Reclamation Projects

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

People need to stop looking at Lazar's stats from last season and writing him off. Mono does not allow an athlete to perform anywhere near their normal capacity, this has already been discussed at length. He was trending upwards on a generally brutal Ottawa team while playing a checking role. I see him becoming useful utility player similar to ferland and already has a similar amount of experience while being younger.

Yes he's a bit of a reclamation project but he's far from not being an NHL player and could be a steal. This game isnt about having 12 guys who score 40 points minimum. I can see him getting 30 points next year while moving up and down the lineup. The only likely way he looks bad is if he gets buried on the 4th line or pressbox. Solid young player who had a very unlucky year

I see this as well. Perhaps not a pure point producer, but he has a bit of a Frolik vibe to me. First rounder that may not wow you with pure skill, but good all-around ability and the potential to move up and down the line-up.

[Bingo]

The big thing for the Flames management group in my mind is to believe in who they are.

They need to fill the big holes, but trust the existing roster to get it done and don't plug all the smaller holes with NHL veterans that a) make too much and b) bring too little.

In recent seasons a bad October could kill the season, and because of that they don't do the development time needed to get a Brett Kulak or Tyler Wotherspoon to the point where they're better options than retread veterans at the end of the season.

Get a goaltender, plug the 4dman spot, and try and add a top nine winger. But let the system fill the rest of the holes.

That's why teams like Pittsburgh have been successful. They don't have the cap space with a top heavy lineup to add veteran players up and down their roster. They let the system handle it.

Stay away from reclamation projects unless they're PTO's with nothing to lose, and come cheap.

[Toonage]

Wouldn't hurt to have the team that they want to start the regular season with decided sooner than 24 hours before the start of the regular season. Give the full team several exhibition games to work out the kinks, shake the rust off, etc.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Corral

Reclamation projects do not start on your top line - its somewhat ironic that folks accuse Edm of throwing Yakupov into the fire and then speculate about him being acquired to join our first line What? How is that not putting him exactly where he will fail again? Just say no to Yakupov

Nitpicking but it's hypocritical not ironic.

[Roof-Daddy]

Reclamation project?

Stephane Da Costa

From an article I found:

I’ve seen him play a great deal while watching Zaitsev in the 2015-2016 season. Da Costa turns 28 this summer and is a smooth, fast skater who handles the puck very well, passes very well, and is excellent on the power play. He is a centre who shoots right, and is good at faceoffs.

Ticks a lot of boxes. Not big, but can skate, is skilled and has a right shot.

Was ppg in the AHL for Binghamton at 23, then went to the KHL and put up 62 points in 46 games. His next two seasons were injury riddled, but he still put up decent but not great numbers.

All in all his 3 seasons in the KHL have his NHLE at 66 points. His AHL NHLe from 4 years ago was 40 points.

He also had 6 goals and 10 points for France in 6 games at the WC last summer and 8 goals and 15 points in 13 games at the recent World Championships.

Sounds like he becomes a free agent on July 1st and might be looking to come back to North America with a different team than the Sens.

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Reclamation project?

Stephane Da Costa

From an article I found:



Ticks a lot of boxes. Not big, but can skate, is skilled and has a right shot.

Was ppg in the AHL for Binghamton at 23, then went to the KHL and put up 62 points in 46 games. His next two seasons were injury riddled, but he still put up decent but not great numbers.

All in all his 3 seasons in the KHL have his NHLE at 66 points. His AHL NHLe from 4 years ago was 40 points.

He also had 6 goals and 10 points for France in 6 games at the WC last summer and 8 goals and 15 points in 13 games at the recent World Championships.

Sounds like he becomes a free agent on July 1st and might be looking to come back to North America with a different team than the Sens.

Interesting player. Any word on what kind of injuries he had and the kind of money he made in the KHL? Maybe a Versteeg type replacement for the right price?

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

Interesting player. Any word on what kind of injuries he had and the kind of money he made in the KHL? Maybe a Versteeg type replacement for the right price?

Article

He also said his 2015-2016 injury was to his knee and required surgery. He came back that year and played in the playoffs. He wasn’t interested in going back to Ottawa last summer, and Ottawa showed no sign of trading his rights, so he played another year in the KHL. He missed more time, came back for the playoffs and excelled there.

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I'm shocked that people would give Yak another chance-he's skilled, but he's selfish, soft, and absolutely oblivious to contributing anything towards team defence. Skill is great, but i question his actual hockey sense, and work ethic.

Yakapov once had a lot of potential that a lot of sweat pants faithful sung about. If - agreed big if - he could ever re-find even a fraction of that potential the song would be pretty sweet. That alone gives this idea merit.

Originally Posted by Cheese

bah..a big pass on all of them...maybe if Hayes is cheap, but he is likely another Colborne.

Yeah Colborne was not as physical as we wanted - but Joe was a successful acquisition for the Flames. His current overpaid salary is the only reason he is not still here. We could do worse.

[FlamesAddiction]

Matt Ellison just had 3 really good seasons for Dynamo Minsk and is a free agent. He has been a career KHLer so it is curious that he didn't re-sign quickly after the successful seasons he just had. It makes me think that he might be giving the NHL another shot.

He is older (33), but I wouldn't be surprised if someone picks him up or at least gives him a PTO. He's a former Red Deer Rebel and always seemed like a good hardworking player.

http://www.eurohockey.com/player/128...t-ellison.html

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Is anybody on that list better than Lazar?

Bjugstad and Girgensens. Don't think either are available though and with our depth at centre it makes no sense to add another.

[indes]

Any interest in Nichuskin? His point totals aren't great in the KHL but if we can get rid of Brouwer I would like to see if we could nab him.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by indes

Any interest in Nichuskin? His point totals aren't great in the KHL but if we can get rid of Brouwer I would like to see if we could nab him.

Zero interest in Russians who like to take their ball and go home when they experience a bit of adversity. It's why I'm a bit down on them in general and why I argued against taking Nichushkin in his draft year.

Wasn't it robaur who just went on and on about he'd be the best player available at #6?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by indes

Any interest in Nichuskin? His point totals aren't great in the KHL but if we can get rid of Brouwer I would like to see if we could nab him.

I would be fine with it, as long as the acquisition cost was reflective of the risk. The problem is that he can certainly make more money and have more notoriety in the KHL at this point. It's a little bit different than say the Radulov situation where it was likely he could be a star in the NHL still.

[indes]

I doubt he's getting more money in the KHL than he would get here, we could always use more 1sts from the 2013 draft

[killer_carlson]

Chaisson on the bottom 3 works just fine.

Chaisson on the top 6 is a problem.

But count me in on the Yak option.