[Signing] Flames sign James Neal (5 years, 5.75 AAV)

[Karl]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I love it! I love this team. I’ve been a Flames fan for most of my life and this is far and away the best team I’ve been able to really watch (...couldn’t really appreciate the early 90s, far too young, and I was a toddler when the cup was won).

This season is a joy.





I think you’re just focusing in on cap-hit and taking a negative spin on it. As a whole, Neal is not playing bad - he’s just not playing up to what your expectations of him were. Neal is a 20/20 guy when playing near the top of line-up and on the 1st power play unit. He hasn’t been in that role really at all this year. Instead, he’s just a 3rd liner driving the play North. It fills a role, just not the role we had originally planned for - and that’s awesome, because Zebulon coming in the way he has...it’s been transformative for this team.

Well thing is, you were all over Stajan and especially Brouwer last year and a lot of it was justified. Trust me, I remember some of your posts.

And I disagree with the fact that he's not playing bad. He is. In fact, he hasn't even been that much better to this point overall than a done Brouwer & Stajan were playing last year. Neal's had better linemates, more icetime and better opportunities to do better than Stajan & Brouwer did last year, yet his play has hardly been any better than them so far this year. That's a shame.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Husky

A big issue i have with Neal is he is missing the chippy attitude he was kbown for in the past. Scoring is one thing but he isnt playing with a grouchy chippy attitude which he should be at least contributing.

That is what I posted yesterday. I said either I am blind or Neal is not playing with the chippy mean streak he has been known for.

At least Bennett displays that with his game.

[neo45]

Neal is playing poorly for a one year league minimum contract. Seriously.

Look at his points per minute. Factor in the stupid penalties, bad defensive play, and lack of effort/footspeed.

He isn’t positively contributing in any way to this team.

[Strange Brew]

So who comes into a James Neal thread hoping to read posts celebrating a win? You are either in here to talk about James Neal or I guess complain about those who are.

[TheScorpion]

I'm doing some research for a post about the powerplay and, uh, I'm not finding much to paint James Neal in a very positive light.

[Stay Golden]

Neal last or second last for pts as a regular playing forward on the Flames
One of the most regularly lazy forward skaters I have seen on the Flames for quite some time, yes including that goof Brouwer.
Neal takes stupid penalties which are usually lazy hooking calls.
Constantantly screws up the flow of his linemates.
Ices the puck due to pure laziness.
Refuses to contribute any physical element to the roster.

Neal clearly stands out as the weakest link on the team, honestly maybe is the only only weak link for forwards on this entire roster. Even Ryan looks like a stud when compared to Neal and Ryan is no stud but does makd the most of his limited attributes by hustle and grind.

Neal needs to hit the gym and a treadmill for a month or however long it takes to be in NHL condition. Personally I would love Treliving put his foot down with Neal and bring up Quine or Lomberg. Lomberg has 10 times the work ethic of Neal.

[kukkudo]

Neal honestly looks like he came for the payday. Dude is just awful and not the same player I have seen the past several years.

New team yes but the dude has bounced around a few teams and has kept the same energy and scoring going. If he isn't scoring I want him to be in players faces chirping being that guy you hate to play against.

[direwolf]

Neal is certainly a bust so far, that's for sure. Pretty disappointing considering his contract. However, if he suddenly goes into beast mode in the playoffs, all will be forgiven.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by neo45

Neal is playing poorly for a one year league minimum contract. Seriously.

Look at his points per minute. Factor in the stupid penalties, bad defensive play, and lack of effort/footspeed.

He isn’t positively contributing in any way to this team.

Yep. The truth hurts. It's bad. Very, very bad.

[442scotty]

When the players and the league get together for contract talk they need to do something about the Neals and Lucics of the game. Its a joke that they can sign a huge retirement contract then coast until they are bought out.
Its fun to laugh at the Oilers signing Lucic but Treliving is handcuffing the team with his terrible free agent signings. Treliving needs to bury him in Stockton if he cant trade him (assuming he doesn't improve)

[Karl]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

When the players and the league get together for contract talk they need to do something about the Neals and Lucics of the game. Its a joke that they can sign a huge retirement contract then coast until they are bought out.
Its fun to laugh at the Oilers signing Lucic but Treliving is handcuffing the team with his terrible free agent signings. Treliving needs to bury him in Stockton if he cant trade him (assuming he doesn't improve)

Way too early for that. Plus Flames will still be on the hook for about $4.8M of his NHL salary.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Sure
Just seems odd that after a big ot win some rush to the Neal thread to complain a iutbthngs everyone already knows about
You are within your right to do so but strikes me as not an enjoyable way to be a fan

Oh I see. So if the team wins even if there is a negative aspect to something on that team it should be outright ignored because we won? This sounds kind of like Oiler logic, "hey who cares if we lost, we have McDavid!" I think it is extremely foolish to not take a look at things that can be improved or problems within the team just because we won a game.

[domenichelly]

Dont want to defend Neal but If you look at his highlights in previois teams, he played absolutely different game than he has to play now. He moslty chased the crease or got shots from a spot. He never skated too much or played posession hockey. He was never good at passing play keeping the puck.
But Bill's system is different. He asked to be more complete player than he ever was. He has to skate much and search free space to get a puck.
That is why he is so lost in our system.

Really hope he will adapt. He is a proven good player.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Neal is certainly a bust so far, that's for sure. Pretty disappointing considering his contract. However, if he suddenly goes into beast mode in the playoffs, all will be forgiven.

It looks like there just isn’t enough gas in the tank. When you see Bennett play there are many times you think “he’s unlucky” after a chance he’s manufactured that almost results in a goal for the team.(or rings off the post)

It’s pretty rare you think Neal is “unlucky”. More often than not the results are about right given the effort and speed he gives on and off the puck.

As early as next season there is no way guys like Dube will be in the press box watching another season of this.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

When the players and the league get together for contract talk they need to do something about the Neals and Lucics of the game. Its a joke that they can sign a huge retirement contract then coast until they are bought out.
Its fun to laugh at the Oilers signing Lucic but Treliving is handcuffing the team with his terrible free agent signings. Treliving needs to bury him in Stockton if he cant trade him (assuming he doesn't improve)

This is a good point, what would you suggest?

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Its fun to laugh at the Oilers signing Lucic but Treliving is handcuffing the team with his terrible free agent signings.

Completely disagree with this comment. At the time of the signing, most of us here on CP thought it was an excellent move by Treliving, as did most of the media pundits. Neal has been a consistent 20+ goal scorer in just about every season he's played, not to mention a proven playoff performer. There's no way in hell Treliving could have predicted what we're currently seeing, and I don't blame the GM at all for what's happened with Neal this season.

This is all 100% on Neal, and it's up to him to start playing like the guy that was advertised when we signed him and start earning his damn paycheck.

[dissentowner]

Like I said, I want the guy to get it going, I just think he needs to watch a game or two and re-set.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Like I said, I want the guy to get it going, I just think he needs to watch a game or two and re-set.

Agreed. Let him sit for at least one game just to send a message, and then hopefully he'll come back into the lineup and tear it up.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Karl

This is a dedicated James Neal thread and there's next to nothing enjoyable about Neal's play right now.

More the timing of the comments... minutes after an OT win. Anyway, carry on

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by dino7c

More the timing of the comments... minutes after an OT win. Anyway, carry on

Minutes after an OT win where the player the thread is dedicated to was terrible again. So? Are you saying if we had lost it would be ok then?