[Trade] Brian McGrattan to the Flames for Joe Piskula. McGrattan assigned to Heat

[kyuss275]

The only shining light i see on this minor trade is that i am 99% sure he will play in the Vancouver game. I am 100% sure he will drop the gloves. As long as he kicks the crap out of a Vancouver player then the trade is good.

I don't see him getting more than 20 minutes of playing time for the rest of the season.

[shutout]

I think that this is a great move. The only thing standing in the way of the Flames making the playoffs and walking all the way to the Stanley Cup was some more toughness. A fourth line of McGratton, Aliu, and Jackman is exactly what this team needs to push its self up the standings.

Most people think that it was a lack of work ethic or skill why they lost to the Wild when they had a 5 and 4 minute powerplays. But in reality it was the fact that they did not have a guy like McGratton to go out there and in his 4.5 minutes of ice time start a fight. That one fight (won or lost) could have been the difference to winning that game.

I see big things for this club now. And as a matter of fact I think that we just need a few more of these types of deals so that we can have a third line that brings some more of those fighting majors to the score sheet.

IF YOU CANT BEAT THEM ON THE SCOREBOARD THAN BEAT THEM UP ON THE ICE

Yes the Feast is an amazing general manager and it is all sunshine, rainbows, and daisies from here on out.

[icarus]

Can he take draws?

[shutout]

Hartley wanted the team to play a high octane, up tempo, fast skating, skill oriented, offensive style game that would be entertaining for the fans and push the pace of the game. Team toughness and five guys that play hard.

Well the McGratton trade definitely adds more of that dynamic to the team. He probably steps onto the powerplays first team and rides shotgun with Stajan and Iginla on our first line.

The only downside to this trade is that it does not look like he will be available for the game tonight. If he was in the line up then I think it would be a guaranteed win. Heck with all of the three point games being played right now, this trade might help Calgary get all three of those points in a game. Really help us move up the standings.

I am already clearing a spot on my wall where I am going to hang our 2013 Stanley Cup banner. Love this move so much and just think that the Feast is an amazing general manager.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Anyone who hates this move simply doesn't like having an 'enforcer' on a team. McGrattan was very good in his role the season he was with the Flames.

So, the '3 minutes a game' - how does it affect a team? Wasted minutes? A liability?

An enforcer is a real liability if he has no skating ability. McGrattan is indeed 'borderline' at this.
An enforcer is a real liability if he is uncontrollable. McGrattan is NOT this at all. Remember Steve Ott trying to get McGrattan to take a bad penalty? Was even grabbing onto McGrattan's chin strap and tugging on it. Didn't take the bad penalty.

This team is DEFINITELY easy to play against physically. The Flames ARE the smallest team in the NHL, and sending out someone like Jackman to fight isn't really a deterrent at all - most teams have guys like Jackman, or tougher. Usually sending out Jackman would be considered "icing on the cake" for them.

McGrattan will give the Flames a little bit more swagger out there. "Run our goalie? Well, we will either send McGrattan out to knock the guy's teeth out, or perhaps we will send him out to run your goalie back, or go after your most skilled player."

Someone on the opposing team running around and taking stupid runs at our players? Send out McGrattan and have him talk to that guy. PL3 did an excellent job in 'settling down' Eager and Hordichuk that night when they were both running around trying to hit players through the boards.

Team is lacking some energy? Send out McGrattan and have a fight. You may not agree with fighting - especially the heavyweight fights - but it DOES give the players energy. I remember German Titov talking about how much he loves to see McCarthy fight. Jarome always wants a heavy on the team so he doesn't feel like he has to do it himself. There IS reason to have one out there.

Besides, does it hurt the team? As long as McGrattan is controlled well - doesn't take bad penalties - then it is fine. You throw someone else on that 4th line that is having a good night. Reward that player with more minutes. Also, it isn't just "playing 3 minutes a night". It is him being dressed, sitting on the bench, and intimidating other guys on the ice just being there - talking to them, warning them, etc. When they step over the line, he gets sent out. An enforcer does more than what it appears on the ice in his minutes - probably the only player on the bench that has somewhat of an impact out there, in my opinion.

If you hate enforcers, everything I wrote is just BS. If you like enforcers - or at least see their positive impact on a team IF USED AND CONTROLLED WELL, then you will agree. I would have also preferred a Prust or someone of his ilk, but those guys are not available for someone like Piskula - someone who only if the Flames were to experience a large rash of injuries would ever get to play again. McGrattan did his job fine the year he was in Calgary. I am sure he will know his role again, and be good at it this season - hopefully he hasn't slowed down too much. Hartley likes having this option apparently - wouldn't be surprised if it was him that requested it after blowing up in the media about his goalies getting run.

Nothing wrong with this move. If it doesn't work, then McGrattan just goes down to the Heat. Nobody on these forums is going to miss Piskula I would say. As long as the Flames don't have to give up futures for something like this, not much to complain about I think.

[SuperMatt18]

People whine about toughness in light of teams running at us...team adds McGrattan....people complain we added a no-talent goon.

Just can't win right now.

Also a bit of a warning shot to Jackman...play your role or you will be waived.

[Murph]

If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up.

[Mike Vernon]

Originally Posted by shutout

Hartley wanted the team to play a high octane, up tempo, fast skating, skill oriented, offensive style game that would be entertaining for the fans and push the pace of the game. Team toughness and five guys that play hard.

Well the McGratton trade definitely adds more of that dynamic to the team. He probably steps onto the powerplays first team and rides shotgun with Stajan and Iginla on our first line.

The only downside to this trade is that it does not look like he will be available for the game tonight. If he was in the line up then I think it would be a guaranteed win. Heck with all of the three point games being played right now, this trade might help Calgary get all three of those points in a game. Really help us move up the standings.

I am already clearing a spot on my wall where I am going to hang our 2013 Stanley Cup banner. Love this move so much and just think that the Feast is an amazing general manager.

Great posts dude. Huge contribution to the thread! Lets give Shut out a Standing O! What an awesome person you must be! Top shelf!

Bravo! Way to go man! Nice work!

[Joborule]

Weird to trade him considering he was on waivers day before. Jesus the Flames love to max out their contracts for nothing.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I hate having a goon on this team. I would rather have a shootout specialist.

Yeah taking your argument a little further, when the other team runs our goalie we get a PP so a PP specialist would be good too. The only downfall is our goalie is in the infirmary. Not a good trade off.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

People whine about toughness in light of teams running at us...team adds McGrattan....people complain we added a no-talent goon.

Just can't win right now.

Also a bit of a warning shot to Jackman...play your role or you will be waived.

I want toughness on the team, but i want it on a regular basis. McGrattan does nothing for this team while in the pressbox 90% of the time.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

People whine about toughness in light of teams running at us...team adds McGrattan....people complain we added a no-talent goon.

Just can't win right now.

Also a bit of a warning shot to Jackman...play your role or you will be waived.

I think its team toughness people want to see... if other teams run us, we send out McGratton, the other team will just send out their 1st lien and score. With the instigator rule, nobody has to fight McGratton, they can just skate away. Any other time, he's just a bench warmer.

Then again, I'm not complaining. Just said I don't think this will change the teams' toughness at all.

[browna]

No problem with McGrattan if its the McGrattan we had before. He knows his role, know's he won't play everynight, but knows what he has to do when he does play. The problem I have is McGrattan and Jackman on the same roster.

IMO, they're cut from the same cloth, with McGrattan being a better fighter, and Jackman a marginally better player, and that's mainly because he's been given that ice time, and has had to adapt his game to try and keep up and play every night.

Plus, Jackman's clearly now picking his spots to fight or lay out the big hit ever since Feaster threw a guaranteed contract extension his way, thinking that would spark him, and supposedly keeping the SJ Sharks away the same day this time last year at the trade deadline. The Jackman that Brent got was the Jackman they needed, and still need. He's since been forced into playing outside of his comfort zone and he's not great at it (nothing against him).

Can't turn Jackman into something he's really not...if they give McGrattan the same chance and same ice they've given Jackman, I don't think the difference will be that notiecable, or if they go with the Aliu route going forward and give him the minutes they give Jackman, or someone else next year, Jackman is redundnant, should've never been extended the way he was last year, and hopefully there's still a trade market for him this year.

[East Coast Flame]

I can't wait until these type of useless enforcers are out of the league. What a joke. Can't wait to see McGratton have a staged fight against the other teams "enforcer" and then get stapled to the bench for the rest of the game.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I rather the flames had claimed Volpatti then gone out and traded for McGrattan. I understand the # of contracts had a big thing to do with McGrattan , but they could have made it worked.

McGrattan will bring no toughness to this team if he is in the pressbox regularly.

Even if the Flames put a claim on Volpatti, they weren't going to get him. Washington has a worse winning percentage than Calgary and therefore have higher waiver priority than the Flames

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Weird to trade him considering he was on waivers day before. Jesus the Flames love to max out their contracts for nothing.

It's not weird as all. If they would've claimed him off of waivers, the Flames would be at 50 contracts. Since they traded Piskula for him, they're still at 49.

[Hells Bells]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

I can't wait until these type of useless enforcers are out of the league. What a joke. Can't wait to see McGratton have a staged fight against the other teams "enforcer" and then get stapled to the bench for the rest of the game.

I certainly won't mind if that "staged" fight leads to a momentum change in a Flames W.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Weird to trade him considering he was on waivers day before. Jesus the Flames love to max out their contracts for nothing.

Not really weird at all IMO. If they would have claimed him, the Flames would have 50 contracts.

Now that Feaster traded Piskula for him, we still have 49.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Will McGrattan be in Calgary in time for tonight's game? If so, man I'd love to watch a line of Aliu-Begin-McGrattan. I know some people don't like Aliu, but he has an attitude. There's actually some emotion. I'm tired of watching emotionless players.

[East Coast Flame]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Is it really stuck in the 80s? The Kings won the Stanley Cup and had Westgarth, against the Devils who had Jansen and Boulton. Conference finalists - Rangers - Prust/Rupp/Bickel, Coyotes - Bisonette.

Westgarth, Jannsen, Boulton and Bisonette played a whopping total of 3 playoff games last year. All 3 were by Biz-nasty.

Prust and Rupp are actually guys who can play hockey and fight, much different than the other plugs you listed.