[Rumour] Chris Johnston: Lindholm is interested in staying

[activeStick]

Well, looks like he's banned, at least temporarily...

[transplant99]

I wonder if the Flames and Lindholm already have an agreement and are waiting until he is back in Calgary to make the announcement?

Hold a big presser at the dome with all the major principles sitting together opining about how the future looks etc...

Just spitballin here.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by VilleN

Lanny should take a hike. He’s the biggest ####### on this site, bar none. The irony of him calling out Spurs for being negative is hilarious.

This is all part of his beautiful process. When Lanny isn’t lying about his experience to seem like an expert or threatening to quit himself, he’s having a meltdown and going in on whichever poster he hates that day (like the mild-mannered professor he pretends to be).

Rest assured, he’ll be back and we’ll all get to experience it all over again.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I wonder if the Flames and Lindholm already have an agreement and are waiting until he is back in Calgary to make the announcement?

Hold a big presser at the dome with all the major principles sitting together opining about how the future looks etc...

Just spitballin here.

That would be cool. If the Flames are committed to trying to compete every year including 2023-2024, they have to have Lindholm. And then I guess fans have to hope the Flames don’t sacrifice too many years by having a core of highly-paid, 30+ year old forwards. I just want to see the Flames draft lots and draft well every year like the Hurricanes.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by flamesgod

I don't think it's odd to do your due diligence before signing an 8 year deal, or in Backlund' situation, probably his last contract. Makes a lot of sense to me actually.

Its not odd that they are taking their time to make a big career decision, but the poster suggested that seeing what Conroy and Huska are like was a big reason for them waiting.

That is odd because a) they have already known them for a number of years b) if they were going to sign with another team or got traded, they would have even less insight into how the GM and coaches in other market operate.

Just seems to be strange reasoning. Otherwise, taking their time in general to make a big decision, that does make sense.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Nelson

That would be cool. If the Flames are committed to trying to compete every year including 2023-2024, they have to have Lindholm. And then I guess fans have to hope the Flames don’t sacrifice too many years by having a core of highly-paid, 30+ year old forwards. I just want to see the Flames draft lots and draft well every year like the Hurricanes.

With a veteran laden roster I don’t see a scenario we can have both. IMO, the franchise doesn’t have enough foundational pieces to build with, so that means more delving into free agency and/or dealing draft picks to improve the roster.

It will take more than a starry-eyed GM with visions of building through the draft to change Edwards’ mind. When push comes to shove, and we are 4 points out of 2nd in the division at the trade deadline, do we think Conroy’s stance of trading draft picks will be the same?

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

With a veteran laden roster I don’t see a scenario we can have both. IMO, the franchise doesn’t have enough foundational pieces to build with, so that means more delving into free agency and/or dealing draft picks to improve the roster.

It will take more than a starry-eyed GM with visions of building through the draft to change Edwards’ mind. When push comes to shove, and we are 4 points out of 2nd in the division at the trade deadline, do we think Conroy’s stance of trading draft picks will be the same?

It potentially can be. If we’re in that spot then we can afford to trade Hanifin and roll with a competent top 4 assuming Kylington is ready for the #4 role and Tanev isn’t injured.

Lindholm won’t be traded though. He needs to be extended now or never. Could see him just leaving to Columbus if he likes Johnny or whatever team (Boston) gives him an insane amount of money to be with them.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

With a veteran laden roster I don’t see a scenario we can have both. IMO, the franchise doesn’t have enough foundational pieces to build with, so that means more delving into free agency and/or dealing draft picks to improve the roster.

It will take more than a starry-eyed GM with visions of building through the draft to change Edwards’ mind. When push comes to shove, and we are 4 points out of 2nd in the division at the trade deadline, do we think Conroy’s stance of trading draft picks will be the same?

Will Edwards tell Conroy no if he tries to trade a player in season? I guess we just have to hope that Conroy’s had the conversation with Edwards and gotten some sort of guarantee that he’ll be able to manage Edwards’ assets as he sees fit. A realistic scenario? I have my doubts.

Another risk I see with just going forward is the team may not have enough talent. The NHL roster lacks truly elite players at key positions. The Flames have one player who has definitely been elite in the past: Huberdeau. And they are relying on a post-30 bounce-back from Huberdeau. But even if Huberdeau bounces back, he is a left wing. So, the NHL roster is good, but it lacks elite talent at key positions. Also, the prospect pool is average at best according to outside evaluators. This is a product of trading a lot of draft picks and not drafting high in the draft since 2016. Finally, the Flames are close to a full complement of draft picks, only missing 3 mid-to-late picks in the next 3 drafts. But if the team continues to middle, the organization’s collection of picks doesn’t suggest it’s likely elite talent will come through the draft in the near future.

[powderjunkie]

You can always trade a pending UFA and then also trade to replace them with a lesser/younger version with a bit of term.

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Its not odd that they are taking their time to make a big career decision, but the poster suggested that seeing what Conroy and Huska are like was a big reason for them waiting.

That is odd because a) they have already known them for a number of years b) if they were going to sign with another team or got traded, they would have even less insight into how the GM and coaches in other market operate.

Just seems to be strange reasoning. Otherwise, taking their time in general to make a big decision, that does make sense.

Working for Huska as an assistant is way different then working for him as a head coach. He probably wants to see how everything looks when he gets to Calgary.

He might just be trying to squeeze every last dollar he can too.

[Kipper_3434]

I think he takes the guaranteed money if the flames are truly willing to pony up the 68m 8 year contract. That's a 0 home discount contract offer. Kadri got 7 years 49m for putting up 90 points, on the open market Lindholm would need to score an aav of nearly 10m to beat the flames total value on a 7 year. Unless he's banking on a sign and trade it would be rather ballsy for Lindholm to go into this season without an extension.
I think he extends at the start of camp.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Lindholm and Hanifin to NJ for Dougie Hamilton.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Couldn't agree more. The Flames are in an absolute position of weakness, and everyone knows it. I've actually been pretty happy that Conroy is being patient. As uncertain as things are with the team right now, things could get a whole lot uglier if these trades don't yield decent returns. It would have been easy to come in guns blazing and making all sorts of deals for the sake of putting his stamp on the team, but I'm glad he's navigating this situation carefully.

I don’t think this line of thinking is really that accurate. Sure the market is soft right now but over the course of the season as cap hit’s dissipate a market will materialize for these players. The fact of the matter is the Flames have very good players on very team friendly deals and that only gets better as the season progresses. Also, bear in mind Conroy isn’t dealing with or will be dealing with one interested party. I would be shocked if there isn’t several teams who will have interest in Lindholm or Hanifin or any of the other UFA’s.

All Conroy has to do is be patient. The only real risk is injury l, but there’s two sides to that. The opposite can be true as well. Other teams who might not have interest in one of the Flames players now could suffer injuries and that can change things.

Personally, I think Lindholm resigns and the Flames rebound. Kylington also resigns. Hanifin is dealt at some point and the others could go a number of ways.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by flamesgod

Working for Huska as an assistant is way different then working for him as a head coach. He probably wants to see how everything looks when he gets to Calgary.

He might just be trying to squeeze every last dollar he can too.

I am sure he also wants to see the verbal commitments to the type of culture Huska/Conroy have advertised, and the type of hockey Huska wants to play enacted upon. Lindholm i's being careful, which is totally fine.

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Lindholm's been here for 5 years, and we've seen him with all kinds of line-mates. If we don't know what he is yet, another 20 games isn't going to make a difference.

Either sign him or trade him. But putting arbitrary deadlines on the process won't help anything.

60-70 pts player right now. Weak top line center. Good second line center. Will be 29 when the season starts.

Pretty easy decision to trade him.

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by Hackey

60-70 pts player right now. Weak top line center. Good second line center. Will be 29 when the season starts.

Pretty easy decision to trade him.

He's not a weak top line center. He's an average top line center who played with 2nd line talent all of last season. Would be a very elite 2nd line center. Heck he was a top 15 RW in the league before switching to center. SMH.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

You can always trade a pending UFA and then also trade to replace them with a lesser/younger version with a bit of term.

I have thought this too but it’s just a massive amount of upheaval for the roster, especially the closer you do it to deadline day. Hard to imagine that working out and I can’t really think of a club that has ever pulled this off. Particularly with the number of UFA’s the Flames are looking at.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

With a veteran laden roster I don’t see a scenario we can have both. IMO, the franchise doesn’t have enough foundational pieces to build with, so that means more delving into free agency and/or dealing draft picks to improve the roster.

It will take more than a starry-eyed GM with visions of building through the draft to change Edwards’ mind. When push comes to shove, and we are 4 points out of 2nd in the division at the trade deadline, do we think Conroy’s stance of trading draft picks will be the same?

Dallas Stars seem to have done both. I know that’s a hard model to emulate but it’s not impossible.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Dallas Stars seem to have done both. I know that’s a hard model to emulate but it’s not impossible.

I’d argue the Flames’ Tkachuk draft was at least comparable to the Stars’ Heiskanen draft. The problem is that Fox wouldn’t play for the Flames.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

He's not a weak top line center. He's an average top line center who played with 2nd line talent all of last season. Would be a very elite 2nd line center. Heck he was a top 15 RW in the league before switching to center. SMH.

Okay average top line center. To me that's weak if you're trying to win a Cup. Most elite teams dont have an average top line center. And you can't call him an elite 2nd line center if he can't drive a line with 2nd line talent as you just stated.