2020/2021 Trade Speculation and Rumours

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Calgary’s tendencies have’s really changed for a number of years. Teams are heavily scouted at the worst of times. I doubt anyone is sneaking into any away game and fooling anyone.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just don't think teams do much specific gameplanning for teams outside their conference. I'm sure coaches point out some specific tendencies and things to watch for, but not dramatically change their play style for a team they'll see twice in a year.

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Can they? Where's our first line, right-shot, natural RW? We can't even get one now... how are we going to get one, plus fill all the other holes created by all the pieces we'd have to give up to get Eichel?

How many teams are perfectly constructed without any holes?

Most of the recent great teams have relied on a few utility players in their top 6 and have a few holes in their lineup. The difference is that their top players actually show up.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I just don't think teams do much specific gameplanning for teams outside their conference. I'm sure coaches point out some specific tendencies and things to watch for, but not dramatically change their play style for a team they'll see twice in a year.




How many teams are perfectly constructed without any holes?

Most of the recent great teams have relied on a few utility players in their top 6 and have a few holes in their lineup. The difference is that their top players actually show up.

Plus, even just noting tendencies works a lot better when your players have 3 games in a row to get used to them. Calgary’s better performances from their top guys have tended to be in the first games of a series, IIRC.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Plus, even just noting tendencies works a lot better when your players have 3 games in a row to get used to them. Calgary’s better performances from their top guys have tended to be in the first games of a series, IIRC.

Then why are the Flames not noting the tendencies of other teams players and exposing them in future games?

You make it sound like every time a team plays another team it's the first time they've every seen them play, even though they may have played them 2 weeks ago.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Then why are the Flames not noting the tendencies of other teams players and exposing them in future games?

You make it sound like every time a team plays another team it's the first time they've every seen them play, even though they may have played them 2 weeks ago.

Because, like I said in another thread, other teams have players who just can beat you even when you know what they’re gonna do. Do you really not know McDavid’s tendencies? Or Matthews/Marner? Or Scheifele/Connor? You do. But they can do it to you anyway.

Calgary’s skilled players are too limited in their skill sets, and their physical attributes, to play through tighter checking.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Because, like I said in another thread, other teams have players who just can beat you even when you know what they’re gonna do. Do you really not know McDavid’s tendencies? Or Matthews/Marner? Or Scheifele/Connor? You do. But they can do it to you anyway.

Calgary’s skilled players are too limited in their skill sets, and their physical attributes, to play through tighter checking.

Agreed. But those tendencies are well known. Teams don’t forget them just because they haven’t played them in 3 weeks. When Montreal plays Calgary tonight, they will be well aware what Johnny does.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Poe969]

Sure, the habs will have an answer for Johnny but shouldn't the Flames have an answer for them as well?

Good teams are able to adapt and change on the fly and/or work through things. This team doesn't have the ability to push through.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Poe969

Sure, the habs will have an answer for Johnny but shouldn't the Flames have an answer for them as well?

Good teams are able to adapt and change on the fly and/or work through things. This team doesn't have the ability to push through.

Exactly (though TBF the Habs are the team Calgary does best against simply because they don’t have stars like the other present PO teams).

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I do.

Those holes can be filled, even if not immediately.

#1C cannot.

But you still need a good team around said #1 center. We’re still talking about a 23 man roster here. Even McDavid and Draisaitl couldn’t do it by themselves. All this team is missing at this very moment is a true elite #1 center. They have 1 scoring line, 1 shutdown line, a decent 4th line.

They just need a major upgrade up the middle, another consistent scoring threat that can contribute when the top scoring line is shut down and vice versa. Jack Eichel can drive his own line and make average wingers better. But if we trade our most important pieces and all that leaves us with is an injury prone #1 center, then we’ll just be Buffalo West. That’s not a solution in my opinion either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Jore

Getting and developing a good centre is a long-standing weakness for this franchise. The best all-arounder they've developed is Backlund (not counting Monahan for obvious reasons), before that it was probably David Moss. Right now the most promising young player who was drafted as a centre, Dube, they're playing on as a 4th line winger (sound familiar?). Unless they're drafting a can't miss centre at 1 or 2 I can't see this organization being able to support and develop a #1 centre internally.

Well they’re going to have to, because it’s about the only thing they haven’t tried in the last 3 decades. They’ve tried building a successful team on the backs of franchise wingers which ended up with a lot of first round failures or middling finishes. They built strong defense cores most seasons in both the Sutter and Treliving eras which hasn’t made much of a difference. They had an elite Vezina winning goaltender in that time and he hid a lot of this team’s real problems. They’ve had forward depth at times, they’ve tried big teams, gritty teams, small teams, skilled teams, well balanced teams, defense first teams, offense first teams and etc.

But in all that time, what haven’t they had? A true, elite #1 center who stands above the rest or at the very least can compare. The last time the Flames built true strength up the middle was what, probably 1989? Say what, they won the Cup that year? Hmm, it’s almost like having a true #1 center or an elite 1-2 punch up the middle helps you win or something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Well they’re going to have to, because it’s about the only thing they haven’t tried in the last 3 decades. They’ve tried building a successful team on the backs of franchise wingers which ended up with a lot of first round failures or middling finishes. They built strong defense cores most seasons in both the Sutter and Treliving eras which hasn’t made much of a difference. They had an elite Vezina winning goaltender in that time and he hid a lot of this team’s real problems. They’ve had forward depth at times, they’ve tried big teams, gritty teams, small teams, skilled teams, well balanced teams, defense first teams, offense first teams and etc.

But in all that time, what haven’t they had? A true, elite #1 center who stands above the rest or at the very least can compare. The last time the Flames built true strength up the middle was what, probably 1989? Say what, they won the Cup that year? Hmm, it’s almost like having a true #1 center or an elite 1-2 punch up the middle helps you win or something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Goes to show how difficult it is to find one.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Goes to show how difficult it is to find one.

Gotta be patient, which is something management didn't do. Now to be fair, most Canadian teams aren't patient which would probably explain the 27 year Cup drought. Always spend to the cap, so once you get some cap space, gotta burn it.

I think what Treliving or whoever it is has to establish a standard and not waiver. If they decide to rebuild, you have to draft an elite #1 center or preferably 2. I would personally like to have a Kopitar/Carter or a Backstrom/Kuznetsov, Zetterberg/Datsyuk or ideally a Crosby/Malkin. This team needs a an elite 1-2 punch up the middle and they need to start build through center instead of out on the wing or on defense. Quality at center first and foremost, that's the most important position.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I would personally like to have a Kopitar/Carter or a Backstrom/Kuznetsov, Zetterberg/Datsyuk or ideally a Crosby/Malkin.

Dream Big, Princess.

[Moneyhands23]

Bedard and Wright?

[Psytic]

Just try for what LA is doing. They are hanging onto their good vets in Kopitar and Brown and Doughty while still tanking for top center depth like Byfield. You dont need to crater the whole team. Some pieces can definitely be kept they just cant be good enough to keep hanging around 9th and 10th place. Keep the ones Sutter wants to keep tank it out in 2022 or even 2023 for a quick turn around.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Psytic

Just try for what LA is doing. They are hanging onto their good vets in Kopitar and Brown and Doughty while still tanking for top center depth like Byfield. You dont need to crater the whole team. Some pieces can definitely be kept they just cant be good enough to keep hanging around 9th and 10th place. Keep the ones Sutter wants to keep tank it out in 2022 or even 2023 for a quick turn around.

Often certain veteran players with big continuing cap hits just can’t be moved. Ans sometimes you don’t trade theses guys because they simply don’t want to move due to family reasons and the fact they have won their cups.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Tkachukwagon]

Eric Duhatschek has a good article on the Athletic about players that could benefit from a change of scenery (highlighting how much it has benefitted Sam Bennett). Calgary might have an open protection slot at forward if they choose to expose Backlund. Four players highlighted below:

Tyson Jost, Colorado Avalanche

If you’re not paying close attention, you might not realize that Jost is playing some of his most accomplished hockey since Colorado drafted him 10th in 2016. Jost has been an underachiever offensively since turning pro, but as of Thursday, he has now managed a point in five consecutive games and seems to be playing with more confidence offensively than he has at any point in his career. Jost will be an option for Seattle in the expansion draft, young enough (23) and good value ($874,125 salary, but arbitration-eligible) but if someone wants to add an emerging player who is cost controlled for a while, they should be ringing Joe Sakic on the cellphone before they have to file their protected lists.

Nolan Patrick, Philadelphia Flyers

Patrick went second in the 2017 NHL Draft and missed all of season No. 3 recovering from migraines, which derailed his development and left him almost at a point where he was starting over again in Philadelphia this past year. And while there’ve been flashes, they’ve been few and far between — only eight points in 43 games played, getting just about 13 minutes of ice time per night. His minus-20 rating is by far the worst among the team’s forwards. Patrick is still only 22. Maybe a change of scenery would benefit him. Vegas, a team that wanted to draft him that year, would be an interested suitor.

Gabe Vilardi, Los Angeles Kings

Vilardi went 11th in 2017 and like Patrick, the early part of his career was stalled by a back condition that kept flaring up constantly. Vilardi didn’t get going professionally until halfway through last year and got a promising NHL cameo at the end of last season, where his size (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) jumps out at you. But this year, he’s also struggled to find the net consistently and last scored a goal on March 3. Los Angeles has chosen natural centres with four consecutive first-round picks: Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte and this past year, Quinton Byfield. Byfield isn’t going anywhere. The Kings should be looking at moving at least one of the other three (and maybe two) in order to get more established NHLers to flesh out their complement of top-six forwards. That’s an organization which has seen the exodus of a lot of good players from their last championship team that have gone on and helped their new clubs (Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson). If they want to salvage anything from the last handful of chapters in Anze Kopitar’s and Drew Doughty’s careers, they need to see an influx of talent. Hopefully soon. Hopefully, this summer.

Barrett Hayton, Arizona Coyotes

People shouldn’t forget that Hayton looked so good for Canada in the 2020 world juniors (12 points, seven games and a gold medal) but hasn’t been seen much since. He played 20 NHL games in 2019-20 and looked as if he was ready for prime-time duty this season, after getting into a handful of games in Finland for Ilves pre-Christmas. Instead, he was farmed out early by the Coyotes and hasn’t gotten a call-back. He’s only 20, and like the others listed here, a high, high draft choice, so there will be other organizations looking to take a chance

[transplant99]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1385799899757780992

[timbit]

Originally Posted by transplant99

https://twitter.com/user/status/1385799899757780992

That is no fluke and pretty darn good company.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by timbit

That is no fluke and pretty darn good company.

Yup.

Its why i just SMH when i read some of the opinions about him.

Is he elite? No.

Is he a top 10 C in the game? No, but certainly a #1. This year looks to be an outlier as it looks to be for so many on the team.

Is he a clear cut/carry the team/drag them into a fight guy? No.

What he is though is an upper end, goal scorer who has vastly improved his 200' game and a guy that is on a fairly normal path to playing in his prime. He is someone you need to help a team become a winning one and is only 26 years old.

Many want him traded...because.

That's fine as long as he brings an upgrade on his position...which I highly doubt is available. Because at that point you are talking about a group of maybe 15-20 guys in the entire league and its pretty unlikely the teams with those guys are very anxious to get rid of them.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Eric Duhatschek has a good article on the Athletic about players that could benefit from a change of scenery (highlighting how much it has benefitted Sam Bennett). Calgary might have an open protection slot at forward if they choose to expose Backlund. Four players highlighted below:

Of the group I would target Vilardi as he checks many of the boxes for a top line centre and is likely blocked long term
No idea what it would take