Burning questions ahead of July 28

[Heavy Jack]

After a decent draft weekend and with just 4 days until UFA what are your biggest questions surrounding this team and what would you like to see?? For me Gaudreau and his contract situation is top of the list but I’m also thinking about the hole that’s been left by Gio and am also intrigued by the Blake Coleman rumours. Also what about the potential shakeup to the core and a trade of one of the big guys? I guess that ties into Gaudreau in a way but I’m really hoping we can extend him!

Wish list for me now would be

1. Gaudreau extension
2. Martinez UFA
3. Top 9 winger UFA
4. Core shake up/trade ideally Monahan, potentially Tkachuk if the return is favourable

[AC]

Is Edler done? Feels like a likely signing seeing as we tried to trade for him previously, he's a former Canuck, is Swedish, and a vet LD.

[ComixZone]

1. Johnny Gaudreau extension or trade. One of these has to happen on July 28th, or the other has to happen before July 28th. I really want it to be an extension.
2. A significant, young star being acquired. The top end of our roster is simply nowhere near good enough. We need another star.
3. No support pieces being signed to contracts longer than 3-4 years in free agency. Don't sink excessive money into support pieces, it's not how you win in this league.
4. A clear direction forward. Whatever moves do or don't happen, this team needs a direction. It can't just keep endlessly wandering in mediocrity.

Big question would be what is the actual direction moving forward? Is it to continue to be in the squishy middle by design? Or do they actually have it in them to make the bold decision to take a big step forward (spend futures for an impactful piece), or a big step backward (burn it down) in order to get the roster to where it needs to be?

[Hackey]

It feels like the "direction" now is Daryl is here so we're going to try and cater a team to Daryl. Which makes me feel like the organization had no direction to begin with. Also seems very short sighted. I just hope they don't mortgage the future trying to help give Daryl what he wants.

[HitterD]

Wish list for me is Landeskog, and a defensemen. Coleman would be a bonus. Seriously all in for Landeskog though, perfect for this team, and possibly take over captain.

[transplant99]

Yup. A decision on Johnny has to be priority 1...which will then determine everything else.

[Calgary4LIfe]

The most pressing issues to me are:


1) Johnny Gaudreau contract situation
2) Get a feel of what Tkachuk is looking for at the very least
3) Try and replace Gio's spot as best as possible (need scoring!)
4) Backup goalie - can make the difference between finishing 1st in the division and being out of the playoffs
5) Depth - Calgary's depth has been pretty poor


For me, it is all in that order.

[camm13]

1. Johnny's status
2. If he stays, trade Monahan and hopefully address top 6 RW issue
3. Landeskog
4. LD

I hope we can finally address the RW issue by a trade, and spend the extra cap on 3&4. What is mostly likely to happen is Treliving signs older 3/4th liner guys to too much tern & money. No changes to the forward core yet again, and we'll be having this same conversation next July.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Hackey

It feels like the "direction" now is Daryl is here so we're going to try and cater a team to Daryl. Which makes me feel like the organization had no direction to begin with. Also seems very short sighted. I just hope they don't mortgage the future trying to help give Daryl what he wants.

Yeah I mean why would we want that, it's proven to fail.

Don't trust Darryl Sutter, the guy is a career loser.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by 868904

Yeah I mean why would we want that, it's proven to fail.

Don't trust Darryl Sutter, the guy is a career loser.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.sbna...ley-cup-photos

[Goriders]

4 from me are:

1. What are we doing with Monahan
2. What’s going on with Gaudreau
3. Replacing Gio’s cap space on D
4. Finding a veteran backup goalie

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Hackey

It feels like the "direction" now is Daryl is here so we're going to try and cater a team to Daryl. Which makes me feel like the organization had no direction to begin with. Also seems very short sighted. I just hope they don't mortgage the future trying to help give Daryl what he wants.

The sum total of the Flames off-season, as it pertains to next year, is losing Gio and trading for Pitlick. Is this catering to Darryl? Right now this team loses to last year’s team so I’d say there is more to see before summing up the offseason.

Not that I love how it is starting but still can’t bring myself to believe we are trotting out the same group of top 6 forwards.

[rogermexico]

1. Which of Gaudreau or Tkachuk are more likely to re-sign long term? Figure that out before the 28th and trade the other one. Get the best return you can but get a return of some sort. Don't get stuck watching both of them leave. Don't nickel and dime the one who's staying: this is now your offensive star player - not your best all-around player, not necessarily the captain, but your star winger. Give them a good contract that they'll be happy with to take them through the rest of your prime. But you need certainty around who's staying and you need to extract value out of whoever isn't.
2. Everything else.

[Mass_nerder]

1. Sign Johnny (or trade him if he doesn't want to sign before the 28th).
Everything after depends on what happens with Johnny.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by rogermexico

1. Which of Gaudreau or Tkachuk are more likely to re-sign long term? Figure that out before the 28th and trade the other one. Get the best return you can but get a return of some sort. Don't get stuck watching both of them leave. Don't nickel and dime the one who's staying: this is now your offensive star player - not your best all-around player, not necessarily the captain, but your star winger. Give them a good contract that they'll be happy with to take them through the rest of your prime. But you need certainty around who's staying and you need to extract value out of whoever isn't.
2. Everything else.

I agree. It’s all about Tkachuk and Gaudreau. If we are keeping them long term we need to know this summer. What happens with them dictates what we should be doing at free agency. Both want to stay and we land guys like Coleman and Edler we need to be prepared to move someone out. Monahan would get my vote

If Tkachuk or Johnny aren’t staying or both we need to see what the return on their trades are. If it’s bad contracts and prospects and any what underwhelming return then why do we sign Coleman and edler types? We aren’t winning.

If we can move those guys for picks and prospects only no bad contracts back and we can make a run a guys like landeskog then maybe we will be in a spot to win now. Just doubt landeskog comes here if wr are dumping Tkachuk and Gaudreau for prospects. Maybe just 1 not both

It’s hard to plan or have an opinion until we know if our top 2 players stay and for how much. Tkachuk and Gaudreau stay but get over paid we can’t be signing Coleman or edler types either

[Northendzone]

I am wondering about that crappy pizza that they used to serve in the dome. Are they going to get something better?

[TheSquatch]

So much work to do to ice a squad in the coming year. Top D, Top line Winger(s), top line center?... All depends on who sticks around to do what for how long, but we know Darryl didn't come in for a rebuild, so the team is going to be pushing hard at the tail end of the window for the current (previous?) core (Monahan, Gaudreau, Backlund)

So in my dream land, they sign Landeskog and trade Monahan and Gaudrea to buf for Eichel. Top line is set with Lindholm on wing.


Need a stud left D, that ain't Hanifin yet. Gio didn't have a great year, but he's still a hell of a hole to fill.

So hopefully BT is all over a bunch of exciting moves and the Flames get a serious re-tool and play decent hockey in front of their very decent goalie. But more likely, being the Flames, they'll leave some huge wacky positional gap unfilled for a couple years and wonder why they don't win more.

[Vinny01]

Gaudreau is the biggest question that needs to be resolved before the start of free agency. Either sign him or move him but please do not go into the dog days or summer or even worse the regular season without Johnny resolved. I heave heard Friedman state he doesn’t think the team cares too much about the NTC kicking in but hopefully he is wrong.

If Johnny is traded that takes care of the second question which is wilL they shake up the core? Moving Johnny, Monahan, Backlund or Tkachuk would be moving on from one of 4 players who have been on this team more than 5 years.

Who will replace Gio? I think it is safe to say Hanifin will be thrust into the top pair left D slot. I think it makes sense for both the player and the team for Alex Edler to sign here hopefully for a 1 year deal. He brings leadership and would be a good partner and mentor for Rasmus. With the amount of Swedes on the team and the ex Canucks the fit makes sense.

Last question for me is will they add a scoring winger? It sounds like Blake Coleman could be a guy that is going to get a big offer from the Flames. I don’t feel like he is a top 6 but may be paid like one. This team has 5 legit top 6 forwards and could use a second line RW.

[FlamesAddiction]

If this team is going to compete next season, we need a top 4 defenseman and a top line forward, however, we only have enough cap space for one. If I had to choose one, I would go for the forward. I trust this team to have a better chance for defense by committee than scoring by committee, at least with Sutter as coach.

I say go all in on Landeskog then supplement the defense with someone like Suter. Suter might be willing to come because he would have an important role and could get a second wind. Having just been bought out, he might come relatively cheap too.

Obviously far from a guarantee that we could nab them both, but that would be my strategy.

Then re-sign Johnny and if Landeskog is acquired, trade Tkachuk for a natural RW. Don't get me wrong, I love Tkachuk, I just have my doubts that he can be retained long term.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think that - barring some great offer - the Flames should keep Monahan.



I do think that Monahan's price has fallen. People will say that he can't score any longer, and that he just 'lost it' or has had too many injuries. I don't think he has 'lost it', but I won't argue the 'too many injuries' angle. However, too many injuries to different parts of the body isn't as bad as the same recurring injury either.


IIRC, Monahan was doing well for the first few weeks of the year until he hurt his hip (as far as I can tell).


I think you keep him. This team is going to need goals next season, and he is money (pun intended) on the shootouts too.



I don't like his lack of footspeed, and I don't like his lack of physicality (I feel that if someone is slow, they should make up for it by being physical). However, Monahan is an incredibly underrated playmaker, and he can score 30+ goals a season.



If a team won't offer fair value, keep him. I don't think this core needs a 'shake-up' as much as it needed a decent coach. That's the shake-up for me. If good deals come through, great. If not, I would rather not see players being traded for pennies on the dollar.



I am betting that Sutter fixes a lot of what was wrong with this team. I like how he has already told the team to take their off-season training more seriously. That's what Hartley did too, and that's the last time I would say this team exceeded expectations.



This team is better than what it has shown, but they were practicing and playing like the Dallas Eakins era Oilers. Now they're not, and I can't wait to see what this team is really like.