[News] With the 16th OA pick, the Flames select D Juuso Valimaki

[bax]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Why not? The game before is an away game in Anaheim.
Why trot out a B team at home?
Imagine losing to an Oilers team 1 game before the playoffs start? How demoralizing would that be for the team?

Not demoralizing at all

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by bax

Not demoralizing at all

sure. Can't wait to catch the GT for that game. It would make the biggest ATL of all time!

[868904]

Wouldn't put it past that pathetic franchise to put bounties on key Flames players in Game 82, just so they can have a hand in hurting the Flames in the playoffs.

I say rest the core for that game.

[activeStick]

Yeah I agree with Textcritic. I think you split the ANA and EDM game between the two goalies, with the starter for the playoffs getting the Oilers and you sit out most of your playoff players who normally eat up a lot of minutes in the last game Gio, Brodie, Hamonic, Johnny, Lindholm, Monahan, Backlund and Tkachuk, and keep most of them in against ANA but with reduced minutes. Depends on how clear the seeding for playoffs is though by then, if the Flames want to avoid falling out of the top seed of the division. You want to avoid weird injuries but you want to keep them skating still.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

sure. Can't wait to catch the GT for that game. It would make the biggest ATL of all time!

There are no ATLs in post-game losses. And again, a bevy of third/fourth line and minor league callups playing and losing in the last game of the season will have NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER on the roster of the top team in the Conference.

This is a ridiculous idea. I could not care less if the Oilers win Game #82 running away with it; I suspect the players hold the same sentiment.

Last year the Flames won Game #82 by a score of 7-1. The team they beat went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final.

[Geeoff]

It's crazy to me that we have 10 NHL defensemen. That playoff depth is covered. Let's go on a long run!

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

There are no ATLs in post-game losses. And again, a bevy of third/fourth line and minor league callups playing and losing in the last game of the season will have NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER on the roster of the top team in the Conference.

This is a ridiculous idea. I could not care less if the Oilers win Game #82 running away with it; I suspect the players hold the same sentiment.

Last year the Flames won Game #82 by a score of 7-1. The team they beat went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final.

This goes against EVERYTHING in the E=NG thread!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

I don't care who or when they play, but Peters better have our top 6 guys in for our last game against the Oilers.

nah - let this team beat the crap out of them:

Neal-Backs-Frolik (Neal scores 3)
Bennett-Janko-Tkachuk (just for aggravation)
Czarnik-Dube-Mangiapane
Lazar-Ryan-Hathaway

D like I said above

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

This goes against EVERYTHING in the E=NG thread!

Yeah, no.

[CrispyGriz]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Why not? The game before is an away game in Anaheim.
Why trot out a B team at home?
Imagine losing to an Oilers team 1 game before the playoffs start? How demoralizing would that be for the team?

Likely about as demoralizing as when Vegas got beat down by the flames in the last game last season. That worked out ok for Vegas.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Too early to tell if that last game against Edmonton is meaningless or not. Maybe the division comes down to the last game? Maybe Tampa gets on a bit of a losing skid and the Flames can capture the President's trophy. It all likelihood, it seems that the Flames will be winning the division, and Tampa will get the President's trophy as the spread between all 3 teams is fairly significant. If that remains to be true at the end of the season, I am sure Peters would give anyone that is banged-up even a little the night off. Who cares if Edmonton wins a meaningless game? Is it really a moral victory for them beating Calgary when Calgary is resting and looking past them?


Rather rest the core unless positioning is at stake. No need for the Oilers to injure anyone in Calgary before the playoffs.

[BloodFetish]

You want demoralizing? How about the Flames 'B' team beating the Oilers convincingly?

E=NG

[Moneyhands23]

Just looking for a positive thread to bump.

What do you guys think after looking at his time since turning Pro?

Have to like what I have seen, but tough to find a good comparison. I was thinking/hoping for a slightly better Edler.

Be interesting to see who he is paired with next year and how quickly he gets to the 2nd or 1st pairing

[TheScorpion]

I think he looks terrific. He's been sheltered quite a bit, but I think we might see him on the first pairing before he turns 23 or 24. Excited to possibly see him move up the lineup next year -- assuming all of the main LHD stay in the lineup, and depending on how things shake out, I think we could see him get some time with Hamonic next year, which would be a really interesting pairing.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Where would people rank him with all the other 2017 defencemen draft class?

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Where would people rank him with all the other 2017 defencemen draft class?

Well Lillegren is basically Erik Karlsson x Jesus according to Toronto.

So.,....

Lillegren
.
.
.
.
.
.
Heiskanen
.
.
Makar
.
.
Brannstrom, Valimaki

[ForeverFlameFan]

Call me a homer, but I think Valimaki will become the fourth best defenseman in this draft behind Heiskanen and Makar. I really see Valimaki as our Giordano replacement as the #1LD in the near future. He's that good, and will be better than Hanifin too.

[SeanCharles]

He's a beauty, I think he has poise beyond his years and was one of the most noticable players once he got into the lineup in the playoffs.

He will be a mainstay in the top 6 next season and will only get better the more he plays.

I'd like to see:

Gio-Andersson
Valimaki-Hanifin
Kylington-Hamonic

Roll out all 3 pairs relatively equally at even strength.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

He's a beauty, I think he has poise beyond his years and was one of the most noticable players once he got into the lineup in the playoffs.

He will be a mainstay in the top 6 next season and will only get better the more he plays.

I'd like to see:

Gio-Andersson
Valimaki-Hanifin
Kylington-Hamonic

Roll out all 3 pairs relatively equally at even strength.

Im not sure I want to see Hanifin on the right side.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Call me a homer, but I think Valimaki will become the fourth best defenseman in this draft behind Dahlin, Heiskanen and Makar. I really see Valimaki as our Giordano replacement as the #1LD in the near future. He's that good, and will be better than Hanifin too.

Dahlin was 2018