The top 4 hole on Defense (Quick reference for free agent D-men)

[gvitaly]

The Flames currently have Weegar, and Andersson as locks in the top 4, but I don't see the Flames going with Kylington, and Miromanov in the top 4 to start next season. I see Kylington and Miromanov fighting for the 4th D spot, with the loser cementing the bottom pairing.

Personally, I see the Flames going after a stay at home D to round out the top 4. Here are the potential options and their contract projections by AFPAnalytics.

Defensive D:

Player     AGE     POS     SHOOTS     Contract Proj     G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Brodie     34      RD         L        3 x $4.9M        0     24      20     21:45    49.3    49.6
DeMelo     31      RD         R        4 x $5.1M        3     30      42     21:45    51.8    51.4
Roy        29      RD         R        4 x $5.6M        4     23      18     20:59    55.4    53.3
Pesce      30      RD         R        6 x $6.7M        3     13      10     20:17    54.5    57.3
Dumba      30      RD         R        3 x $3.7M        4     11     -16     19:50    46.3    45.7
Tanev      35      RD         R        3 x $4.7M        2     19      23     19:40    53.5    51.6
Martinez   37      LD         L        1 x $1.7M        4     13      2      19:13    45.3    44.4

4/5 Options:
Player     AGE     POS     SHOOTS     Contract Proj     G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Myers      34      RD        R         2 x $2.7M        4     25      14     18:54    52.4    48.7
Carrier    28      RD        R         3 x $3.6M        4     19      6      18:48    51.2    50.9
Cole       35      LD        L         2 x $3.1M        2     11      8      18:44    53.1    48.5
Hakanpaa   32      RD        R         2 x $2.4M        2     12      10     18:38    50.2    48.4
Forbort    32      LD        L          ???????         0     4       8      17:47    52.7    45.4
Grzelcyk   31      LD        L         3 x $4.1M        2     10      13     17:34    47.0    45.3
Zadorov    29      LD        L         4 x $5.1M        6     19      1      17:23    48.2    50.4

That's the group I'd target with DeMelo, and Roy being the top options for the Flames. Pretty much anyone from the 1st group not named Dumba. I could also see the Flames sign a 4/5 stop gap, Carrier jumps out in that regard.

Hybrid/Offensive

Player     AGE     POS     SHOOTS     Contract Proj     G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Hanifin    27      LD        L          7 x $7.7M       13    43      19     23:37    51.7    51.0
Montour    30      RD        R          7 x $8.7M       7     32     -3      23:20    53.3    55.1
Skjei      30      LD        L          6 x $7.4M       13    46      15     21:16    54.2    57.6
Walker     30      RD        R          4 x $4.9M       10    28      9      19:09    54.6    53.5
Gostisbeh  31      LD        L          3 x $4.4M       10    50     -18     19:02    46.2    48.5

4/5 options:
Player     AGE     POS     SHOOTS     Contract Proj     G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Dillon     34      LD        L          2 x $3.9M       8     20      16     18:44    49.5    49.6
OEL        33      LD        L          3 x $3.7M       9     30      7      18:35    54.0    55.6
Barrie     33      RD        R          2 x $3.7M       1     15     -10     18:19    46.4    43.8
Gustaffson 32      LD        L          3 x $5.0M       6     30      2      17:22    51.6    53.8
Kylington  27      LD        L          2 x $2.5M       2     5      -7      16:48    49.0    46.6

I don't really see any suitable options for the Flames from that group, asid from re-signing Kylington, which they should. Also, some of those contract projections for offensive D-men seem really off, so take them with a grain of salt.

So what d-men do you think the Flames will be interested in, and might have the appetite to come here this summer?

PS: if you have better contract projections or information that should be added, I'd gladly add it to the list.

Potential trade targets:
1 year remaining:

Player     AGE    SH-POS    NTC/NMC        Contract       G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Orlov      32     LS-LD     No            1 x $7.75M      6     26      6      17:12    56.2    59.6
Ekblad     28     RS-RD     12-team TL    1 x $7.50M      4     18      27     20:51    58.6    57.6
Schmidt    32     LS-D      10-team TL    1 x $5.95M      2     13      9      16:46    55.1    52.2
Suter      39     LS-LD     NMC           1 x $3.65M      2     17      16     18:59    53.7    51.7
Petry      36     RS-RD     15-team NTL   1 x $2.34M      2     22     -7      18:50    46.7    44.7
Savard     33     RS-RD     No            1 x $3.50M      6     20     -2      20:08    45.2    43.7
Ceci       30     RS-RD     No            1 x $3.25M      4     24      11     19:59    52.4    50.8
Maatta     29     LS-LD     No            1 x $3.00M      4     17      16     16:00    48.5    47.2

A couple of interesting names in this group, mostly the first 2 in Ekblad, and Orlov. I doubt Ekblad moves, but he's a pretty good buddy with both Huberdeau and Weegar, and FLA might need the cap space. As for Orlov I thought he was absolutely great with BOS, but CAR is not a great fit. Both players would easily be flipped at the deadline IMO. The rest would have to come with considerable sweetners.

2 years remaining:

Player     AGE    SH-POS    NTC/NMC        Contract       G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Trouba     30     RS-RD     15-team NTL   2 x $8.00M      3     22     -3      21:19    48.2    46.9
Carlson    34     RS-RD     10-team NTL   2 x $8.00M      8     48     -10     25:47    47.7    47.3
McDonagh   34     LS-LD     NTC           2 x $6.75M      3     29      16     21:43    56.6    52.5
Fowler     32     LS-D      4-team TL     2 x $6.50M      5     36     -36     24:29    44.9    46.8
Chiarot    32     LS-D      10-team NTL   2 x $4.75M      5     19     -4      19:38    45.3    43.2
Gudbranson 32     RS-RD     10-team NTL   2 x $4.00M      6     23     -14     19:35    45.3    45.6
Leddy      33     LS-LD     NTC           2 x $4.00M      3     26      10     22:16    42.7    44.3
Holl       32     RS-RD     10-team NTL   2 x $3.40M      0     5       8      15:04    43.8    45.6
Soucy      29     LS-D      NTC           2 x $3.25M      2     6       8      17:23    51.3    47.7

A lot of bad contracts here. I could potentially see a guy like Trouba, or Gudbranson being fun during a rebuild. That said, I doubt anyone here wants to come to CGY. I also don't want to touch a guy like Chiarot with a 10 ft pole. I doubt any of the players here would be a fit, even if a team was desperate to move them.

3+ years remaining:

Player     AGE    SH-POS    NTC/NMC        Contract       G     P      +/-     TOI      xG%     CF%
Krug       32     LS-LD     15-team NTL   3 x $6.50M      4     39     -31     21:57    45.7    46.7
Faulk      32     RS-RD     NTC           3 x $6.50M      2     30     -2      21:57    46.5    47.1
Risto      29     RS-RD     No            3 x $5.10M      1     4      -6      16:41    56.7    51.6
Girard     25     LS-D      No            3 x $5.00M      3     18      1      19:39    53.4    54.6
Zub        28     RS-RD     10-team NTL   3 x $4.60M      4     24      7      21:02    53.5    53.2
---
Chabot     27     LS-LD     No            4 x $8.00M      8     28     -4      23:20    50.7    51.4
Graves     28     LS-LD     12-team NTL   5 x $4.50M      3     14      10     18:23    50.1    48.8

I doubt the Flames would want anything to do with the first 3, but if COL wants to move Girard, or OTT Zub for cap reasons CGY should be in on it. As for Chabot and Graves, I think both could be buy low options, and decent players in the long run.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Bring. Back. Tanev.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Bring. Back. Tanev.

I wish! He's gonna go cup chasing though, and hopefully get one!

[Samonadreau]

Ya, Tanev aint coming back to a bottom feeder.

[getbak]

Dallas has the best points percentage in the league since Tanev joined them (13-3-0). Hopefully the Cup chase works for him.

[cannon7]

Would rather give one of the stay-at-home guys on the Wranglers a long look than any of those free agents.

[dissentowner]

Promote from within. There is no point in spending money on a UFA D man next season.

[All In Good Time]

Why sign anybody at any position? Isn't the general consensus to tank next year too? If this is what the plan is, lets do it right. Lets make sure Wolf faces 40 to 50 shots a game and flip Kadri, Sharangovich, Coleman, Weegar and Kuzmenko at the deadline.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by All In Good Time

Why sign anybody at any position? Isn't the general consensus to tank next year too? If this is what the plan is, lets do it right. Lets make sure Wolf faces 40 to 50 shots a game and flip Kadri, Sharangovich, Coleman, Weegar and Kuzmenko at the deadline.

That’s not the plan. Conroy has said it numerous times.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Promote from within. There is no point in spending money on a UFA D man next season.

Promoting from within will likely result in a prospect struggling to keep his head above the water in a top 4 role. Also, the forward, and goalie ranks seem pretty full, and Conroy mentioned that he would be looking for a couple of vets.

“One thing we didn’t have last year was any flexibility on the cap, so we weren’t able to add anything,” Conroy said. “So this year to have some money and build the team and add some players is going to be big for us moving forward.”

“If there’s the right length of a contract, if there’s a need that we have, we’ll do that. It’s hard to find certain players,” Conroy said. “Maybe to add a veteran or two would be something nice. We have a good mix. We’re trying to let the young guys play, and that’s still the priority, but if we can find help for two or three years, that’s what we’d be looking for because it’s hard to make trades for certain players and we still want to be competitive."

GM Craig Conroy hints Calgary Flames could be players on free agent market this summer

That's why I expect the Flames to add a top 4 D-men on a ~3 yr contract.

[kyuss275]

Flames need a 1st pairing dman not top 4 . That said I expect conroy will make a trade for a 2nd pairing dman for next season.

[NewFan]

Tanev wins cup this year and will come back 3 year deal with fair value.
But I think, the main hole will be Centre position. I hope Conroy sign a younger C that can play 2A, 2B role for us short term deal.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Miromanov, Pachal and Okhotyuk all require waivers. Hanley is also signed through next season.



Solovyov and Kuznetsov (1 game, but point stands) have both received looks in the NHL, and I would say that as part of their development, both get additional NHL time next season as well.


Grushnikov was a defencemen that was 'further along' in his development. Poirier most likely would have seen some NHL time this season if not for his injury.



Jurmo has just come over from Europe and will be joining the Wranglers, but a case can be made for him MAYBE getting some NHL time at some point next season as he has been playing against men for the past 4 seasons already. Given that many felt he hasn't progressed since his draft, I do expect him to just play the entire time in the AHL next season, but maybe he does well enough to deserve a look.



Morin looked practically NHL ready last camp and preseason. I am assuming he gets assigned back to the Moncton Wildcats however, but considering how good he did look, there is that chance. Who knows what Brzustewicz does at camp?


I think there are a lot of bodies. Bringing back Tanev would be a good idea (if possible) as he makes for a terrific mentor. Outside of that, I would rather the Flames just keep the spots open be in a position to provide better development opportunities to these kids, while also being in a position to take advantage of either another team's cap-dump defencemen or to claim someone off waivers with upside.


I don't see a hole in the lineup given that this is a rebuilding team, but rather a spot held open for internal growth/development opportunities + opportunity to acquire something else. If this team was trying to compete, then I would agree that there is a huge hole that needs to be filled as a priority going into next season.

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

That’s not the plan. Conroy has said it numerous times.

I'm sure it isn't their plan, but there is quite a large group that follow the team that have embraced the tank culture and if you're going to do it, do it right!

[CliffFletcher]

Agreed that Matt Roy looks like a good target. An analytics article in the Athletic last week ranked him as a top-10 defensive dman this season.

[TheIronMaiden]

The only way the Flames acquire a quality UFA is if that UFA prefers money to a chance at winning.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Miromanov, Pachal and Okhotyuk all require waivers. Hanley is also signed through next season.



Solovyov and Kuznetsov (1 game, but point stands) have both received looks in the NHL, and I would say that as part of their development, both get additional NHL time next season as well.


Grushnikov was a defencemen that was 'further along' in his development. Poirier most likely would have seen some NHL time this season if not for his injury.



Jurmo has just come over from Europe and will be joining the Wranglers, but a case can be made for him MAYBE getting some NHL time at some point next season as he has been playing against men for the past 4 seasons already. Given that many felt he hasn't progressed since his draft, I do expect him to just play the entire time in the AHL next season, but maybe he does well enough to deserve a look.



Morin looked practically NHL ready last camp and preseason. I am assuming he gets assigned back to the Moncton Wildcats however, but considering how good he did look, there is that chance. Who knows what Brzustewicz does at camp?


I think there are a lot of bodies. Bringing back Tanev would be a good idea (if possible) as he makes for a terrific mentor. Outside of that, I would rather the Flames just keep the spots open be in a position to provide better development opportunities to these kids, while also being in a position to take advantage of either another team's cap-dump defencemen or to claim someone off waivers with upside.


I don't see a hole in the lineup given that this is a rebuilding team, but rather a spot held open for internal growth/development opportunities + opportunity to acquire something else. If this team was trying to compete, then I would agree that there is a huge hole that needs to be filled as a priority going into next season.

All the players you listed including Miromanov, and Kylington will be fighting for the 4-8 spots. With Miromanov and Kylington as the favorites for the 4-5 spots. I don't see how putting Kylington/Miromanov/Grushnikov/Solovyov with Andersson is going to help their development instead of hindering it. Miromanov - Weegar seems like a decent pairing.

As for losing a player on waivers, I don't think the Flames will be too upset to lose Hanley, Okhotiuk, Solovyov, or Pachal on waivers if they end up as the 9th best D.

Jurmo, Morin, and Brzustewicz will all play some AHL games before joining the Flames.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The only way the Flames acquire a quality UFA is if that UFA prefers money to a chance at winning.

Quality D-men is unlikely, but a guy like Brodie, or Martinez at the end of his career can be a decent option on a 1, or 2 year contract.

If I were the Flames I'd try to get Orlov + a small sweetener from CAR, so I can flip him at the deadline with retention.

[Sylvanfan]

When people say don't sign anyone they imply that if the Flames have cap space they shouldn't try and get a good vet on a short term deal to trade in the future. Another option would be to make a trade where you eat salary now for a lesser trade price then pay a lot of the owed money and eat half the contract at the deadline to sell for a better price.

So for me players you can get on shortest terms are the most attractive. I really like Slavin, but it makes no sense for the Flames to pay high dollars for long term to a guy that age. But Carrier on a 2 year deal to sell as a 30 year old pending UFA later or Martinez on a one year desl, yeah I'd look at that to see if you could make that work. At this point you might be able to offer a salary they can't refuse.

[Ashes]

I would much rather the Flames give their own prospects an opportunity in camp to take those spots on D, and if they're not up for it then maybe grab a guy on waivers as a stop-gap for next season.

Failing that, I'd be more than happy to see the Flames grab a Defensemen in UFA on a 1-2 year contract that can be traded at the deadline. Someone who's willing to come here to boost their value before being traded (hopefully) to a playoff team at next year's deadline.

We are still at the point in the rebuild where we need to be selling what we can at the deadline for draft picks IMO and outside of possibly Kuzmenko and Mangiapane I don't think we have much else for deadline currency going into next season. That's also assuming Mangiapane isn't traded between now and then, and assuming the Flames don't re-up Kuzmenko if they think he's a long-term fit.. but that's a longer conversation.