If the Flames can't find a trade partner for Wideman, should they buy him out?

[goodyear]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Park him in the rafters.

Forever a Flame #Feastermademedoit

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[Steve Bozek]

Did I just imagine it on Saturday night, but when the panel was talking about the McDavid penalty shot call on Wideman in the season opener, did Hrudey say there were a few occasions at the end of last season when the refs were over-calling penalties on Wideman in revenge for his hit on the linesman? The panel then said the McDavid call was just a bad call, and not spite, but I wonder.

As an aside, Wideman may seem to have lost a step, but he was still able to stay close enough to Mc David to put in a phantom hook.

[Huntingwhale]

Article from Francis about the struggles of Wideman. Normally I'm not one to take anything a player says to the media at face value. But Wideman had some interesting quotes...

“When you’re younger you get to see stuff (by sitting in the press box) but I don’t know what positive there is to take out of it,” said the 33-year-old defenceman Monday.

“But it’s not my job to do that. My job is to be ready when they ask me to play.”

When reminded he rebounded two seasons ago from a similar benching to have a career year that helped lead the club to the playoffs, Wideman shrugged.

“That’s the way you guys see it,” he said, unconvinced.

“That was two years ago.”

“Widesy will tell you he’s not the fastest guy out there but he’s a smart player,” said Gulutzan.

“He’s a guy that has to pay a cerebral game but those breakaways weren’t an indication of him per se. I think 97 (Connor McDavid) deserves a little bit of the credit there, because there were a few of our defencemen that he went past. A couple of them that Wides happened to be involved in were just turnovers at the blue-line there and you’re not going to win that footrace. Few guys in the league will.”

“I think it was just us learning when to be super aggressive and when to back off in the system,” said Wideman, explaining the glaring defensive lapses in their 5-3 loss Friday — his last game.

“We played them last year and didn’t give up five breakaways in a game.”

Gulutzan saw it differently.

“That wasn’t systematic breakdowns, that was blunders with the puck at the blue-line,” said the coach, whose 0-2-1 team tightened up those defensive lapses in Saturday’s shootout loss.

“That wasn’t structure, that was puck management.”

http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/10/17...es-defensively

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Wow is Wideman trying to guarantee that he never sees NHL game action again?

The guy is an idiot. He's actually calling himself a smart player and blaming the system... Done defending this meathead.

[Max Cow Disease]

To be fair, I don't read the quotes above as Wideman calling himself a smart player. Gulutzan is basically saying that Wideman will tell you he isn't very fast, but then vouches for him by saying that he thinks he's a smart player.

[The Original FFIV]

Send him off to Robidas Island

Can't have this negativity surrounding the team. Especially with the young players. This player is delusional.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

To be fair, I don't read the quotes above as Wideman calling himself a smart player. Gulutzan is basically saying that Wideman will tell you he isn't very fast, but then vouches for him by saying that he thinks he's a smart player.

Okay, but regardless, he has implied that the reason they lost is because of the system.

And Wideman is not a smart hockey player so I'm not sure why GG would believe that himself. The only reason he is tolerated for constant boneheaded plays is because he has been good at putting pucks on net throughout his career (except last year obviously).

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Wow is Wideman trying to guarantee that he never sees NHL game action again?

The guy is an idiot. He's actually calling himself a smart player and blaming the system... Done defending this meathead.

Went through the thread to try and find what you're talking about. Are you referring to an interview or something?

I would like to read what you're talking about if there's an article.

Wideman is junk.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Gulutzan

I didn’t mind his game in Edmonton but in Game 2 I moved him to the left side, which was a tough adjustment for him.

Glad I'm not the only one who saw it this way.

I still think Kulak-Wideman could be a heck of a bottom pair. Kulak just has to earn coach's trust as the #5.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

Went through the thread to try and find what you're talking about. Are you referring to an interview or something?

I would like to read what you're talking about if there's an article.

Wideman is junk.

The post above mine.

“We played them last year and didn’t give up five breakaways in a game.”

Basically saying Hartley's system didn't give up 5 breakaways in a game against Edmonton.

[Machiavelli]

He said they were still learning the system, where's the lie?

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

He said they were still learning the system, where's the lie?

Gulutzan saw it differently.

“That wasn’t systematic breakdowns, that was blunders with the puck at the blue-line,”

So Wideman was implying that it's because they are still learning the systems or that the system needs to be adjusted.

Gulutzan says it's not because of the system or learning the system, it's because Wideman made dumb mistakes at the blue line that no NHLer should make.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

The post above mine.



Basically saying Hartley's system didn't give up 5 breakaways in a game against Edmonton.

Well, is he wrong? I don't recall any time last year where the Oilers got 5 breakaways

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Well, is he wrong? I don't recall any time last year where the Oilers got 5 breakaways

I don't recall any time last year where the Flames were in the offensive zone enough times in a game to potentially give up five breakaways.

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

So Wideman was implying that it's because they are still learning the systems or that the system needs to be adjusted.

Gulutzan says it's not because of the system or learning the system, it's because Wideman made dumb mistakes at the blue line that no NHLer should make.

They can both be right. I don't have a problem with what Wideman said. It's certainly nothing to villainize him over

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

So Wideman was implying that it's because they are still learning the systems or that the system needs to be adjusted.

Gulutzan says it's not because of the system or learning the system, it's because Wideman made dumb mistakes at the blue line that no NHLer should make.

I don't think there is as big of a gap between those statements as you are implying.

I think Gulutzen was simplyy defending his systems so people wouldn't interpret it as: breakaways - therefore the system sucks.

Whether you call it players not executing the system well, or just call it puck management mistakes, you're basically saying the same thing: players made mistakes and didn't play well.

There is no rift here.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Well, is he wrong? I don't recall any time last year where the Oilers got 5 breakaways

The way the article frames the quotes, it does seem like Wideman is blaming the system while Gulutzan isn't. Here is the quote, already shared in this thread:

“I think it was just us learning when to be super aggressive and when to back off in the system,” said Wideman, explaining the glaring defensive lapses in their 5-3 loss Friday — his last game.

“We played them last year and didn’t give up five breakaways in a game.”

Gulutzan saw it differently.

“That wasn’t systematic breakdowns, that was blunders with the puck at the blue-line,” said the coach, whose 0-2-1 team tightened up those defensive lapses in Saturday’s shootout loss.

“That wasn’t structure, that was puck management.”

[CroFlames]

I still think Wideman has something left in the tank. He needs to accept his benchings gracefully and be a team player and professional. He is lucky to be playing at the highest level at age 33, and is getting paid very well to do so.

Every guys career comes to an end sooner or later, and this could be the beginning of the end. Show some class, and be there for your teammates bro.

[Machiavelli]

It's just Francis creating something out of nothing

[PepsiFree]

I don't know how you could not blame those breakaways on bad mistakes. Each one involved a guy tripping, losing the puck, or making a bad pass.

There is some fault on the system (because it's new, so they're likely still overthinking plays since it hasn't become second nature) but I personally saw Wideman make no less than 5 boneheaded mistake all by himself per game.

If he can't own even part of his bad play, then he might as well make sure he chose a comfortable chair for the press box.