[Signing] Canucks sign Baertschi to 2 yr deal ($1.85 mil AAV)

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Racki

For me, Baertschi will always be one of those guys that I believe could have had an entirely different career had things started out differently for him.

I think the high expectations because of a great 5 game stint, the concussions/injuries and the Burke/Hartley regime all contributed to his demise. Baertschi's character and immaturity also played a huge role but I will always wonder how good a Flame he could have been had the start to his career been different.

I wish him well and I'm glad he enabled us to draft Rasmus Andersson. I have a great feeling about Andersson.

I would disagree. Have you played contact hockey? Not to be anything but honest; Baertschi is textbook soft. He's afraid of the corners, he's afraid of any contact. Gaudreau invites players to try to hit him, Baertschi freezes up and gives the puck away. Soft players never reach a high level in a contact sport.

Coaches will mentor him how to approach a situation, go over a drill a million times but when a player is soft the bad habits never go away. Imagine a soccer player that's afraid to head the ball, they simply won't make it.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

No, you just make dumb comparisons.

And yes, at this point in his career, Bennett is a comparable as most of his NHL time has been on the wing.

Dont be so butt hurt. If I would prefer to have Baertschi over those guys, its my damn preference. You telling me it's wrong because of your own, albeit foolish, reasons based on a top6/bottom 6 roster has no bearing on my preferences. I like a top 9 roster and I don't like brick contracts. So yes, Baertschi at 1.85 for 2 years is a better contract and roster spot than those guys I mentioned. At least Baer is a tradeable asset, unlike most, if not all, of those guys I mentioned

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Dont be so butt hurt.

This from the guy who refuses to answer a "dumb question"? Look in the mirror, dude.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

This from the guy who refuses to answer a "dumb question"? Look in the mirror, dude.

What? I told you I would take Baertschi over 4 players. Then you say "well, what about these other 4 players"? Would you take Bennett over Crosby, McDavid, Doughty and Price? Is that relevant to my opinion? No. It was a dumb question, not relevant whatsoever!

I'd be happy to entertain a conversation of intelligence and merit.

[Moderator]

Let's avoid the personal attacks. Thanks.

You can always take it to PM.

[Chonger]

Anyone been following Sven much this pre-season? Is this his break-out year?

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by Chonger

Anyone been following Sven much this pre-season? Is this his break-out year?

I just caught a bit of him in the game the Flames played against the Canucks. I don't remember him standing out in any way except for one missed play. But one missed play is the epitome of small sample size.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Granlund looked better than Baertschi, if you want to reminisce about ex-Flames.

My guess is that we know what kind of player Sven is. He will get his share of points, but nothing exceptional and he is not a guy that will drive play.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Granlund looked better than Baertschi, if you want to reminisce about ex-Flames.

My guess is that we know what kind of player Sven is. He will get his share of points, but nothing exceptional and he is not a guy that will drive play.

For not much more money than they're paying Bollig, the Flames could use a bit of that.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

For not much more money than they're paying Bollig, the Flames could use a bit of that.

Bollig stinks and will be lucky to be the 13th forward. Not sure of your point.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Bollig stinks and will be lucky to be the 13th forward. Not sure of your point.

My point is that $1.85m for a player who doesn't drive play but puts up decent numbers is solid value.

That's a better return on investment than the cap space given to Bollig, Stajan, Bouma, Engelland, Wideman, Smid, or Raymond's buyout.

Getting "nothing exceptional" for $1.85m is a good thing. The Flamrd struggle to get NHL caliber talent on the right side of 34 years old for less than $3m.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

My point is that $1.85m for a player who doesn't drive play but puts up decent numbers is solid value.

That's a better return on investment than the cap space given to Bollig, Stajan, Bouma, Engelland, Wideman, Smid, or Raymond's buyout.

Getting "nothing exceptional" for $1.85m is a good thing. The Flamrd struggle to get NHL caliber talent on the right side of 34 years old for less than $3m.

That's a pretty bad list of players but I think I'd take Engelland over Baertschi. Anyway, it's not like Sven gave the Flames a choice to sign with them.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

My point is that $1.85m for a player who doesn't drive play but puts up decent numbers is solid value.

That's a better return on investment than the cap space given to Bollig, Stajan, Bouma, Engelland, Wideman, Smid, or Raymond's buyout.

Getting "nothing exceptional" for $1.85m is a good thing. The Flamrd struggle to get NHL caliber talent on the right side of 34 years old for less than $3m.

What Flames really need is some of the young guys stepping up to take away the jobs from the overpaid role players.

And yeah, I'd take Granlund back before I'd take Sven.

[Racki]

I've moved on from Baertschi and I bear him no ill will (unlike Tom Erixon) but I wonder how he would've looked playing the opposite wing with Gaudreau and Monahan. Baertschi and Monahan did seem to have good chemistry in the limited time they played together.

[JerryUnderscore]

With Sven it's always been about the mental game. From the articles I've read, he just doesn't seem to have any mental toughness to endure criticism, even constructively, in order to be a better player.

But does that matter? I don't know. I guess we'll see how he's do in a few more years, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him struggle in the NHL and decide to go back to Europe where he can be a star.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

My point is that $1.85m for a player who doesn't drive play but puts up decent numbers is solid value.

That's a better return on investment than the cap space given to Bollig, Stajan, Bouma, Engelland, Wideman, Smid, or Raymond's buyout.

Getting "nothing exceptional" for $1.85m is a good thing. The Flamrd struggle to get NHL caliber talent on the right side of 34 years old for less than $3m.

I am not a Sven basher. I never said he wasn't bad value, just that he isn't likely to move the needle much. Bollig or other bad contracts has nothing to do with it.

[DJones]

There was always a chance we'd lose that trade. Could see him becoming a solid 2nd liner.

Happy with Andersson so far though. If he becomes a top 4 guy we won that trade in a landslide.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

What Flames really need is some of the young guys stepping up to take away the jobs from the overpaid role players.

And yeah, I'd take Granlund back before I'd take Sven.

Based on 1 pre-season game? Granlund was absolutely terrible for Vancouver last season.

I also love that people are saying they'd rather Baertschi than anyone on our 4th line. Do you realize that when Sven wasn't playing top-6 he was absolutely useless? Even on the 3rd line he wasn't generating anything offensively and still sucked defensively. Sven sucks at RW and he wasn't making our top-6 LW especially now that we have Tkachuk.

Bouma, Ferland, Hathaway, Bollig, Stajan all do things that Sven can't.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Based on 1 pre-season game? Granlund was absolutely terrible for Vancouver last season.

I also love that people are saying they'd rather Baertschi than anyone on our 4th line. Do you realize that when Sven wasn't playing top-6 he was absolutely useless? Even on the 3rd line he wasn't generating anything offensively and still sucked defensively. Sven sucks at RW and he wasn't making our top-6 LW especially now that we have Tkachuk.

Bouma, Ferland, Hathaway, Bollig, Stajan all do things that Sven can't.

This. Sven got zero points when asked to play on the bottom 6, and he wasn't good at the things the bottom six does. So either he gets sheltered minutes on a second line or he can't play. Saying he's better than any of those guys (except maybe Bollig) is not a good comparison. Can he take faceoffs and anchor a bottom line? Can't replace Stajan. Is he a good energy grinder who can stick up for teammates if necessary? Can't replace Bouma, Ferland or Hathaway.

Can he play better than Backlund, Frolik, Bennett, Brouwer, Gaudreau, Monahan? No. And at the time he was bested by Colborne, Granlund, and Jooris.

[bubbsy]

i only saw him in that pre-season game a few days back, and both baertchi and granlund looked good, especially early on (if i recall correctly).

shinkaruk looked meh in the game which naturally was annoying, but it's early.

I'm glad the camp is done looking at prospects, though sad that none really made a case for themselves. Let's get some of the last guys, like shinkaruk, with NHL linemates, and see if they look like they belong or not.