UFA's- who's available this summer

[Calgary4LIfe]

I wouldn't mind seeing in Calgary what Florida did last year - just signed a bunch of guys to 'not horrible' contracts that were short in term. Some 'reclamation' projects it seemed. They help to provide an NHL-level lineup so your kids don't get overwhelmed. You can then sell off some decent pieces at the deadline, or re-sign them if they seem to really be working out for you.

Get some dead-weight contracts with high picks or a good prospect, returning a low pick. Take advantage of the cap situation that will hit a few teams next season. Calgary should be one of the 'richer teams' with a lot of available cap-space.

[SuperMatt18]

Salary Chart for next season: http://capgeek.com/payrolls/?charts_year=2013

Teams need to clear cap and Flames in a good position now to take advantage, even more so if Cammy and Kipper alsi come off the books.

[driveway]

Don't spend the money this summer; maybe sign one or two non-first line, non-1st pairing D guys to short contracts. 2014 the following players are free agents:

Malkin, Heatley, Gaborik, Vanek, Thornton, Lundqvist, Stastny, Sedin, Sedin, Kessel, Pominville, Bergeron, Pitkanen, Callahan, Mezaros, Pavelski, Letang, Seidenberg, Brown, Setoguchi, Schultz, Cogliano

One year of seeing how our 2013 1st rounders are panning out, did we grab someone exceptional in the bottom half of the draft? Suck again in 2014 and grab another top five pick.

Suddenly the 2014 off-season rolls around and we're hopefully looking like a team that's about to come out the other side of a rebuild and we look attractive to free agents. Grab a 1st line winger and a 1st pairing defenceman and then in 2014-2015 we're competitive again, and young as heck.

[PeteLFan]

Well we have to spend to the floor and if we trade cammy and kipper then we gotta spend money somewhere.

[oilboy2]

Originally Posted by driveway

Don't spend the money this summer; maybe sign one or two non-first line, non-1st pairing D guys to short contracts. 2014 the following players are free agents:

Malkin, Heatley, Gaborik, Vanek, Thornton, Lundqvist, Stastny, Sedin, Sedin, Kessel, Pominville, Bergeron, Pitkanen, Callahan, Mezaros, Pavelski, Letang, Seidenberg, Brown, Setoguchi, Schultz, Cogliano

One year of seeing how our 2013 1st rounders are panning out, did we grab someone exceptional in the bottom half of the draft? Suck again in 2014 and grab another top five pick.

Suddenly the 2014 off-season rolls around and we're hopefully looking like a team that's about to come out the other side of a rebuild and we look attractive to free agents. Grab a 1st line winger and a 1st pairing defenceman and then in 2014-2015 we're competitive again, and young as heck.

I love the optimism. Only problem is the GM in charge. Do you really think he is capable. Me thinks they are in for many painful years.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by driveway

Don't spend the money this summer; maybe sign one or two non-first line, non-1st pairing D guys to short contracts. 2014 the following players are free agents:

Malkin, Heatley, Gaborik, Vanek, Thornton, Lundqvist, Stastny, Sedin, Sedin, Kessel, Pominville, Bergeron, Pitkanen, Callahan, Mezaros, Pavelski, Letang, Seidenberg, Brown, Setoguchi, Schultz, Cogliano

One year of seeing how our 2013 1st rounders are panning out, did we grab someone exceptional in the bottom half of the draft? Suck again in 2014 and grab another top five pick.

Suddenly the 2014 off-season rolls around and we're hopefully looking like a team that's about to come out the other side of a rebuild and we look attractive to free agents. Grab a 1st line winger and a 1st pairing defenceman and then in 2014-2015 we're competitive again, and young as heck.

By the time we reach it, most (if not all) players of note on that list will have been re-signed. Few really good players end up making it to UFA, and will be less now with the extra year that players can sign for. Anaheim was going to lose both Getzlaf and Perry this year - everyone thought they were on their way out. They re-signed both of them.

Cap should actually increase that season as well, so this is really the 'best' season for the Flames to take advantage of 'cap-deals' and UFA signings. I wouldn't be surprised if 2014 has a higher cap than this year's. This upcoming season will be the lowest, so that is really the best time to take advantage of the situation.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Iginla
Kobasew
Lombardi
Regehr
Leopold
Lydman
Ference
Aucoin
Pardy
Nystrom

I really think if we grab these players we can solidify getting into the playoffs (about 8th place) Then who knows what can happen.......

I seriously hope we are done building through free agency. If there are players available under 30 I'd be all for it though, just hard not to overpay for FA's.

Khudobin would garner my interest. Beyond that I'd look at Western kids who want to take a discount to play close to home.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by calgARI

With everyone getting shipped out, who exactly is going to play on this team? It's not like they have tons of young players waiting in the wings to come up. You don't want to ruin young guys by rushing them to the NHL. There is no way they will not be very active on the free agent market this summer.

Excellent point. Problem is I can't imagine us convincing real quality UFAs to sign now that we are officially lost at sea.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by getoverit

So looks like we will have some money to spend, who is available and who do we want if we have money to burn?? with all our new NCAA players, thinking it will be years before we ever see them, if we see them

http://www.capgeek.com/free-agents

I think we need a goalie, and my money is on Feaster making a pitch for Mike Smith.

[Split98]

Iginla
Cervenka
Raymond
Bozak
Brunner
Stalberg
Wolski
Fehr
White
Montoya
Clarkson

Are all UFAs I wouldn't mind a conversation being had. All are either players I'd love to have on the team, players that can be offered a resurgence, or players I can see filling a role while still allowing us to ice our youth.

[really?]

Originally Posted by Split98

Iginla
Cervenka
Raymond
Bozak
Brunner
Stalberg
Wolski
Fehr
White
Montoya
Clarkson

Are all UFAs I wouldn't mind a conversation being had. All are either players I'd love to have on the team, players that can be offered a resurgence, or players I can see filling a role while still allowing us to ice our youth.

Stalberg, Clarkson and Cervenka would all be good signings. He's still my favorite player, but no way Iggy should come back. He was the heart and soul of a franchise, that wasn't working. Don't try to recreate something that was fatally flawed. It's best for Iggy and the Flames that they go in different directions. He can be the complimentary piece elsewhere that he will never be allowed to be in Calgary.

[bubbsy]

i don't know if the UFA list alone is what we need to be looking at. Let's look at the teams that are in cap trouble next year. What roster players do you think those teams would be willing to part with or even buy out that the flames might be interested in, and have the cap space to get?

[BigRed]

I'd like to see Cervenka back as I think he's got top end skill and will surely do better with a full camp and an off season of training; but I don't think he'll re-sign with a bottom-end team. He was pursued by several teams last year so we'll see.

[Da_Chief]

Yup, Cervenka comes back. Want the likes of Raymond, Stalberg, Bouchard, Lydman stc pursued.

For now..More trades pending...going into next season

Tanguay-Cammi-Glencross
Baertchi-Backlund-Stempniak
Hudler-Stajan-Cervenka*
Aliu/Bouma/Rinehart/Jackman/Byron/Horak

Gio-open
Brodie-Wideman-
Sarich-Butler
Smith

Ramo
Berra

Besides the one D spot not much is open, we need to move out Tanguay, Cammi, Glencross, Stamp, Stajan Sarich, Babchuk. Open up spots for Horak, Breen etc.

What Id like us to be positioned with...Offer top line minutes on 1 year deals to guys like Bouchard, so they can have career years and get a big contract the following year.

Penner*-Bozak*-Cervenka*
Hudler-Mackinnon-Clarkson*
Baertchi-Backlund-Horak
Bouma-Rinehart-Jackman

That should get us near a top pick and kids not getting destroyed. Macinnon/Drouin/Barkov etc are already too good for their leagues, Barkov can got to AHL but the other 2 cant so might as well have him with the big club.

[SuperMatt18]

I also think it is an offseason where lots of cap dumps and buyouts will be possible. Did a quick look on cap geek at teams that may have to clear some space and what "bad contracts" they have.

Briere, Danny »
Meszaros, Andrej »
Bryzgalov, Ilya »
Booth, David »
Ballard, Keith »
Heatley, Dany »
Gilbert, Tom »
Richards, Brad »
Oduya, Johnny »
Olesz, Rostislav »
Kaberle, Tomas »
Malone, Ryan »
Jokinen, Jussi »
Ruutu, Tuomo »
Kelly, Chris »
Peverley, Rich »
Jones, David »
Leino, Ville »
Stafford, Drew »
Myers, Tyler »
Erat, Martin »

So potential that some of these names are either traded as cap dumps, or bought out. For guys that are bought out I really hope the Flames take advantage of their cap space and throw out 1-Year "Redemption" contracts.

Pick up guys on 1-year contracts and you might have more trade assets at the deadline or find some guys you really like that improved their game.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I also think it is an offseason where lots of cap dumps and buyouts will be possible. Did a quick look on cap geek at teams that may have to clear some space and what "bad contracts" they have.

Briere, Danny »
Meszaros, Andrej »
Bryzgalov, Ilya »
Booth, David »
Ballard, Keith »
Heatley, Dany »
Gilbert, Tom »
Richards, Brad »
Oduya, Johnny »
Olesz, Rostislav »
Kaberle, Tomas »
Malone, Ryan »
Jokinen, Jussi »
Ruutu, Tuomo »
Kelly, Chris »
Peverley, Rich »
Jones, David »
Leino, Ville »
Stafford, Drew »
Myers, Tyler »
Erat, Martin »

So potential that some of these names are either traded as cap dumps, or bought out. For guys that are bought out I really hope the Flames take advantage of their cap space and throw out 1-Year "Redemption" contracts.

Pick up guys on 1-year contracts and you might have more trade assets at the deadline or find some guys you really like that improved their game.

Id' target Oduya, Jones, and Erat.

[Ozy_Flame]

Don't go after Iginla. That's not good for this organization and we need a new direction. Besides, he's too old for this team's new flavour and would have to accept a diminishing role. He probably wants to remain with a contender anyways.

Unless he signs for less than say, $2 million, just stay away. Let's focus our energy on other assets and stick to the plan.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Mason Raymond will be a Flame next season.

Yes the Flames need more skilled softer players.

I really hope that the Flames do not sign 1 more soft / skilled player until only 2 or maybe 3 of Hudler, Cammalleri, Tanguay, Stajan, Backlund, Baertschi, Stempniak are left.

Any UFA the Flames sign has to be able to protect and make other players better...... Iginla, Clarkson, Nystrom, Clowe, Regehr, Doug Murray, Volpatti,


NO SOFT SKILLED GUYS NEEDED

Montreal went from the outhouse to the pent house in one year...


Got rid of Cammalleri and replaced him with Bourque.

UFA's signed .... Prust, Moen and Armstrong all of them make the players on the ice with them better

[CaptainCrunch]

I want to see the Flames sign every low rent knuckles for hire goon that they can get their hands on.

I want a decently skilled top line and then lines 2 through 4 to be complete remorseless blood thirsty knuckle dragging apes.

I want 4 defensemen who are capable of an average or 3 penalties per game.

I want to find a volatile goalie from the Quebec Senior league that packs heat in his equipment bag

If we're gonna dive lets at least make it amusing.

[Tinordi]

Our backspace should be used to acquire salary dumps from teams desperate to avoid the buy out option in the off season, we can take on some ugly contracts and get more draft picks as compensation. So long as the contracts aren't longer than 3 years we'll still be helping in the rebuild window.