Building The 2018/19 Flames Roster

[The Boy Wonder]

Top 6 RW honestly isn’t a huge issue for me, I think you have to let Benny, ferkland and foo basically battle and rotate or find something that works with the parts you have.

I highly doubt Peters will have an appetite to have Janko as the #2 centreman, although I know numbering lines is fools errand and can't really be looked at that way.

I think Peters will continue to roll with what we have.

If I could see anything happen it woudl be trading ferkland for hoffman (if he agrees to break-up with that broad first) and then see what you get when you finally give Bennett and Janko some top 6 minutes and assignments and let them play to their strengths.


All that said I really don't think the forward group is the biggest issue next season and a year from now, if the flames don't make the playoffs or don't have a good season its going to be the result of poor goaltending.

Relying on a 36 year old mike smith terrifies me as a fan, and while I am optimistic about Rittich and Gilles there are just too many games in a season to put that much of our record on their backs.

And if Peters can activate the D a bit more than GG then I honestly think a lot of the offensive issues go away for this team and we are fine.

Gaudreau - Mony - Bennett / Ferkland / Foo
Tkachuk - Backlund - Bennett / Foo
Frolik - Jankowski - Bennett / Ferkland / Foo / Lazar
BRouwer - Shore - Lazar / Mangiapani

Honestly doesn't look bad to me if you can just keep rotating those guys in there on RW (knowing that JG switches over to RW with Bennett )

[SeanCharles]

^ I think you aquire a top 6 guy as we only had 8 guys suitable for top 9 duty last season. If a young player shows he's ready you could push Frolik down. Or you could just run 4 lines of good players..

Gaudreau-Monahan-_____
Bennett-Backlund-Tkachuk
Ferland-Jankowski-Frolik
Mangiapane-Dube-Foo
Shore/Lazar

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

^ I think you aquire a top 6 guy as we only had 8 guys suitable for top 9 duty last season. If a Hong player shows he's ready you could push Frolim down. Or you could just run 4 lines of good players..

Gaudreau-Monahan-_____
Bennett-Backlund-Tkachuk
Ferland-Jankowski-Frolik
Mangiapane-Dube-Foo
Shore/Lazar

Umm, wtf is a Hong player?

[420since1974]

Ferland NOT Ferkland.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Umm, wtf is a Hong player?

Hong Sung Kwe

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Umm, wtf is a Hong player?

I don't know, but I'll bet Foo is one

[Gaskal]

Hong Chul

[GioforPM]

Guo Hong

[spuzzum]

Hong player = someone well endowed. First thing that popped in my mind

[BigErnSalute_16]

I doubt this would happen but one thing I'd like to see is for the flames to give Wotherspoon the choice of looking somewhere else for NHL work or staying with the Flames as their 7th dman.

If he wants to leave, no worries, but if he thinks it might be similar in another city or maybe he won't get signed, maybe he'd prefer to stay here.

It would be a show of good faith by the flames for a guy who has been with the organization for a while. plus he gets to spend his days in the NHL making the NHL paycheck and he would even be an upgrade on Bartkowski and could fill in admirably when injuries occur.

Anyways I think they'll let him walk but I think that would be cool.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by BigErnSalute_16

I doubt this would happen but one thing I'd like to see is for the flames to give Wotherspoon the choice of looking somewhere else for NHL work or staying with the Flames as their 7th dman.

If he wants to leave, no worries, but if he thinks it might be similar in another city or maybe he won't get signed, maybe he'd prefer to stay here.

It would be a show of good faith by the flames for a guy who has been with the organization for a while. plus he gets to spend his days in the NHL making the NHL paycheck and he would even be an upgrade on Bartkowski and could fill in admirably when injuries occur.

Anyways I think they'll let him walk but I think that would be cool.

I have included him a few times on my roster. I definitely think Wotherspoon would be the ideal 7th dman for the upcoming season. Old enough that his development won't be hurt by not playing and at the same time, young enough that he would really want to push the other guys.

[Jacks]

I'd like to see a reasonable deal for Neal now.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Neal
Tkachuk - Jankowski - Lindholm
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik

Giordano - Brodie
Hanafin - Hamonic

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I'd like to see a reasonable deal for Neal now.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Neal
Tkachuk - Jankowski - Lindholm
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik

Giordano - Brodie
Hanafin - Hamonic

I don't think we will see any big name UFA wingers signed.

[Groot]

So now the Flames haves 24.5 million in cap space for the coming season. Have to sign Lindholm and Hanifin, which I'm guessing comes to around 11 million combined (5 for Lindholm, 6 for Hanifin) which leaves 13.5 million to re-sign Janko, Kulak and any other returning RFA's and UFA's (I hope they only sign Shore and let everyone else walk).

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Jankowski - ??
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik
?? - Shore - ??

Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Stone - Andersson
Kulak

We have plenty to make a solid free agent signing for the 1st/2nd line, and the 4th line can be filled with the likes of Foo, Mangiapane, Dube etc and plenty of options in that forward group to move things around.

[Heavy Jack]

Keep in mind that Bennett and Tkachuk are going to be biting into that 13.5 remaining at the start of next season with Brouwer remaining for 1 more year and it actually gets tighter.

Tkachuk is easy 7 x 6.5 mill and Bennett probably 3 years x 3 mill and we will be needing to find a replacement for Smith at that time too.

Still a long way to go but our core is more defined no doubt.

[flamesforcup]

Originally Posted by Groot

So now the Flames haves 24.5 million in cap space for the coming season. Have to sign Lindholm and Hanifin, which I'm guessing comes to around 11 million combined (5 for Lindholm, 6 for Hanifin) which leaves 13.5 million to re-sign Janko, Kulak and any other returning RFA's and UFA's (I hope they only sign Shore and let everyone else walk).

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Jankowski - ??
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik
?? - Shore - ??

Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Stone - Andersson
Kulak


We have plenty to make a solid free agent signing for the 1st/2nd line, and the 4th line can be filled with the likes of Foo, Mangiapane, Dube etc and plenty of options in that forward group to move things around.

Add one more winger and our lineup looks good. Just need everyone to have good years and we can make some noise

[Finger Cookin]

So free agency aside, what do the Flames' lines and defence pairs look like?

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm?
Tkachuk - Backlund - Foo?Lazar?
Bennett - Jankowski - Frolik?
Whatever on the fourth


Giordano - Stone?
Hanafin - Hamonic?
Brodie - Andersson/Kulak?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Bennett-Jankowski-Tkachuk
Frolik-Backlund-Lazar/Foo
whoever-Shore-Lazar/Foo

Gio-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kulak-Stone/Andersson

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Keep in mind that Bennett and Tkachuk are going to be biting into that 13.5 remaining at the start of next season with Brouwer remaining for 1 more year and it actually gets tighter.

Tkachuk is easy 7 x 6.5 mill and Bennett probably 3 years x 3 mill and we will be needing to find a replacement for Smith at that time too.

Still a long way to go but our core is more defined no doubt.

I would expect Frolik and Stone to be traded for picks before next season as hopefully someone internally can develop and replace them, and a Brouwer buyout next season is a no-brainer. Those 3 moves should cover Tkachuks and Bennett's contract plus, and while we have to replace Smith we shed his 4.5 million as well so we're probably looking at adding only 2-3 million to the currrent cap hit.

[Enoch Root]

I know all the talk is about putting Lindholm on the top line, and they will no doubt give that a try, but I can't help thinking that he would be a fantastic match for Backlund.

I know that Backlund/Frolik has been a pair for a couple years, but one has to wonder if Frolik's play will start to fade. Also, as great as the line has been, I think the team really needs to get Tkachuk onto a separate line in order to spread out the offense.

So what I am thinking is:

Gaudreau - Monahan - UFA
Bennett - Jankowski - Tkachuk
Mangiapane/Dube - Backlund - Lindholm
Frolik - Shore - Lazar