I remember criticizing the Brouwer signing the moment it happened and then being utterly trashed by CP.
Brouwer and the others were all clearly bad signings even at the time IMO. I guess the Okposo signing didn't seem quite as bad simply because he was younger.
I never liked the deal but I generally always dislike overpaying in free agency for depth and leadership. I just went back to the original thread and there were plenty that didn't like it and yes there was a lot of push back by the glass half-full fans but that's typically always going to be the case as fans are going to hope for the best when it comes to swings like this.
When I think of Okposo, I can't help but think of the time Phaneuf obliterated him.
I was at that game. Even though it was preseason, it was probably the best game I have ever attended at the Saddledome. Non stop fights and action all night. Felt bad for Okposo, but man...what a hit/game that was.
It was also Fleury's return and he scored in the SO. Say what you want about him now (I certainly do), but what an absolutely epic return. My buddy and I started a 10-year run of always attending the Flames vs Islanders when they came to town. All because of that game. We still talk about that game to this day.
I remember criticizing the Brouwer signing the moment it happened and then being utterly trashed by CP.
Brouwer and the others were all clearly bad signings even at the time IMO. I guess the Okposo signing didn't seem quite as bad simply because he was younger.
The Okposo signing was probably the only good one in that bunch, but injuries plagued him.
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"May those who accept their fate find happiness. May those who defy it find glory."
I remember criticizing the Brouwer signing the moment it happened and then being utterly trashed by CP.
Brouwer and the others were all clearly bad signings even at the time IMO. I guess the Okposo signing didn't seem quite as bad simply because he was younger.
I remember being in BC when the signings ocurred. The Brouwer signing was obviously and over payment but Brouwer was a fancy stat king at the time and media was praising us for the signing because he was exactly what the Flames needed in their roster at the time. I was somewhat excited (other than the contract) but wow that one sure went south fast.
Remind me what happened with fleury this year? Was it PTO? He never suited up with phaneuf in regular season ever
Played in some preseason games, looked really small and slow, scored a goal in a shootout but was still cut. He then proceeded to burn every bridge possible by saying how great he was, that he scored a historic goal and never should have been cut. Turned a potentially positive story into a traditional Fleury like story.
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The nightmare of 2016 is finally over. Arguably the worst ever NHL free agency has come off the books for all teams involved. It's unbelievable that many NHL GM's could screw up so bad in one free agency period.
Milan Lucic, 7 yrs, $42M
Kyle Okposo, 7 yrs, $42M
Andrew Ladd, 7 yrs, $38.5M
Loui Eriksson, 6 yrs, $36M
Frans Nielsen, 6 yrs, $31.25M
David Backes, 5 yrs, $30M
Darren Helm, 5 yrs, $19.25M
Troy Brouwer, 4 yrs, $18M
Not for the Canucks they traded their bad contract for another bad contract but at least they got a top 10 pick out of it… right?
I find it interesting when people are immediately negative on a move (not a criticism of those who are negative but just an interesting starting point from a fan). Usually, I don't presume to know enough about other team's players immediately, so I'm happy to give it a chance.
With hindsight, that contract can certainly be traced to a number of subsequent issues that arose later - tight cap, Bennett deployment, etc. I remember the positive views being that Brouwer could fill that second line right winger position, so I understood the rationale but hated the player when he arrived.
The point that I recall it bugging me was when I thought they did the same thing with James Neal.
right?
