2024/25 Calgary Flames roster discussion

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Fan69

I think thats exactly what they ate going for. Stay at home defencemen with size paired with an offensive defencemen. I think this is going to be team philosophy in building. Size and skill on the wings.

Question is is what do we do at center?

Hagens.

He said he wants to build a fast offensive team that can skate and score, he said we have seen it for a while with Edmonton.

I think size and skating is important on the back end.

Look at Vancouver huge defence but they can’t move or move the puck. I think you the opposite here.

[SeanCharles]

Pelletier and Solovyov are no longer waiver exempt:

Kuzmenko-Sharangovich-Coronato
Huberdeau-Zary-Mantha
Coleman-Kadri-Pospisil
Pelletier-Backlund-Lomberg
Rooney

Weegar-Andersson
Bahl-Miromanov
Bean-Pachal
Solovyov

Wolf
Vladar

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

We are going to see just how good a coach we have.

I know some people don’t want the Flames to burn a year of Parekh

Whatever. I want to be entertained. If he makes a case you can’t argue in camp, ease him in - shelter him 5 on 5 and use him on the PP. I’d be intrigued to see him with Kuzmenko, Huberdeau, Kadri and whomever

I want to see how good a PP coach we have

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I know some people don’t want the Flames to burn a year of Parekh

Whatever. I want to be entertained. If he makes a case you can’t argue in camp, ease him in - shelter him 5 on 5 and use him on the PP. I’d be intrigued to see him with Kuzmenko, Huberdeau, Kadri and whomever

I want to see how good a PP coach we have

I agree. He's clearly more mature and teachable than anyone we know. University at age 15 and a top prospect. Bro is like a sponge for knowledge. Id even sign Gio just to mentor him.

[DomeFoam]

I don’t think it can be overstated how important it is to finish bottom 10. I look at the roster and think, there’s a real possibility this team sits outside the wildcard again with some progression and found chemistry.

If we finished say 22nd in the league, it is really going to hurt the team going forward if we head into that draft with Floridas ~28th overall pick.

Would be a real sunken feeling amidst a rebuild to suffer an entire year of being not good enough, all for nothing. ####ing Brad.

[3rd liner]

I didn't see most of the free agency day signings until tonight- so feels best to vent on this thread. It feels like one of the craziest free agency days in awhile, but maybe that's just based on the Nashville load-up and all the ex-flames storylines (Lindhom, Monahan, Zadorov, Lomberg).
Probably more discussed in specific forums, but I can't understand the Lomberg and Mantha signings. Lomberg, likable for what he brings, but he is what he is. I guess 2M AAV is ok for an energy guy.
Mantha huge potential but huge underachiever. Reminds me of PLD minus maybe the locker room cancer thing. Seems like he had a big ceiling back in the wings days (I seem to remember him in a famous scrum with hamonic), but not noticeable since then.
Strange times as a flames fan, after an encouraging draft.

[Goriders]

There are a lot of unsigned RFAs right now.

Klapka, Wolf, Pelletier

Certain Wolf gets signed. Not sure on the other 2 with some of the guys we picked up today.

[Badgers Nose]

This roster will be shaken up after training camp. Too many wingers.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by DomeFoam

I don’t think it can be overstated how important it is to finish bottom 10. I look at the roster and think, there’s a real possibility this team sits outside the wildcard again with some progression and found chemistry.

If we finished say 22nd in the league, it is really going to hurt the team going forward if we head into that draft with Floridas ~28th overall pick.

Would be a real sunken feeling amidst a rebuild to suffer an entire year of being not good enough, all for nothing. ####ing Brad.

I would prefer the Flames to not give up a high pick, but I think this concern is overblown by this point in time. It is a sunk cost for Conroy. At this point he is trying to tear down the remaining few pieces that want to leave and build up the rest of the roster. They probably won’t have a great season, but if they do then it sure will be entertaining. Win win.

[CsInMyBlood]

I had some fear after the season that we might go big game hunting in the off season because of all the cap space and draft capital.

Like making some ridiculous offer to Reinhart or a play for Guentzel or signing Debrusk to a 7 year deal. Basically something to make us a better team while getting a worse draft pick in 2025.

Lomberg
Mantha
Bean
Cooley

Conroy knows what hes doing. This was one of the best UFA days I can remember.

Exciting times.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Conroy said something about that during his interview

Something to the effect that one day the Flames could make a splash on FA day but not this year with where the team is at

[gvitaly]

I think we see the following pairings at forward:
Kuzmenko - Kadri
Huberdeau - Zary
Coleman - Backlund

This likely results in:
Kuzmenko - Kadri - Pospisil/Zary
Huberdeau - Zary/Pospisil - Mantha/Sharangovich
Coleman - Backlund - Sharangovich/Mantha

I don't know where Coronato fits, probably starts in the AHL again until one of Coleman, Kuzmenko, and Mantha is traded. It looks like the rest of the squad will be fighting for 4th line duty: Pelletier, Lomberg, Rooney, Duehr, Hunt, Schwindt, Klapka, and Morton.

It seems as though we have at least 1 top 9 winger too many.

---

As for the D, the only pairing I see to start is Weegar - Miromanov.
Weegar - Miromanov
Bean/Bahl - Andersson
Bahl/Bean/Solovyov - Pachal
Solovyov - Hanley

We are 2 top 4 D short so far. Someone will need to step up and take advantage of the opportunity. It seems like we could add someone else's cap/waiver casualty to the mix. I could still see the Flames adding one of : Klingberg, Schmidt, Brannstrom, or Kylington on a 1-2 year contract. Pachal's spot is also for from secure, he's just the only bottom pairing RD right now.

[BrennyBaller]

Originally Posted by 3rd liner

I didn't see most of the free agency day signings until tonight- so feels best to vent on this thread. It feels like one of the craziest free agency days in awhile, but maybe that's just based on the Nashville load-up and all the ex-flames storylines (Lindhom, Monahan, Zadorov, Lomberg).
Probably more discussed in specific forums, but I can't understand the Lomberg and Mantha signings. Lomberg, likable for what he brings, but he is what he is. I guess 2M AAV is ok for an energy guy.
Mantha huge potential but huge underachiever. Reminds me of PLD minus maybe the locker room cancer thing. Seems like he had a big ceiling back in the wings days (I seem to remember him in a famous scrum with hamonic), but not noticeable since then.
Strange times as a flames fan, after an encouraging draft.

Mantha has potential to rebound and be a trade deadline trade option. Free assets essentially. Worst case he sucks and is gone in a year. And Lomberg just won a cup which I think has huge value in itself. Was around a winning culture and will bring that for our younger players. They have been adamant about being competitive and not allowing losing to become okay as that is the biggest risk in a rebuild.

[Goriders]

I see the lineup being:

Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Mantha
Zary-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Pospisil-Backlund-Coleman
Hunt-Rooney-Lomberg
Coronato
Duehr

Weeger-Anderson
Bahl-Miromanov
Bean-Pachal
Hanley

Wolf (if resigned)
Vladar

I think the Mantha and Lomberg signings are a signal that no forwards outside of Hunt and Coronato are making a push. Zary and Pospisil earned their stripes last season. I think Pelletier will be in the AHL if resigned. Duehr is probably on thin ice too with Lomberg showing up.

Defence may have a push from the farm. There’s definitely room if Bean and Hanley are who they have to beat out. I bet one of them will be pushed out by mid season. If not in camp.

Wolf and Vladar in net. I’m assuming Wolf’s deal will get done. There’s no way he should spend anymore time in the AHL. I think the biggest question marks are in net. They will probably determine how the season goes. I don’t have a great feeling about it as the defence in front of them is a shadow of what it was at the start of last season.

I think the conman has cleaned up the majority of the mess that Treliving left behind in terms of the salary structure of the roster. No more guys getting grossly overpaid outside of huberdeau now. He also purged all of the checked out players.

He also still has a ton of cap space that he could use if things are going completely sideways for some reason. It should be very interesting to see how things go. Honestly our forward group is not far off what we finshed last season with and I thought they were playing pretty good at the end of the year. Kuzmenko also helped get the powerplay going.

Defence and goaltending will be another story. I think there will be some flux on D. Per above the biggest question mark will be in net.

[Harry Lime]

Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Zary-Kadri-Pospisil
Pelletier-Backlund-Coleman
Mantha-Rooney-Lomberg


Bahl-Andersson
Weeger-Miromanov
Bean-Pachal
Solovyev

Vladar
Wolf


I don't understand some of the mock lineups that I'm seeing. Pelletier and Solovyev are up or down, and once they are up they are not going back down, since they would be picked up on waivers. Coronato is waiver exempt, so I'd expect him to jump up and down all year.

They will run the two best lines from last year, to start. Pelletier goes on Backlunds wing, as the best teacher on the team, and the most important rookie skater.

The fourth line will have a tonne to prove, and is very strong as role players, I expect the coach to actually run four lines.

I think that Bahl will be given the ball, to start. As will Vladar.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think its already been decided they want him at C.....at least to start and see how it goes.

That’s probably for the best - now that Sharky has committed to another five years, you can take a few months or a whole season and see what he’s like as a centre.

And the more growing pains, the better - you can always put him back on the wing.

[Samonadreau]

I still think Pelletier has a lot more to offer. Just needs to stay healthy.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

I still think Pelletier has a lot more to offer. Just needs to stay healthy.

I have serious doubts about Pelletier’s viability in the NHL.

He’s undersized, not excessively skilled, not excessively fast, not excessively elusive.

That’s a lot to overcome.

[Badgers Nose]

Pelletier Is a nice kid, but I’m not sure he fits this team nor do I think he can force his way on it. Hope I’m wrong.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Goriders

There are a lot of unsigned RFAs right now.

Klapka, Wolf, Pelletier

Certain Wolf gets signed. Not sure on the other 2 with some of the guys we picked up today.

All the RFAs will get signed.