2021 Off season: You're in charge, what would you do?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

If I’m the GM I’m looking at absolutely everything. This team doesn’t have a single player that couldn’t be had for the right price.

There’s guys I wouldn’t be actively looking to trade, but nobody that I would consider untouchable. If this team was remotely competitive I’d say Markstrom is almost untouchable but given that I would be the GM and would likely be heading towards a rebuild I think we could get a haul for him so he could be had.

Players I think worth keeping would be Lindholm, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, Andersson, Hanifin, Tanev, and Markstrom. That’s it. In a perfect world I’d like to somehow acquire Eichel while keeping Gaudreau but I’m not sure that’s realistic.

Guys I’d be looking to move first are Monahan, Backlund, and Giordano. Gaudreau would be added to this list if I felt he wouldn’t re-sign here.

So why do you want to keep Tkachuk over Gaudreau?

Tkachuk requires a 9 mill QO after next year. He's on pace for less than 60 (54) points and has regressed in 2 consecutive years. 3 points in the last 10 games during a make-it-or-break-it time of year. He likely has much more trade value than Gaudreau. There's no way someone like Eichel is traded to Calgary unless Tkachuk is part of the deal.

Gaudreau has been said to want to re-sign (Seingberg says this all the time). Unlike Tkachuk, he has already signed a good contract in Calgary once. He's durable and unlikely to slow down much as he ages. He has 10 points in his last 10 games.

Most would agree that the #1 goal for the team is to get an elite center. Gaudreau would compound the benefits from this more than anyone.

It wouldn't surprise me if the organization considers Tkachuk a core piece. They tend to overvalue player personality and undervalue the effect of contracts. For better or for worse, usually worse.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I think they have to move multiple players. This isn't an instance where you can move a player and think the problems will solve themselves. I think they need to turn their best assets into multiple good assets, and some with some upside. I also think they need to eat some salary coming back to they can maximize return. The current situation the league finds itself makes it as much about maximizing your salary structure as getting value out of the players you have on your roster. Flames are positioned to do that I believe and still ice a very competitive team.

[DazzlinDino]

Flames need to have a building plan, sometimes you have to trade good pieces to get good pieces. I would look at ways to strengthen our center position. Trade Tkachuk for either a first round draft pick and decent center prospect or trade him for the best young center we can get. If we can manage to have 2, 3 young solid centers that gives us something to build around. Flames need to complement those centers with quality players. Not sure what's up with Monahan, but not knowing the situation I wager the Flames need to decide if we need to upgrade him.

Also because Tkachuk seems to have dialed it out, we need to look at reestablishing a team with a desire work hard and win. We could have used vintage Tkachuk last night in an important game but he was mostly absent. A no show is not beneficial to the team when one guy holds the cards!

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Almost every contending club has better top players than the Flames. Nearly impossible to change that dynamic through trades. And there are no prospects in the pipeline that are going to be able to change that dynamic.

This, but worse.

We also have one of the lowest ranked prospect pools in the league. This means that if the projections are correct, for the next couple of seasons most teams will probably graduate more and better rookies than we will.

In other words, on average things should be getting worse, not better.

This is one reason why Treliving went all in with Sutter, and why I think he should and will be fired: these should be the seasons that we're contending, this is what we've been selling the future for.

[Reign of Fire]

Bye Bye Monahan!!

[Sylvanfan]

Have entire team sit on a Rocket and claim it's a Team building excercise. At last minute take Lindholm and Mangiapane off rocket ship. Shoot ship into the center of the sun. Ask League to do a dispersement draft. Profit.

[GS Skier]

Sell Tkachuk while his league wide rep and past scoring and youth are still really valuable. I'm a skier and I really enjoy great world cup skiers and great skaters. I see the subtle style differences in skiers and skaters both.

Chucky can't skate.

I think Scotty Bowman once said "I can't teach a good hockey player how to skate. I can always teach a great skater how to play hockey."

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

So why do you want to keep Tkachuk over Gaudreau?

Tkachuk requires a 9 mill QO after next year. He's on pace for less than 60 (54) points and has regressed in 2 consecutive years. 3 points in the last 10 games during a make-it-or-break-it time of year. He likely has much more trade value than Gaudreau. There's no way someone like Eichel is traded to Calgary unless Tkachuk is part of the deal.

Gaudreau has been said to want to re-sign (Seingberg says this all the time). Unlike Tkachuk, he has already signed a good contract in Calgary once. He's durable and unlikely to slow down much as he ages. He has 10 points in his last 10 games.

Most would agree that the #1 goal for the team is to get an elite center. Gaudreau would compound the benefits from this more than anyone.

It wouldn't surprise me if the organization considers Tkachuk a core piece. They tend to overvalue player personality and undervalue the effect of contracts. For better or for worse, usually worse.

I don’t disagree with anything you said. I would keep Gaudreau if I was sure he would sign here. However if he isn’t going to then now is the time to trade him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Hmm.. I had him included, but somehow erased him while I was editing.


Lucic - Team should get rid of him just because of his salary. When this league became a cap league, every dollar counts in terms of how it helps you win. Lucic is not a problem, and I argue that he is actually good for this team, but it is an ugly cap hit. However, we can all expect him to return.

OK, short of equipment allergies, how?

[cowtown75]

My first order of business is to move on from BT. Ultimately, he is responsible for the product on the ice and it's successes and failures. He has had 7 years to build, diagnose and construct a winning competitive team. Besides the 2018-19 regular season, this team has been middle of the pack with very minimal playoff appearances and success. I'm not going to get into bad trades, trading picks, a shallow prospect pool etc because he has made some decent moves over his tenure as well.

At the end of the day, hockey is a success driven business and besides one anomaly season out of seven, the Flames have been a mediocre team. While I don't have a personal gripe with BT in general, I think he has had a fair opportunity and plenty of time to ice a consistent, competitive team over his seven years and I think it's time for a fresh set of eyes, and a fresh vision for this team moving forward. Year after year of mediocre seasons, limited playoff success tells me it's time to move on.

If we are going to change up the core and dynamic of this team moving forward, I am not putting the ball back in the hand's of the guy who has been the decision maker for the last seven years. I am starting fresh. I am doing this before the draft. While ownership seems to be content with mediocrity because they are still making money, they need to sit back and really think about who's hands they want to re-shape this team moving forward. If they keep letting business slip, they will loose more and more fans and the business will loose more money. And besides money, we need to build a better culture.

[mile]

My not-so-realistic roster after playing around on Capfriendly:




There's no way this is happening! But it should be a pretty interesting offseason.

[Manhattanboy]

I think Tkachuk would be intriguing piece for Ottawa’s GM to consider. What would be a real tic return? Josh Norris? I would take one of their young prospects in a one for one.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I find it interesting that many posters overrate players to the point where said players can't live up to expectations, then quickly sour on them. Players go from "untouchable" to "trade them for whatever you can get" very quickly around here.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I think Tkachuk would be intriguing piece for Ottawa’s GM to consider. What would be a real tic return? Josh Norris? I would take one of their young prospects in a one for one.

Why? They have a player like him (Brady) and it doesn't fit with their timing for contending.
And I realize that people are down on Matthew but dear lord he >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Josh Norris.

[topfiverecords]

Expectation:

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Reality:

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I find it interesting that many posters overrate players to the point where said players can't live up to expectations, then quickly sour on them. Players go from "untouchable" to "trade them for whatever you can get" very quickly around here.

The thing about fire sales is that the prices are super low. They need to be a bit more careful than that and luckily this years draft doesn’t cry out for a lot of picks to be acquired. Sell when the prices go up. Monahan has value but probably more so next year at the TDL. Same with Gio.

Gaudreau I’d say the same except his contract makes the issue more urgent. Same with Tkachuk.

There are some guys who are on decent contracts, good contributors but the team needs to decide the window: Tanev, Backlund, Lindholm. That last one would sting. But if you are able to trade him to a bubble team without protection and then they miss the POs, it’s an extra lottery chance.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

You really are Larry David right?

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by Itse

This, but worse.

We also have one of the lowest ranked prospect pools in the league. This means that if the projections are correct, for the next couple of seasons most teams will probably graduate more and better rookies than we will.

In other words, on average things should be getting worse, not better.

This is one reason why Treliving went all in with Sutter, and why I think he should and will be fired: these should be the seasons that we're contending, this is what we've been selling the future for.

I agree and am totally fine with that. The 2022 and 2023 drafts are where there are some of those elusive top talents that we sorely lack. Back to back top 5 or top 3 picks could change the course of the franchise significantly.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The thing about fire sales is that the prices are super low. They need to be a bit more careful than that and luckily this years draft doesn’t cry out for a lot of picks to be acquired. Sell when the prices go up. Monahan has value but probably more so next year at the TDL. Same with Gio.

Gaudreau I’d say the same except his contract makes the issue more urgent. Same with Tkachuk.

There are some guys who are on decent contracts, good contributors but the team needs to decide the window: Tanev, Backlund, Lindholm. That last one would sting. But if you are able to trade him to a bubble team without protection and then they miss the POs, it’s an extra lottery chance.

Have the Flames ever acquired a 1st round for from a team that ended up missing the playoffs?
Have they even acquired a 1st round pick for a draft that was more than a year in the future?

I can't remember any examples of either of these, but it would be nice.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I think Tkachuk would be intriguing piece for Ottawa’s GM to consider. What would be a real tic return? Josh Norris? I would take one of their young prospects in a one for one.

Josh Norris was picked in the draft after Matthew so he is a 22 year old rookie. He has 31pts in 49 games and Matthew has 31 in 48. I think that trade is the exact definition of one team selling extremely low and the other selling high. It is almost like suggesting a Pelletier for Brady swap if Pelletier can come in and score at a 52pt pace next year.

The only one for one prospect I take for Tkachuk from the Sens is Stutzle. People will jump on me and say Ottawa says no and I get it because of the cheap owner but if it keeps Brady around long term it might be a good move? Stutzle is a left wing like Brady and Matthew and is scoring at a 44pt pace as a rookie.

Sanderson and their 1st this year would also intrigue.