Who should Treliving target as a potential replacement for Mike Smith?

[Plaedo]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Maybe he will be the time we hit as a franchise on old formerly good goalies that we pick up off the scrap heap. We missed on Fuhr, Vernon, Wregget, Hiller, Elliott and Smith. Maybe it is 7th time lucky.

Didn't exactly hit on Curtis Joseph or Niklas Backstrom either

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Plaedo

Didn't exactly hit on Curtis Joseph or Niklas Backstrom either

Forgot those guys, a Flames tradition to bring in a goalie 5 years after their prime and hope for the best. Only good thing with those two is that they were not brought in as starters. The other six were brought in as starters.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

Perhaps making the highest salary or top 3 salary on a team isn’t what motivates him. Maybe we actually have some players that believe in the concept of a team and are willing to “only” make 6-7MM instead of 7.5-9 MM so they can surrounded by a team that can win

Sure. Maybe. Or maybe having a father who fought for every penny he earned will be impressing on his kids how important it is to get paid every cent?

Maybe having a brother in the league will motivate him to get as much as possible to raise the stakes on his brothers next contract.

Do you think iginla wishes he could trade 15MM of his career salary to have a Stanley cup? I do

I don't.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Sure. Maybe. Or maybe having a father who fought for every penny he earned will be impressing on his kids how important it is to get paid every cent?

Maybe having a brother in the league will motivate him to get as much as possible to raise the stakes on his brothers next contract...

Yeah, I am fully expecting a massive contract for Tkachuk. I will be surprised if it is not the most valuable contract in team history.

[David Struch]

Definitive ranking of NHL’s top 20 goalies over three seasons

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...three-seasons/

[bax]

Would have been nice to land Raanta back when he was available. I was skeptical at the time, but he's been phenomenal in every Yotes game I've watched.

Realistically I think we roll with Smith and Rittich this year with Rittich starting every third game or so. Adjust accordingly depending on who is going.

Off season could be huge though- not sure if we have the money to land Bob, but you have to think the Flames will explore it. Talbot might look better getting off that Oilers roster as well. He has proven that he can steal games.

No matter what they end up doing I think you just hope for Rittich's continued development and see how far he can go. He's a real late bloomer so who knows what he might be in 2-3 years.

[David Struch]

A Team is only as good as its goalie.

[Split98]

I have been really impressed with Rittich thus far, but we shouldn't forget last season so quickly. Rittich should have the starters net if we weren't so interested in Smith regaining form we haven't seen in almost a year, but that's still a risk I wish we'd stop taking.

Rittich has shown thus far that he gives you a better opportunity to win games in 2018, but we've seen the wrong end of the goalie gamble enough times. I hope that Brad is very involved in a trade that would bring someone like Bobrovsky here, and finally shore up this teams biggest weakness. Worst case? Rittich plays great, and ends up creating an unstoppable goalie duo.

I think you regain picks in trading guys like Smith (Florida), Frolik, Brodie, etc if you need to rebuild your prospect pool. But we also have a ton of youth in the NHL right now. I'd rather avoid it if we can, but I think we'll survive another weak draft if it means legitimately giving the team a shot at making some noise.

[CSharp]

I think Crawford is just an average goalie IMO. When the Blackhawks won the 3 Cups, the team in front of him was the best in the league. They won with Niemi and they could've won with any other average goalie. Takes a team to win, not just one guy to shoulder everything like Kipper (and Iggy).

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by David Struch

A Team is only as good as its goalie.

I get what you are saying, but this is not really true. Even with little better than League-average goaltending there are often teams that are among the top teams from one season to the next. The Flames this year are ranked among the best teams, and their goaltending has been generally poor.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CSharp

I think Crawford is just an average goalie IMO. When the Blackhawks won the 3 Cups, the team in front of him was the best in the league. They won with Niemi and they could've won with any other average goalie. Takes a team to win, not just one guy to shoulder everything like Kipper (and Iggy).

Without him last season they totally unraveled as he had a .929 SV% in 28 games which was keeping them competitive. He's better than average IMO.

[868904]

I think if Smith continues to struggle, I see a few possibilities:

1) Jankowski is the major piece in a Bobrovsky deal. There won't be an extension as I think Bobrovsky like most Russians probably has his eyes set on the Eastern US and likely the Islanders (less in the spotlight).

2) Jimmy Howard is acquired for cheap. He is the poster boy for average goalie, but maybe that's all this team needs. Plus Peters was the assistant coach in Detroit during Howard's best statistical years.

3) Craig Anderson is acquired for cheap assuming he is actually playing well and better than Smith. Another aging goalie, but like Smith is UFA. It would obviously just be for the playoff run. No long term extension.

None of these are long term solutions, but the asset cost is relatively low. In the off-season, Tre can try and land Talbot or Varlamov via free agency.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Look at Hartley's Flames when they made the playoffs - 'decent' goaltending that year (middle of the pack in almost every statistical measure IIRC). I do think that Rittich and Smith are able to provide that to Calgary. I think you just have to let Smith play through his downs right now. If he doesn't right the ship, then you can see about looking for another goalie. Must be a few that are on the cusp of making the NHL, or a few that are on the cusp of being pushed out by an up-and-comer, and so on. Something cheap and adequate.



Rumor has it that Bobrovsky wants a huge payday. How is that going to work under the cap?


A team is only as good as their goalie when their goalie is either absolute trash or absolute elite. Flames are a terrific team that just need average goaltending to remain a terrific team. I think the Flames just have to show a bit of patience first with how Smith is doing, while keeping their eyes and ears open to see who may be available on the cheap.

[bax]

Originally Posted by CSharp

I think Crawford is just an average goalie IMO. When the Blackhawks won the 3 Cups, the team in front of him was the best in the league. They won with Niemi and they could've won with any other average goalie. Takes a team to win, not just one guy to shoulder everything like Kipper (and Iggy).

Crawford also had a .929 SP in 28 games last year. That roster was far from best in the league and they struggled immensely after he went down with an injury and they missed playoffs.

Crawford is a big part of that team and I think he's underrated. He won his fair share of those playoff games single highhandedly.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by CSharp

I think Crawford is just an average goalie IMO. When the Blackhawks won the 3 Cups, the team in front of him was the best in the league. They won with Niemi and they could've won with any other average goalie. Takes a team to win, not just one guy to shoulder everything like Kipper (and Iggy).

He definitely seemed pretty average then, but he has definitely earned his spot amongst his peers since then:
https://www.nhl.com/player/corey-crawford-8470645

But that team was a cheat-code TBH, and I think it'll be a lot easier to get a Cup-calibre goalie than hope that the team can prop Smith to .920+ (sorry if I misconstrued the point)

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I get what you are saying, but this is not really true. Even with little better than League-average goaltending there are often teams that are among the top teams from one season to the next. The Flames this year are ranked among the best teams, and their goaltending has been generally poor.

"League average goaltending" is usually not good enough to get you out of the first round most years. And certainly not enough to win it all.

Just because one team once won a cup with Niemi doesn't mean it's to be regularly attempted. Usually teams win because Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas, Matt Murray, whomever, decides to stop letting in pucks.

You need a guy who can consistently give you .920. Period.

[GioforPM]

You need above average goaltending. It's just that sometimes it comes from guys who are average, but going really well when it counts.

If the present Flames hit the POs with first half of last season Mike Smith (or mid-two seasons ago Elliott), that's a deep run.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by 868904

I think if Smith continues to struggle, I see a few possibilities:

1) Jankowski is the major piece in a Bobrovsky deal. There won't be an extension as I think Bobrovsky like most Russians probably has his eyes set on the Eastern US and likely the Islanders (less in the spotlight).

2) Jimmy Howard is acquired for cheap. He is the poster boy for average goalie, but maybe that's all this team needs. Plus Peters was the assistant coach in Detroit during Howard's best statistical years.

3) Craig Anderson is acquired for cheap assuming he is actually playing well and better than Smith. Another aging goalie, but like Smith is UFA. It would obviously just be for the playoff run. No long term extension.

None of these are long term solutions, but the asset cost is relatively low. In the off-season, Tre can try and land Talbot or Varlamov via free agency.

1. If Jankowski is the major piece, you're not getting Bobrovsky.


2. Jimmy Howard is a below average starter


3. Craig Anderson is a below average starter.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Ped

1. If Jankowski is the major piece, you're not getting Bobrovsky.


2. Jimmy Howard is a below average starter


3. Craig Anderson is a below average starter.

No one should pay a lot for a rental though. The Sabres got a second (conditional first on a re-signing), a conditional fourth and a prospect for the top rental available last year. Bob is worth a little more, but no manager is giving up a definite first in return or a good roster player for someone who won't stay.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No one should pay a lot for a rental though. The Sabres got a second (conditional first on a re-signing), a conditional fourth and a prospect for the top rental available last year. Bob is worth a little more, but no manager is giving up a definite first in return or a good roster player for someone who won't stay.

Yep, no way our 1st is in play without an extension in place for Bob. As far as him wanting to go out east, I dunno. He’s gonna get paid well whenever he ends up and if he comes to Calgary, he’ll immediately be on a cup contender for several years. Gotta figure that’d be pretty appealing.