[News] Flyers re-sign Brian Elliott (1 yr, $2 mil)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Sam Carchidi @BroadStBull
Cam Talbot let #Flyers know he wants to go to a team where he will play more. Hopes to be a starter somewhere.

Dave Isaac @davegisaac
Chuck Fletcher said the #Flyers spent a lot of time speaking with other goalies during this UFA courting period and it sounds like Talbot and Elliott were the top two choices. Talbot was looking for a route to being a No. 1 again which turned the Flyers off.

Oh poor Talbot...

Talbot: "I want to play more!"

Edmonton.....:

"NOT THAT MUCH!!"

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Sam Carchidi @BroadStBull
Cam Talbot let #Flyers know he wants to go to a team where he will play more. Hopes to be a starter somewhere.

Dave Isaac @davegisaac
Chuck Fletcher said the #Flyers spent a lot of time speaking with other goalies during this UFA courting period and it sounds like Talbot and Elliott were the top two choices. Talbot was looking for a route to being a No. 1 again which turned the Flyers off.

#NotaStarter

If Talbot comes to the Flames, it will probably suck for Rittich to know that the guy coming in to share the net chose your team because he thinks of you as someone easy to beat. I guess management would feel the same too.

Hey Dave, here's a guy that has been one of the worst goalies in the league 2 years running, but we think he can be a better #1 than you. Have a nice day.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

#NotaStarter

If Talbot comes to the Flames, it will probably suck for Rittich to know that the guy coming in to share the net chose your team because he thinks of you as someone easy to beat. I guess management would feel the same too.

If the Flames sign Talbot I am sure it is not because they believe Rittich is "easy to beat." It is because they think that Talbot is the best available option to help the Flames win. I also don't know why Rittich would feel at all slighted by the decision, since the Flames coaches were confident enough with his work after one year in the NHL to give him more than 40 starts. Personally, I would expect Rittich to relish the competition and to have the confidence in himself to take yet another step in his young professional career.

The cynicism here is tough to stomach at times.

[bax]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

#NotaStarter

If Talbot comes to the Flames, it will probably suck for Rittich to know that the guy coming in to share the net chose your team because he thinks of you as someone easy to beat. I guess management would feel the same too.

Hey Dave, here's a guy that has been one of the worst goalies in the league 2 years running, but we think he can be a better #1 than you. Have a nice day.

Do you actually believe that is what the Flames brass is thinking?

I think it's more along the lines of " Hey Dave, we think you're a really good goalie, but you only have one season of 45 games under your belt. We think it's best to bring in a veteran goalie that can share the load with you while teaching you a few things as you develop. We also think a well rested goalie is key going into playoffs so we prefer having two guys that can compete and push each other to be better."

No one expected the Flames to give the keys to Rittich and bring in a pure back up.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by bax

Do you actually believe that is what the Flames brass is thinking?

I think it's more along the lines of " Hey Dave, we think you're a really good goalie, but you only have one season of 45 games under your belt. We think it's best to bring in a veteran goalie that can share the load with you while teaching you a few things as you develop. We also think a well rested goalie is key going into playoffs so we prefer having two guys that can compete and push each other to be better."

No one expected the Flames to give the keys to Rittich and bring in a pure back up.

I am not for giving anyone the keys (Rittich or Talbot). I am all for getting a goalie that can push Rittich and challenge him for starts every game.

But it's another thing to sign a goalie that has stated he will only sign with a team that gives him a clear path to the #1 role. Whatever happened to always earned, never given? Talbot has done nothing to establish himself as a goalie that should be signed for the intention of being a #1 goalie. If you sign him for that purpose (and you would be considering he is only taking calls from teams with that intent), it has to say something about their faith in Rittich - a goalie better in pretty much every measure over the past couple of seasons.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I am not for giving anyone the keys (Rittich or Talbot). I am all for getting a goalie that can push Rittich and challenge him for starts every game.

But it's another thing to sign a goalie that has stated he will only sign with a team that gives him a clear path to the #1 role.

Honestly, I see virtually no difference between the two statements: the Flames would be signing a goalie who can push and challenge Rittich for starts every game; the Flames would be signing a goalie who sees a clear path to a starting role with the opportunity. It does not have to be "either/or."

Whatever happened to always earned, never given? Talbot has done nothing to establish himself as a goalie that should be signed for the intention of being a #1 goalie.

To answer your question that motto went the way of Jay Feaster and Bob Hartley when they were removed from the team. The Flames have not made any public commitments to this soundbite for a long time now. But more directly to the point, Cam Talbot's intentions are not necessarily the same as those of the Calgary Flames: He is the one who wants to parlay his next opportunity into a starting position. The Flames, on the other hand, are primarily concerned to ensure that whoever they have playing goal however frequently is doing his job well. Just because Talbot is intent on being a starting goalie, this does not require that the Flames view him as their next starter.

If you sign him for that purpose (and you would be considering he is only taking calls from teams with that intent), it has to say something about their faith in Rittich - a goalie better in pretty much every measure over the past couple of seasons.

I don't believe it says anything of the sort, actually. Signing Cam Talbot would say A LOT about the Flames's faith in Jon Gillies, but I don't think it reflects much of anything of their opinion of Rittich.

The Flames are clearly moving toward a more even split between their goalies—this is how they split duties last year, and this is more in line with how Peters has handled goalies throughout his career. All signs point to this happening agin next season. I believe the Flames have confidence in Rittich to play 50 games, and that in itself should count for something, considering that he is only 26-years-old, and coming off of his first full season on an NHL roster.

[bax]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I am not for giving anyone the keys (Rittich or Talbot). I am all for getting a goalie that can push Rittich and challenge him for starts every game.

But it's another thing to sign a goalie that has stated he will only sign with a team that gives him a clear path to the #1 role. Whatever happened to always earned, never given? Talbot has done nothing to establish himself as a goalie that should be signed for the intention of being a #1 goalie. If you sign him for that purpose (and you would be considering he is only taking calls from teams with that intent), it has to say something about their faith in Rittich - a goalie better in pretty much every measure over the past couple of seasons.

It says nothing about their faith in Rittich- they want a tandem where either guy can give them a chance to win every night. No GM is taking the risk of having to start Rittich for 65 games. Remember, depth is a good thing.

I think you are taking Talbot's comment a little too literally. He didn't say he is "only taking calls from team's that want me to be the starter". He wants an opportunity to play- Calgary can provide that because our GM prefers to have two goalies that can go on any given night instead of a traditional starter/backup combo.

There will be competition in the crease in Calgary no matter who it is. Rittich hasn't established himself yet as a guy that can start 60 games/season and our GM won't take that risk without some veteran insurance.

In Philly Hart is the clear cut number- they have made that clear. There is a better opportunity to play in Calgary- it has nothing to do with disrespecting Rittich.

Brad Treliving is not promising the starting job to Talbot- he will have to come in and compete with Rittich for it.