JTech780

Scouting Boston again. Not exactly sure who in their lineup we would be targeting. Frederic?

Even it’s just Andersson that’s a hard no for me. Crouse is a good player, but he is a 3rd liner. Soderstrom hasn’t been able to catch on with the Coyotes and will probably be available on waivers soon. A 1st is nice, but it will be a middle round pick.

If Hanifin is going to Boston, which I have a hard time seeing, hopefully it happens sooner than later. We would most likely have to take Grzelcyk back to make the cap work. I am pretty sure you could flip Grzelcyk for a 3rd at the deadline.

Mittlestadt is said to be available, but I am just not 100% sure he is a fit here. He is a pass first player so that means he most likely doesn’t fit with Huberdeau. So unless he is playing LW with Kadri I am not sure where he would fit in our lineup. Buffalo most likely isn’t moving Cozens or Thompson.

Wonder if Calgary is looking at Turcotte.

My guess is that the deal is pretty much done, but NJ and the NHL wants to wait till after the Stadium Series.

Claiming Phillips never really made a much sense IMO. Not sure where he would fit in our current lineup. You could argue swapping him for Duehr on the 4th line, but I don’t think that does a whole lot for the team.

I agree with Cross, he has done everything he can do in the AHL, now you have to give him some runway in the NHL and see what you have.

I would just say that if you are moving out Markstrom, Andersson, Hanifin, and Tanev and have already moved out Lindholm and Zadorov, it would suggest more of a rebuild than a retool. Which is fine with me, it just goes counter to what Conroy and management have been saying all season.

Wolf was not great last night, but to be fair that was one of the worst games defensively that I have seen Calgary play in a long time. There is no doubt that Wolf has elite athleticism, but he looks tiny in net, and a lot of times he does things to make himself look smaller somehow. He still needs to figure out ways to look bigger without losing any of that agility. Saros is small goalie but he seems huge compared to Wolf.

Even if they trade Markstrom to the Devils, I would assume that a goalie is coming back the other way. Vanecek makes the most sense for NJ, and quite honestly it probably makes the most sense for Calgary as well. So they had to make room on the roster either way.

I would inquire about Andersson too if I was a GM. A RHS who can play on your top pair at best and top 4 at worst who makes under $5m. One of the more underrated defenders in the league, even on his own team. We do need to retain some defensive depth here, so a team would have to come with an over the top return before I would consider it.

I am not super high on Holtz so if he is the return and we have to retain cap, then I am passing.

Oh I agree. If they are looking to make a deal, then Conroy will need to look at less established players and/or prospects from the Devils. My point is more that with Markstrom they don’t have to trade him today, and as such they can set their price high and make teams come up to that price. Tanev and Hanifin there is a time limit on making a trade, so they have to be somewhat flexible in setting a minimum price for them and make a move when you are comfortable with that you aren’t going to get a better return than that minimum level.

That might be the sticking point as I doubt Mercer is available, especially after they lost McLeod for the rest of his career most likely. I doubt the Devils are moving anyone from their top 9 at this point. As you said the Flames can set their price and if nobody matches it, they just keep him.

As much as I complain about the ownership’s unwillingness to rebuild, I will say that they have shown the willingness to spend money to win. So it’s always been odd that they are unwilling to retain salary in trades. I do think part of it is the fact that the Flames have been up against the cap for quite awhile making it very difficult to retain cap in trades. In a Markstrom trade, if you are going to retain cap you had better be getting a really good return. I am not sure that Holtz is the right return, for me to retain cap for this year and 2 years after.

I agree. Tij is going to be a good player, and I am not against drafting him, but if we package picks to move up I think there are going to be better players available. Also we shouldn’t be comparing Tij to Jarome if we are looking at drafting him. We have to compare Tij to the other players available. Who his Dad is has nothing to do with who Tij is, and you have to take that out of the equation. Maybe if 2 players are close then you can use bloodlines as a tie breaker, as that player will have a good idea of what takes to be a pro. Back on topic a bit this is the right draft to move up if the opportunity presents itself, but it is very difficult to trade into the top 10 or higher.

IMO Iginla isn’t a top 10 pick, just outside of the top 10 for sure. I like the idea of drafting Iginla for the nostalgia and everything, but I would like to aim higher. I also would much rather use a high 1st on a center or defense. Also this draft falls off after 20, so I can’t see too many teams valuing late 1sts, and it sounds like teams see those as the same value as 2nd rounders.

Calgary should try and buy low on Adam Boqvist. 23 years old, RHD, 8th overall pick in 2018. Signed at $2.6m for this year and next. He hasn't worked out in Columbus and they might be looking to move on. Thre is going to be some openings on the blueline shortly and it wouldn't be the worst idea to look at buying low on some upside on the blueline.

Sounds like Conroy has received offers of a 2nd for Tanev, but he is holding out for a 1st. With the amount of teams that have interest in Tanev, I could see them possibly get a 1st, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being a 2nd and a 3rd/4th.

Goalies don’t generally generate huge returns in trades, combine that with Markstrom’s age and contract and I just don’t see the Flames getting a return that is worth it. They are better off having a reliable starter and vet between the pipes while they go through the retool and to help mentor Wolf when he comes up.

2 years at $1m. Even if he is a 4th line energy guy that is still a good signing. I have long been a Pospisil fan, he is been great so far this year and has brought some much needed energy to this team.

Nick Bonino asked to have his contract terminated instead of going to the AHL, so he will be a free agent tomorrow. Wonder if Calgary looks at him on a league minimum deal. There is a definite need at center. Though he might be looking for a playoff team.

Anything is better than Oesterle, one of the worst defensemen I can recall playing for the Flames in recent memory.