underdog in all of their playoff series.

Of course they were. No one claimed anything contrary to that.

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by Bongsong

We need some news, what's up sec?

In Whitefish with my imaginary friends!

[Pickle Juice]

Originally Posted by Sec214

In Whitefish with my imaginary friends!

Well can you let your real friends know what's up?

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by Pickle Juice

Well can you let your real friends know what's up?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Pickle Juice

Agreed, this should be the age that Dustin should be getting his shot! Not sitting in the AHL for another year. A 3 headed goalie tandem does not sound like he is going to get much of an opportunity.

Andrei Vasilevskiy drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2014. 2 years
Connor Hellebuyck drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2015. 3 years
Marc-André Fleury drafted 2003 began in the NHL same year. 0 years
Ilya Sorokin drafted 2014 began in the NHL 2020. 6 years
Juuse Saros drafted 2013 began in the NHL 2016. 3 years
Jake Oettinger drafted 2017 began in the NHL 2020. 3 years
Jacob Markström drafted 2008 began in the NHL 2012. 4 years
Frederik Andersen drafted 2012 began in the NHL 2013. 1 year
Igor Shesterkin drafted 2014 began in the NHL 2019. 5 years
John Gibson drafted 2011 began in the NHL 2014. 3 years
Dustin Wolf drafted 2019 currently 3 years

Just for context in draft terms not age. A few exceptions to the list but this is the typical time frame most of the notable goalies began getting their shots.

Again things can change a lot prior to the season its just my opinion that its time to see him get his chance.

Except for Sorokin, who was 25 when he finally came over from Russia, every one of those goalies was eased into the NHL the same way we're talking about doing with Wolf.

Wolf is the same age Hellebuyck was when he played 26 games in the NHL and 30 in the AHL while Hutchinson and Pavelec split the rest of the Jets' games.

When Markstrom was 24, he still played more AHL games than NHL.

Although Andersen was drafted by Anaheim in 2012, he had been drafted as a 20 year-old by Carolina in 2010. When he was Wolf's age, he hadn't been drafted by Anaheim yet and was 24 when he played his first NHL game.



Except for Fleury and Vasilevskiy (who were both highly-ranked first rounders), Wolf is on par or even ahead of the development curve of all the others players listed.



Age when they first played more NHL games than AHL / Age when they played their last AHL game (Not including conditioning stints):

• Andrei Vasilevskiy - 21/21
• Connor Hellebuyck - 23/22
• Marc-André Fleury - 18/22
• Ilya Sorokin - 25/25
• Juuse Saros - 22/22
• Jake Oettinger - 21/22
• Jacob Markström - 25/25
• Frederik Andersen - 24/24
• Igor Shesterkin - 24/23
• John Gibson - 21/22

* Age at the start of the NHL season


This will be Wolf's 22 year-old season, and will likely be the first year he plays more NHL games than AHL and the year he plays his final AHL game.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Pickle Juice

I do know one thing, if we were talking about Wolf being a forward and accumulating the same type of accolades but stuck in the AHL because the team wasn’t making room for him there would be people with pitch forks around here (myself included). My fear is, at what point does Wolf become like the rest of this team and request a trade? He has nothing left to prove in the AHL and its up to him to prove he doesn’t deserve an NHL job as I believe Conroy put it. Also just another point of contention for me with Conroy in his short stint so far as GM with him making a point that we were going to give the kids a chance to play.

And for those who say he’s better off getting playing time in the AHL then riding the bench in Calgary, I look further north to a player that was in the AHL 2 years ago with worse numbers then Wolf who has taken over the starting job regardless of money. The goal is to win, but he needs that chance to prove it rather then becoming complacent in the same old setting. Just my two cents but out of any prospect on the flames he is the one player I am most excited to see play in the show. Of course this is coming from some random guys tweet that may or may not be true but it is my preference to see Vladar traded and see what we got in this kid.

And the Oilers may have permanently damaged him by leaning on him in the playoffs when he wasn't ready.