Who do you WANT to be the Flames Starting Goalie Next Season [*NEW POLL 12·05·17]

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

If the Flames Go Grubauer or another goalie of that vintage who would you rather have as a backup? Johnson, Elliott, or a younger Flames goalie Rittich/Gillies?

No matter who they pick up I believe that stability is important. One of Elliott or Johnson should be retained. I'm not picky about who it is. It will be good to have a goalie who knows who they are working with in practice, and in games.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Fans have to come to grips with the fact that no teams are going to do the Flames any favors and trade a quality backup goaltender for scraps. The entire league knows the Flames desperately need a starting goaltender. They have all the leverage as these teams don't need to trade their backup goaltenders. If you aren't willing to trade a movable piece like Ferland you may as well re-sign Elliott because the trades aren't going to happen.

They may have to if it is prior to the expansion draft. The expansion draft is key to all this as once it passes the Flames lose options.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

If MAF ends up in Calgary there is likely a significant asset or two going the other way. This isn't exactly a buy-low opportunity on Fleury. He was spectacular in Game 7 vs Washington.

Yep. He's not going to come cheap but neither are some of these backup goaltenders that are on the list. It's really hard for any of us to truly know what the Penguins would want but given their cap situation they may be willing to take draft picks and or a prospect.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by troutman

If the question is who do we hope for - shouldn't we all be voting Gillies? The simplest, least expensive option.

Well I hope every Flames player is the best in their position next season, but that's kind of an uninspiring way to interpret the question meant for serious discussion.

[Bingo]

If they feel they have the book on Raanta et al then clearly the next Talbot would be great.

failing that though I like the Jimmy Howard, Mike Smith, MA Fleury angle as they ...

1. have positive track records
2. only have 2 years left on their contracts
3. are in the same situation meaning Treliving could play the three GMs against each other to ensure minimal assets and potentially even a cap dump in the trade

[jayswin]

Isn't Mike Smith downright horrible at times?

[Rejean31]

I sincerely hope that along with the search for a new starting goalie the Flames are also searching high and low for a new goaltending coach because whoever they get, I don't want Sigalet anywhere near them.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bingo

If they feel they have the book on Raanta et al then clearly the next Talbot would be great.

failing that though I like the Jimmy Howard, Mike Smith, MA Fleury angle as they ...

1. have positive track records
2. only have 2 years left on their contracts
3. are in the same situation meaning Treliving could play the three GMs against each other to ensure minimal assets and potentially even a cap dump in the trade

Mike Smith's stats have been pretty bad over the past few years. I know the Coyotes haven't been great, but I would be scared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Same with Howard, despite the fact that he played on a pretty good Detroit team. His personal stats were pretty mediocre.

I know that puts a lot of importance on the stats which don't always tell the whole story, but they are typically an important part of the story. Especially when they are not just from one year.

[agulati]

I have jumped on the Fleury wagon. He has had a good showing the last few years, and also has playoff success.

[East Coast Flame]

Mike Smith is awful. Just awful. The guy had one great year 6 years ago and the rest of his career has been somewhere between mediocre and flaming car wreck.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Isn't Mike Smith downright horrible at times?

At times?

He's just downright horrible IMO.

He had an unreal season 6 years ago, since then his best seasons were merely average with some terrible mixed in.

EDIT: What EastCoast said..

[getbak]

The way Smith plays would drive me crazy if I had to watch it every game.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

Treliving has some other moves to his credit but on what basis do you have faith in the management team getting the best available option? Yes, they may have targeted the best available options in past years but they have never landed the best possible option. Elliott was not the best available option and neither was Hiller. They were defensible choices but clearly they were not the best options leading us back to where we are in this off-season... and most of us think the best available option just signed with Dallas.

Treliving's activity needs to be weighed in terms of best available option relative to acquisition cost. On that measure I don't believe there were many better options than Elliott last summer. Clearly, the cost to acquire Bishop was likewise beyond what Treliving and the Flames are comfortable with surrendering.

It is never just as simple as determining who the best available goalie is and getting him.

[Karl]

Going with Condon. Gut feeling.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Fans have to come to grips with the fact that no teams are going to do the Flames any favors and trade a quality backup goaltender for scraps. The entire league knows the Flames desperately need a starting goaltender. They have all the leverage as these teams don't need to trade their backup goaltenders. If you aren't willing to trade a movable piece like Ferland you may as well re-sign Elliott because the trades aren't going to happen.

I will believe it when it happens, but the fact remains that backup goalies are usually traded for little more than picks and prospects, and not because teams are ever doing favours for one another.

The market dictates the cost, and that coast appears to be MUCH lower than an asset like Ferland.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Fans have to come to grips with the fact that no teams are going to do the Flames any favors and trade a quality backup goaltender for scraps. The entire league knows the Flames desperately need a starting goaltender. They have all the leverage as these teams don't need to trade their backup goaltenders. If you aren't willing to trade a movable piece like Ferland you may as well re-sign Elliott because the trades aren't going to happen.

The 2014 Leafs weren't desperate for a starter? They traded Frattin, Scrivens, and a 2nd for Bernier after Reimer's game 7 meltdown.

The 2015 Wild weren't desperate for a starter? They traded a 3rd round pick for Dubnyk after Kuemper / Backstrom took them out of a playoff spot singlehandedly.

The 2016 Oilers weren't desperate for a starter? They traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 7th for Talbot after Scrivens and Fasth won them McDavid.

The 2016 Sharks weren't desperate for a starter? They traded 29th overall for Jones (with the risk of it being closer to 19th OA).

None of these values are close to Micheal Ferland, an established young NHLer with all the tools and hockey sense to be a premiere power forward in the NHL on the verge of a breakout season. Heck even our 16th overall is less valuable than Ferland at this point in time.

You should never overpay for a goalie. You can win with mediocrity in net barring total unpredictable meltdowns (that can happen to anyone not named Lundqvist; hence "unpredictable"), you can't win with a mediocre skater group.

[Badgers Nose]

I think Elliot is probably the best option now on a 1 year show me contract, with a graduate from Stockton as number 2.

Elliott was good enough for the Flames to make the playoffs, and with the money saved they could get more scoring a beef up defense.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

The 2014 Leafs weren't desperate for a starter? They traded Frattin, Scrivens, and a 2nd for Bernier after Reimer's game 7 meltdown.

The 2015 Wild weren't desperate for a starter? They traded a 3rd round pick for Dubnyk after Kuemper / Backstrom took them out of a playoff spot singlehandedly.

The 2016 Oilers weren't desperate for a starter? They traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 7th for Talbot after Scrivens and Fasth won them McDavid.

The 2016 Sharks weren't desperate for a starter? They traded 29th overall for Jones (with the risk of it being closer to 19th OA).

None of these values are close to Micheal Ferland, an established young NHLer with all the tools and hockey sense to be a premiere power forward in the NHL on the verge of a breakout season. Heck even our 16th overall is less valuable than Ferland at this point in time.

You should never overpay for a goalie. You can win with mediocrity in net barring total unpredictable meltdowns (that can happen to anyone not named Lundqvist; hence "unpredictable"), you can't win with a mediocre skater group.

Sigh. Nothing against the kid but he has to be the most overrated player in the history of CP by a long shot. I would imagine most teams would consider him more of a throw in than a major trading piece. Some pundits had the Flames leaving him unprotected in the expansion draft as that's how little cache his name carries. If he's lucky he may have a 20 goal season in his career and that's only if he's gifted first line ice time as he's already in his prime years and he's not going to get much better than what he already is which is a dime a dozen NHLer.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Sigh. Nothing against the kid but he has to be the most overrated player in the history of CP by a long shot. I would imagine most teams would consider him more of a throw in than a major trading piece. Some pundits had the Flames leaving him unprotected in the expansion draft as that's how little cache his name carries. If he's lucky he may have a 20 goal season in his career and that's only if he's gifted first line ice time as he's already in his prime years and he's not going to get much better than what he already is which is a dime a dozen NHLer.

Yep - I like Ferland and he fits on this team. Bur worth more than a mid first round pick? No.

[jayswin]

Yep, I am high on Ferland but he's a player that has some great potential on our team but not that much trade value. Or at least not what many home team fans may think. He's not going to be a centre piece right now in any significant trade.