Nope, Neal was worse. I thought Jason Wiemer was a better player than Niedermeyer, and felt that trade would have been bad just straight up, but they 'threw-in' Bure (ok, Wiemer was the obvious throw-in here, but I felt he was a better player than Niedermeyer). I hated Niedermeyer... but Neal was worse.
I would say Friesen, especially with his attitude problems IIRC, but even then, I probably pick Neal as the worst.
I have never seen a player on the Flames that continuously made everyone around him worse, while adding nothing at all in any area whatsoever. Slow, not physical, no scoring (7 fluke goals! Go look at them!), no playmaking, no defence - just nothing but making everyone else around him suck.
Niedermeyer at least played defence and battled in the corners.
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Cale Hulse was worse than both for a player with a regular roster spot. Kotalik is in there too. We could list half the roster from 1998-2002 as well, guys like Ed Ward, Hentunen etc.
Neidermeyer was just paid too much (via Florida) but I wouldn't put him in the top 5 worst overall Flames if money was not a factor.
Neal has a switch in his head and shut it off after about 2 months here. He did the exact same thing in Edmonton, though he got 18 goals before he decided to give up then.
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Cale Hulse was worse than both for a player with a regular roster spot. Kotalik is in there too. We could list half the roster from 1998-2002 as well, guys like Ed Ward, Hentunen etc.
Neidermeyer was just paid too much (via Florida) but I wouldn't put him in the top 5 worst overall Flames if money was not a factor.
Neal has a switch in his head and shut it off after about 2 months here. He did the exact same thing in Edmonton, though he got 18 goals before he decided to give up then.
Oh man. I had blocked Kotalik out of my subconscious until you brought him up.
That brought a chill to my spine
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Don’t kid yourself. On HFboards they are still talking like they won. They have the cap space which is better than both players. Clear win for Edmonton. Clearly delusional.
Why, just imagine what they could do with all that extra cap space!
They could even go out and trade for the corpse of Duncan Keith!
The possibilities are endless.
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Don’t kid yourself. On HFboards they are still talking like they won. They have the cap space which is better than both players. Clear win for Edmonton. Clearly delusional.
Except we have more cap space and a still useful Lucic plus two draft picks. So I think we still win.
Cale Hulse was worse than both for a player with a regular roster spot. Kotalik is in there too. We could list half the roster from 1998-2002 as well, guys like Ed Ward, Hentunen etc.
Neidermeyer was just paid too much (via Florida) but I wouldn't put him in the top 5 worst overall Flames if money was not a factor.
Neal has a switch in his head and shut it off after about 2 months here. He did the exact same thing in Edmonton, though he got 18 goals before he decided to give up then.
Still disagree. Hulse was a nightmare, but he was better defensively and physically than Neal.
Kotalik was overpaid, but he was at least a whizz on shootouts, and had a laser of a shot.
Ed Ward wasn't good, but at least he was physical and gave some effort.
I don't remember Hentunen much at all, so I grudgingly give that to you.
My point is that Neal didn't have any positives on the Flames. Slow, not physical, awful defensively, terrible shot, terrible passer, and then complained about his lack of ice-time in front of all his teammates during the playoffs (so I question his contribution in the room).
Just a black hole. Some players were bad, but they at least offered 'something', even if they were vastly overpaid and were outright terrible themselves. I really believe that the closest comparison was Friesen going from memory, but at least he had 'something', even if that something was just a better skater. Same 'I am too good' attitude like Neal though.
I would trade Neal for Kotalik all day long though.
In my mind Ice Capades and James Neal were pretty much the exact same player for the Flames. Invisible and devoid of production. Both played much much better for other teams in the league.
Yeah, some of these names - Ed ward, Cale Hulse, etc - make no sense to me. They sucked, yes, but they tried really hard. Because if they didn't, they would be out of the league.
I'm obsessed with Neal and if he gets another contract... I keep checking, I just think unless the word on the street with NHL General Managers is that the guy is complete poison to the team and culture, that some team would give him another crack for some contract that can be buried (1.05 million or less)... there is also the possibility that Neal has been offered that amount but won't accept it.
I am at the point now that I feel if Neal is going to get a contract it will be offered sometime nearer the beginning of the season (or training camp) by a team looking to fill a gap in their roster.
I'm obsessed with Neal and if he gets another contract... I keep checking, I just think unless the word on the street with NHL General Managers is that the guy is complete poison to the team and culture, that some team would give him another crack for some contract that can be buried (1.05 million or less)... there is also the possibility that Neal has been offered that amount but won't accept it.
I am at the point now that I feel if Neal is going to get a contract it will be offered sometime nearer the beginning of the season (or training camp) by a team looking to fill a gap in their roster.
Why?
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Don’t kid yourself. On HFboards they are still talking like they won. They have the cap space which is better than both players. Clear win for Edmonton. Clearly delusional.
lol I knew they'd spin it like that.
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Don’t kid yourself. On HFboards they are still talking like they won. They have the cap space which is better than both players. Clear win for Edmonton. Clearly delusional.
So they think they are better off being down a draft pick and paying 6.5M per for 2 years of Neal, now pay 2.65M in dead cap for 2 years and another 1.9M in dead cap for the next 2 years?
I’m still curious about what Neal’s issue was? Seems like so many on CP know, but won’t say.
I have no inside information, but on the ice he was a corpse being dragged around by teammates.
I cant recall the last time I saw a slower or less interested player.
Combine that with apparently he's a bit of an ass.
You can be a bit of a jerk if you're killing it on the ice, but if you suck and you're a jerk and you earn a lot more money than some of them, eventually your teammates are going to get tired of you.
If theres anything else I dont know about it.
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