[Signing] Flames sign James Neal (5 years, 5.75 AAV)

[crapshoot]

It's good whenever Neal gets on the scoresheet. With Bennett and Jankowski finding ways to contribute more consistently now it's on Neal to find his game as well. I really like those three as a line as their skills compliment each other, at least in theory, and I hope they can start to click in the second half of the season.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Hackey

I read the post perfectly fine. It was just a terrible suggestion. No reason to spend valuable assets to trade a player when we don't even need the cap space.

Does Carolina accept this trade?

[Resolute 14]

Of course Carolina accepts that trade. Because that trade is so stupidly lopsided that every single team in the league would take it and run.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Of course Carolina accepts that trade. Because that trade is so stupidly lopsided that every single team in the league would take it and run.

Oh good to know, thanks.

So what is the minimum it would take to offload Neal. Nobody is taking over this contract for free. Neal + 2nd for a 7th, would that work?

And when you think about that, to help get some objectivity in your analysis...think about What would Edmonton have to package along with Lucic to get that player off the books?

I think you’re drastically underestimating what a horrible contract we have on the books.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Need to see another season of Neal. Plus, we might even get an injury in the top 6 and are going to need him.

The likelihood of him playing better is smaller than before, but I am also counting the fact that his resume shows that he can score and he should be scoring more here.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

Oh good to know, thanks.

So what is the minimum it would take to offload Neal. Nobody is taking over this contract for free. Neal + 2nd for a 7th, would that work?

And when you think about that, to help get some objectivity in your analysis...think about What would Edmonton have to package along with Lucic to get that player off the books?

I think you’re drastically underestimating what a horrible contract we have on the books.

The problem is that you are asking a question that doesn't need answering.
Everyone would agree that right now would be the worst time to trade him - he's been playing badly and has the most term remaining.
If we agree with that very basic premise, it is a waste of time to try to answer your question because it would be irrational for the Flames to try and off load him.
There's nothing worse than someone lecturing others on objectivity when they have a clear axe to grind themselves.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The problem is that you are asking a question that doesn't need answering.
Everyone would agree that right now would be the worst time to trade him - he's been playing badly and has the most term remaining.
If we agree with that very basic premise, it is a waste of time to try to answer your question because it would be irrational for the Flames to try and off load him.
There's nothing worse than someone lecturing others on objectivity when they have a clear axe to grind themselves.

Yes. Talk about selling low - this is as low as it gets, with decent possibility of improvement, and with no pressing need to do the trade.

[Split98]

When would the Seattle draft be? After next season?

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Split98

When would the Seattle draft be? After next season?

Summer 2021

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The problem is that you are asking a question that doesn't need answering.
Everyone would agree that right now would be the worst time to trade him - he's been playing badly and has the most term remaining.
If we agree with that very basic premise, it is a waste of time to try to answer your question because it would be irrational for the Flames to try and off load him.
There's nothing worse than someone lecturing others on objectivity when they have a clear axe to grind themselves.

I take it from your post that you don’t think any team would take James Neal if we packaged him with a second, yet the poster above thinks adding a prospect to that deal would be a RIDICULOUS OVERPAYMENT and every team makes that trade. So what is a realistic trade that gets this done.

Im concerned that we will be stuck here in 5 years time lamenting the fact that we’ve missed our window. Not in my wildest dreams were the flames a Stanley cup contender this year...and I doubt you would have thought so either. These chances don’t come along every day for teams like ours.

Wouldn’t it be nice to free up some cap space to add a Stone or a Taresenko type player...we can’t do that now because we don’t have cap space, which is why I’m simply posing the question about what it would take to remove James Neal’s cap hit.

Now, if you think that it would take something like my initial scenario then that’s fine, perhaps it’s not worth it. But if Resolute14 thinks it would take significantly less than that to get the cap hit off the books, wouldn’t you want to explore it?

So Resolute 14...if my scenario was a Rudiculous overpayment, what would another team accept that was less of an overpayment?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

I take it from your post that you don’t think any team would take James Neal if we packaged him with a second, yet the poster above thinks adding a prospect to that deal would be a RIDICULOUS OVERPAYMENT and every team makes that trade. So what is a realistic trade that gets this done.

Im concerned that we will be stuck here in 5 years time lamenting the fact that we’ve missed our window. Not in my wildest dreams were the flames a Stanley cup contender this year...and I doubt you would have thought so either. These chances don’t come along every day for teams like ours.

Wouldn’t it be nice to free up some cap space to add a Stone or a Taresenko type player...we can’t do that now because we don’t have cap space, which is why I’m simply posing the question about what it would take to remove James Neal’s cap hit.

Now, if you think that it would take something like my initial scenario then that’s fine, perhaps it’s not worth it. But if Resolute14 thinks it would take significantly less than that to get the cap hit off the books, wouldn’t you want to explore it?

So Resolute 14...if my scenario was a Rudiculous overpayment, what would another team accept that was less of an overpayment?

The trade proposals are ridiculous because the notion of the Flames trying to trade him now is ridiculous.
So a ridiculous premise will result in ridiculous answers which is why most people are choosing not to play your game and try to answer.
I'm not too concerned about adding a guy like Stone or Tarasenko as I don't view cap space being the only challenge there. I don't think the Flames have the assets to get such deals done.

[868904]

The first half of this season has been very free wheeling. A lot of skill players are going to hit career highs and we have seen a lot of games played at a very fast pace.

I imagine things are going to tighten up a lot in the second half and especially in the playoffs and the game will get a lot heavier and likely slower.

I'm hoping that when the game slows down a bit, Neal will be more effective a player.

I know there is the argument that Neal played on one of the fastest teams last year in Vegas and had success, but the difference is that Vegas was the fast team and everyone else was still playing a slower game. This year, everyone has taken Vegas blueprint and ALL the teams are playing with a quicker pace and you can really notice the players who are not as fleet of foot.

I'm not going to harp on Neal too much, but I expect and am hoping that he will be a significant contributor down the stretch and in the playoffs (if they make it).

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Voodooman

It’ll be a sprint to the fax machine for Lucic and Neal when the compliance buyout window opens for Seattle expansion.

There is no guarantee that there will be a compliance buyout period. They just may extend it and that would mean no compliance buyout period.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The trade proposals are ridiculous because the notion of the Flames trying to trade him now is ridiculous.
So a ridiculous premise will result in ridiculous answers which is why most people are choosing not to play your game and try to answer.
I'm not too concerned about adding a guy like Stone or Tarasenko as I don't view cap space being the only challenge there. I don't think the Flames have the assets to get such deals done.

I don’t think it’s ridiculous at all to explore the options to make this team better in the short term to exploit our window.

Now A LOT of people have been defending Neal and saying he will get better, if this is true, surely one of the other 30 GM’s will agree

Resolute 14 seems to think that we can get rid of Neal’s contract for significantly less than a 2nd and a prospect. I’m interested to understand where he/she thinks this trade will get done.

Jiri, If you were BT, would you package Neal with a second to get the cap hit off the books? Yes or no?

[Strange Brew]

The only realistic Neal trade scenarios at this time are for a similar underperforming, overpaid player. And even then, you really only consider it if he is being a problem on the team of which there is no indication.

To offload assets to dump Neal, and then offload further assets to acquire another big salary player is the kind of overpayment that cripples the team going forward.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

Jiri, If you were BT, would you package Neal with a second to get the cap hit off the books? Yes or no?

No I would not. It would be a knee jerk reaction and short-term thinking.

[dammage79]

Lol, if we had to endure Troy Brouwerplay for two years before they do anything about it, you can rest assured they won't do anything about James Neal for two years.

No one is trading James Neal in year 1 or even 2 of his 5 year deal.
Suck it up, deal with it.

[Ped]

The Flames won't be paying any team to take Neal until they're forced to by cap or budget constraints, or another reason we don't know about.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by Ped

The Flames won't be paying any team to take Neal until they're forced to by cap or budget constraints, or another reason we don't know about.

Which is an entirely plausible scenario starting next year.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Lol, if we had to endure Troy Brouwerplay for two years before they do anything about it, you can rest assured they won't do anything about James Neal for two years.

No one is trading James Neal in year 1 or even 2 of his 5 year deal.
Suck it up, deal with it.

Two things I think could happen with Neal for him to be traded this summer.

1) Neal does absolutely nothing rest of the season and playoffs
2) Flames get swept in the first round (This could be many changes just not Neal)