[Signing] Flames sign Chris Butler (1yr, $1.7mil) and Chad Billins

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Only the fairer sex uses just emoticons in a post.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by korzym12

Everyone take a deep breath.

We're rebuilding now.

Don't expect us to have 6 clones of Niklas Lidstrom.

Having a player like Butler on our roster - at this point in time - is just what we need to land a top 3 pick in 2014. Anything other action means we'll keep finishing 17th in the league overall indefinitely.

Why don't we sign Shaq and Kobe to be our defense? Strange logic.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Anybody who still thinks this team won't be tanking next year. The Butler signing pretty much confirms it.

[dammage79]

I really do hate re-signing Butler. I am drunk but he was my second biggest gear grinder on the team last season. Only beaten by Comeau and came close to a tie with Tanguay only slightly behind him. I'd rather Kris Russell at this point and I've only seen him play a couple of times.

[sureLoss]

Maybe an oversight but the Flames Futurewatch website has Billins listed as having #4 . Would seem to indicate the the Flames are expecting him to make the team out of camp:

http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=90522

[slybomb]

Was never a big fan of Butler's play but after the JBo trade, he was pretty solid.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe an oversight but the Flames Futurewatch website has Billins listed as having #4 . Would seem to indicate the the Flames are expecting him to make the team out of camp:

http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=90522

I can't see him making the team at the start of the season, but it will be interesting to see him in some exhibition games. Offensively he produced at a high clip in the AHL last season. Similar player to Russell.

Born one day after the Flames won the Stanley Cup, so maybe it's a good sign.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe an oversight but the Flames Futurewatch website has Billins listed as having #4 . Would seem to indicate the the Flames are expecting him to make the team out of camp:

http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=90522

I thought Russell would wear #4 personally. But Billins did wear #4 in college.

Speaking of which I knew his name sounded familiar, but I just realized he went to the Frozen Four finals as the Ferris State captain and lost to Johnny Hockey and Billy Arnold.

[Ring of Fire]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe an oversight but the Flames Futurewatch website has Billins listed as having #4 . Would seem to indicate the the Flames are expecting him to make the team out of camp:

http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=90522

Gaudreau, Monahan, Reinhart, and Ortio all have incorrect numbers. I wouldn't read too much into it. On the main roster page it looks like Wideman is switching to number 6 for the upcoming season. I'd imagine Russell will take #4 with the big club.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Ring of Fire

Gaudreau, Monahan, Reinhart, and Ortio all have incorrect numbers. I wouldn't read too much into it. On the main roster page it looks like Wideman is switching to number 6 for the upcoming season. I'd imagine Russell will take #4 with the big club.

It also has Smith as the only player still on IR. He did miss the final half of the season with an "upper body injury" does anyone remember what the injury was?

[FAN]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Anybody who still thinks this team won't be tanking next year. The Butler signing pretty much confirms it.

Nah. Feaster is probably still trying to justify the Regehr trade and or he is still high on Butler as a defenseman who can play a lot of minutes.

[gunnner]

Originally Posted by slybomb

Was never a big fan of Butler's play but after the JBo trade, he was pretty solid.

Solid? Were you the engineer who inspected the CP train bridge over the BOW?

[Husky]

You guys make Butler sound like a dog which is far from the truth. On the 3rd pairing he is fine. Its no different than most people had a hate on backlund and then last season comes along and they do a 180, same goes for Stajan, etc.

Butler was forced into a top 4 role against other teams top lines which he was not ready nor should ever be in. His role at a decent price is much more adequate. Hes a solid #5D.

[terminator]

The butler hate is amazing, the guy does a job and gets paid to do it.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by terminator

The butler hate is amazing, the guy does a job and gets paid to do it.

solid post...would read it again.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by korzym12

Everyone take a deep breath.

We're rebuilding now.

Don't expect us to have 6 clones of Niklas Lidstrom.

Having a player like Butler on our roster - at this point in time - is just what we need to land a top 3 pick in 2014. Anything other action means we'll keep finishing 17th in the league overall indefinitely.

Miikka Kiprusoff no longer plays for this team.

Also tanking is for losers.

[Brick]

Brilliant.

Another piece towards getting a top 3 draft pick next year.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Miikka Kiprusoff no longer plays for this team.

Also tanking is for losers.

I'm beginning to wonder. It's the 3rd week of July and he hasn't officially filed yet. It would be nice to know 100% for sure.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Miikka Kiprusoff no longer plays for this team.

Also tanking is for losers.

Then we're losers. We already tanked last year anyways.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Then we're losers. We already tanked last year anyways.

Theres a difference between tanking and just being bad.

Tanking implies a mandate to lose. And to say that signing a guy like Butler is good because it helps us be worse is a tanking attitude. Tanking implies the players giving less effort in order to secure high draft picks. It doesn;t sit well with me, especially when you're trying to institute a team philosophy surrounding hardwork and accountability.

This team will be on the bottom end of the league no question, but if its for lack of trying I will be checking out.

** To add a little more context to what I am saying, even if this team finishes lower than last year, if I see hard work and kids trying to improve themselves and doing so in the process, I will consider the team improved from the 3 previous years. That is not tanking.