2018/2019 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

To add to Scorp, think of Point as being in the Martin St. Louis mould, but slightly bigger. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and can work the boards.

Projections have him at around 8.5M, possibly reaching 9M dependant on term, and Monahan being cost effective is what is causing the chatter.

It's not really a "Calgary wants that player without taking the other team into consideration" conversation, but rather "Tampa has a cap problem, and Calgary is one of the few teams in the league that could help" conversation.

And why Monahan+ is being named going the other way, is because Point actually is that good, and he brings exactly what Calgary desperately needed in the playoffs. A line driving centre.

A centre core of Point, Lindholm, Backlund and Ryan would be crazy good.

i view that centre core as pretty mediocre and exceptionally expensive.

10 million dollars for your bottom 2 centres? Woof.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

i view that centre core as pretty mediocre and exceptionally expensive.

10 million dollars for your bottom 2 centres? Woof.

Who cares how much they’re paid? Backlund and Ryan are excellent players and are worth that money. Good teams are 4 great centres deep. Also, they make $8.4 million, not $10.

[Husky]

If the Flames were able to get Point for Monahan+ then it would balance 2 lines and have 2 lines with at least 1 player to drive them.

Gaudreau - Lindolm
Tkachuk - Point

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Husky

If the Flames were able to get Point for Monahan+ then it would balance 2 lines and have 2 lines with at least 1 player to drive them.

Gaudreau - Lindolm
Tkachuk - Point

With neither line having a capable winger on the other side.

What made the top line work this year was having 3 players who were actually legitimate top 6 players on one line together, for the first time since Hudler was in Calgary.

Robbing peter to pay paul isn't going to improve the fortunes of this club.

[Vinny01]

I think the only chance the Flames snag Point would be Gaudreau going the other way. Monahan is not close to enough

[Harry Lime]

Bennett has grown into deserving a top 6 role. That's one RW, although the off side.

It would be Monahan+(something not too crazy)
Gaudreau would have Tampa adding, given their cap situation.
They would be more likely to want a centre back, after giving up a centre. They would look like :

Stamkos
Monahan
Cirelli
Miller

... which would be just as good as Calgarys centres, only with a better overall cap hit, because Monahan is underpaid. If they want Stamkos on the wing, Cirelli takes line 1, and Paquette takes line 4. That is a really good team.

Calgary adds a 1st or Kylington, and Tampa stays relevant for another half decade.

[theslymonkey]

I just don't understand where people get the idea that Monahan is going to even considered to be traded. His contact is unbelievable for a player who just broke 80 and has been a very consistent 30 goal guy. It's not weather he is better or worse than Point or whoever else, his value is in the percentage of cap compared to what else is available. He and Johnny are almost untouchable based purely on point per dollar spent.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Bennett has grown into deserving a top 6 role. That's one RW, although the off side.

It would be Monahan+(something not too crazy)
Gaudreau would have Tampa adding, given their cap situation.
They would be more likely to want a centre back, after giving up a centre. They would look like :

Stamkos
Monahan
Cirelli
Miller

... which would be just as good as Calgarys centres, only with a better overall cap hit, because Monahan is underpaid. If they want Stamkos on the wing, Cirelli takes line 1, and Paquette takes line 4. That is a really good team.

Calgary adds a 1st or Kylington, and Tampa stays relevant for another half decade.

What?

He had 27 friggin points. 294 other players outpointed him. 224 of them were forwards.

He just doesnt have the hockey IQ for that kind of role...he has never shown it either. Top 6 guys are on their game way way more times than not. Bennett has shown to find his game for small stretches and then disappear again for weeks.

Love his style of game and every team (particularly this one) needs those guys, but not in prominent roles for a length of time. Yes he was fine in the playoffs...but that has no bearing on determining that he should be getting prime ice time through 82 games.

He will be 23 at the start of next season...dont think we are going to see leaps and bounds of growth from him at this point, though god knows the club could use it and it would be welcome.

He is what he is....average 3rd liner with some grease to his game who can move around the line up (but not at Center) when needed.

[Vinny01]

Saying Bennett is what he is could have been applied to Lindholm who was nothing more than a 40-45pt guy for 5 years before coming to the Flames and scoring 78.

Disagree that we have seen all Bennett has to offer before he is 23 years old.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Saying Bennett is what he is could have been applied to Lindholm who was nothing more than a 40-45pt guy for 5 years before coming to the Flames and scoring 78.

Disagree that we have seen all Bennett has to offer before he is 23 years old.

Lindholms worst year is better than Bennetts best.

It would be awesome if Bennett could find his way to 40-45 points...problem is he has been given multiple opportunities to do so, and hasn't been able to.

And its not like the 2 are miles apart in age...Lindholm will be 24 when next season starts, Sam will be 23....18 months difference.

When does it become OK to admit...he is what he is? 1 more year? 3? 6?

At what point do you just say (and start building the team that way)...he is a 3rd line guy?

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Lindholms worst year is better than Bennetts best.

It would be awesome if Bennett could find his way to 40-45 points...problem is he has been given multiple opportunities to do so, and hasn't been able to.

And its not like the 2 are miles apart in age...Lindholm will be 24 when next season starts, Sam will be 23....18 months difference.

When does it become OK to admit...he is what he is? 1 more year? 3? 6?

At what point do you just say (and start building the team that way)...he is a 3rd line guy?

It's a pretty well established line of development that players in their draft +4 year typically take a large step forward.

Sam is going into next year in his draft + 5 year. However, remember that he lost almost and entire year of development right after the draft due to his shoulder injury.

I expect that next year we see a size able step forward from Sam.

If he gets consistent top 6 minutes, with 2nd line PP time I can see him pushing towards 40-50 points.

His underlying numbers have always been quite good, he's just never really had a consistent amount of time with more talented line mates. And yes, I know, he has had stints, it needs to be earned etc. etc.

I would love to see him on the second line, getting 18 minutes a night for the first 20 games of the year.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Lindholms worst year is better than Bennetts best.

It would be awesome if Bennett could find his way to 40-45 points...problem is he has been given multiple opportunities to do so, and hasn't been able to.

And its not like the 2 are miles apart in age...Lindholm will be 24 when next season starts, Sam will be 23....18 months difference.

When does it become OK to admit...he is what he is? 1 more year? 3? 6?

At what point do you just say (and start building the team that way)...he is a 3rd line guy?

Lindholm was 23 turning 24 when he had his breakout year which was his 6th year in the league. Bennett is entering his 5th year and will turn 23 in June. All the same things you are saying about opportunity etc was the same with Lindholm. Moved from Center to wing and throughout the lineup.

Bennett missed a year with injury, and had 2 years under Gulutzan that I think were detrimental to his development. Despite mediocre numbers last year I think he was an improved player. I do think he can score 20 goals and put up 50pts when he is in his prime over the next 3-4 years. Will it be next year? Maybe but a player like Bennett I would keep until he is 25 before cutting bait or saying he fully is what he is.

The only person I really care feels that way is Treliving as he is the one that decides if Bennett stays or goes and for how much.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

It's a pretty well established line of development that players in their draft +4 year typically take a large step forward.

Sam is going into next year in his draft + 5 year. However, remember that he lost almost and entire year of development right after the draft due to his shoulder injury.

I expect that next year we see a size able step forward from Sam.

If he gets consistent top 6 minutes, with 2nd line PP time I can see him pushing towards 40-50 points.

His underlying numbers have always been quite good, he's just never really had a consistent amount of time with more talented line mates. And yes, I know, he has had stints, it needs to be earned etc. etc.

I would love to see him on the second line, getting 18 minutes a night for the first 20 games of the year.

He got this treatment this season with backlund and Tkachuk for a solid portion of the season. Tkachuk's points per 60 decline something like 1.17 with bennett as compared to Frolik even though Bennett produced almost twice as much as he did prior to being put there.

I like Bennett a lot but I think if he gets top 6 minutes again next year other than as injury replacement the team won't be good enough again. It's a hole on the roster right now and I think management sees this too with the attempt to acquire Zucker.

Bennett has a unique set of skills that you want in your lineup, but I think the expecting him to be a Tom Wilson or even a Michael Ferland aren't very reasonable expectations for the player moving forward.

If the Flames end up having the best 4th line player in the league in Bennett, that's extremely valuable. If he turns into the best 3rd line player in the league, wow, even better.

Since this is the trade speculation thread I have to think the Flames management is looking long and hard at that second line wing position and asking themselves what the heck can they do to fix it.

They basically need to swing another trade for another Lindholm because the player they need to acquire is either so elite offensively he pushes lindholm into that second line rw slot or, he's strong enough in all 3 zones that he can play with tkachuk and backlund and actually help them out instead of leach off of them.

In my ideal world the Flames acquire another centre that puts Monahan on the 1st line wing which moves Lindholm down to the second line wing and you have 4 centres in your top 6 forward group like the Sharks.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Lindholm was 23 turning 24 when he had his breakout year which was his 6th year in the league. Bennett is entering his 5th year and will turn 23 in June. All the same things you are saying about opportunity etc was the same with Lindholm. Moved from Center to wing and throughout the lineup.

Bennett missed a year with injury, and had 2 years under Gulutzan that I think were detrimental to his development. Despite mediocre numbers last year I think he was an improved player. I do think he can score 20 goals and put up 50pts when he is in his prime over the next 3-4 years. Will it be next year? Maybe but a player like Bennett I would keep until he is 25 before cutting bait or saying he fully is what he is.

The only person I really care feels that way is Treliving as he is the one that decides if Bennett stays or goes and for how much.

Im not advocating that he goes anywhere. In fact this club needs at least one more guy like him.

It was claimed that he deserves top 6 ice.

He doesnt...at least based on anything but hope, unicorns and pixie dust.

More importantly, he cannot be paid based on such things.

We have an enormous sample size. Everything indicates he is a 30 point player who is questionable defensively but will defend team mates and lay the lumber. You pay him as such and if he exceeds that....great!!

I think there are large cases of people seeing what they want to see with him, as opposed to seeing what he is and has been since joining the club.

[IliketoPuck]

I don't disagree, Flash.

For me personally, when I watch Bennett I see a lot of potential still.

I wish we could go back in time and not have two years of GG trying to turn Sam into a checking forward and beating all of the creativity out of him.

After that awesome no-look assist to Andersson in the first round, the HNIC panel was praising his offensive instincts, and I think it was Kypreos who said something to the effect of Bennett is a guy that would potentially explode on a new team.

Sam's underlying numbers with Backlund and Tkachuk were good. As were the numbers of that entire line. I would like them to try it again for 20 games or so. If it doesn't work after that, I guess I'm wrong. But I feel the organization owes it to itself to give the highest draft pick in team history some legitimate line mates for more than handfuls of games.

[transplant99]

Yeah i think the best indicator is to compare Bennett against Frolik and what each guy did in the icetime they were given.

[8sPOT]

Based on the playoff this year I'd argue that Bennett is our ONLY top 6 forward. Jokes aside, I still think adding to the top-6 is crucial. Likely mean adding from outside the organization but Bennett could come in and take that spot. He has not shown that yet, but he could. Either way, Treliving can't afford to wait and find out. Need to add to the top 6 and if Bennett somehow cracks the top 6 anyways then the team will be that much better for it.

[dammage79]

I would love for some rumors just so we can stop tearing apart each Flames player piece by piece.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I would love for some rumors just so we can stop tearing apart each Flames player piece by piece.

I’m hearing reports indicating that will never change.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

I don't disagree, Flash.

For me personally, when I watch Bennett I see a lot of potential still.

I wish we could go back in time and not have two years of GG trying to turn Sam into a checking forward and beating all of the creativity out of him.

After that awesome no-look assist to Andersson in the first round, the HNIC panel was praising his offensive instincts, and I think it was Kypreos who said something to the effect of Bennett is a guy that would potentially explode on a new team.

Sam's underlying numbers with Backlund and Tkachuk were good. As were the numbers of that entire line. I would like them to try it again for 20 games or so. If it doesn't work after that, I guess I'm wrong. But I feel the organization owes it to itself to give the highest draft pick in team history some legitimate line mates for more than handfuls of games.

My point though is that he has to fit into how the team is built now and that means if he doesn't score as many points because he doesn't get the icetime because they have better options, that's just the way it's gotta be.

He's not going to beat out a legitimate 2nd line talent for that icetime.

Frolik is probably gone and maybe Bennett gets that icetime because of the tkachuk cap crunch and maybe bennett scores 35 or 40 points. If that's the case I think it's probably because the situation exists where the team isn't good enough and then what does Bennett scoring those points done but potentially price him out of calgary on his next deal.

I really like Bennett and i want him to be successful, but I also want the flames to be successful. I think for both to find success means bennett playing 10-14 minutes a night.