cross16

I guess it depends on what the definition of a "haul" is but generally I agree with this. Star players almost never generate a haul and are very tricky to trade because the GM who is willing to give you the most for him is likely a contender so he isn't going to want to gut his team to add 1 player. To get a haul you need to acquire futures. The Duchene deal was a haul for Colorado, which I also highly doubt the Flames would have gotten an offer close to this for Gaudreau, but it's because the futures having turned up in Colorado's favor. Sens bottomed out into Byram, some luck there for Colorado, otherwise I'm sure we'd debate how much of a haul it really was but it was all based around futures. I doubt very much that was an option for the Flames, nor is any GM in the league going to deal their 99 point player for futures after a 100pt season. Doesn't really hold up as a good example IMO.

Zary's season appears to be done due to a head injury sustained in a game. Sucks and really hope this isn't a long term thing.

That is fair I think. To me the "plan" is get in the playoffs every year because if we don't get in we don't have a shot. Debatable how much of a plan that is and very wide open to criticism if that is the correct plan or not.

I'm personally not sure that actually changed anything. I believe the day after he traded Iginla, or the same day, Jay Feaster said his marching orders were to get into the playoffs the next season. When Brian Burke fired Feaster he was asked point blank if the move was to speed up the rebuild and his answer was "yes". I don't think patience was ever part of the plan.

Some of this is fair and I agree with. Worth pointing out to that the 2019 first rounder was gone if Stone agreed to sign or if the Zucker trade didn't fall through so I don't think he held off, circumstances outside of his control prevented the deal from being completed but he was offering it up. But counter point, if Jordan Kyrou, Noah Dobson or maybe even Alex Debricant were on this team would the decline in those players be as pronounced and impactful? I thikn there is some impact to the current roster, but it's more of an organizational problem for me in the sense that the Flames never get to the point they are rich in assets. They don't have a steady stream of players they can pull from junior/the farm so they have to keep going out and getting guys in FA or again keep dealing picks to plug holes. It's just how organizations spin their wheels IMO. I too don't think Treliving gets fired and i'm not really advocating for him to be fired. If i'm wrong and they do fire him I full expect the next GM to do the exact same thing, deal picks, and being amongst the least busiest clubs at the draft table in the league.

I'll watch some more games but i'm not that high on McTavish so far. I don't think his upside at the NHL level is that high becuase while his goal scoring ability is great i'm not seeing much else in his game. Makes me question his upside.

I would agree and don't think for a second the ownership group tells their GM to trade picks or has a trade pick mandate. However, I do think that this organization mandates playoffs every year and that type of mentality is going to incentivize their GMs into short term thinking. Trading picks is an obvious target there because if you are constantly trying to win now picks are the main currency you will always have to fill gaps on your roster.

This isn't about the 21 draft but so far at the under 18s your seeing why the Flames could be smart to try and target the 22/23 drafts. Shane Wright and Connor Bedard are some pretty special talents. Not easy anymore with lottery odds etc but could sure turn things around here.

I agree with the conclusion i just don't think this is a Treliving issue. I'm pretty sure if you look at the Flames under Sutter they were also near the bottom in terms of amount of draft picks, certainly would have been if you look at top 60 picks. I view this as an organizational problem and one i'm not sure get's fixed by firing Treliving.

Great hands from Francis to start a goal sequence

Connor Zary with quite the highlight reel pass. Kid has such good hockey sense.

I agree with this, but it's worth pointing out that this really only became an issue last year. Up until the end of 2019 Gaudreau-Monahan were one of, and at points THEE, most productive pair in the entire league year after year. It was not illogically to keep them together during that stretch. But I do agree that last year it was clear there were issues and nothing was done and after last year playoffs, where Bennett showed you he could still be a good center, I thought it made a ton of sense to try him with Gaudreau in training camp and was never done. Not sure that changes anything though.

If the point is that the AHL team doesn't contain a difference maker level prospect than I think that's accurate. Worth keeping in mind that most teams in the AHL don't contain that level of prospect though. Of who is in the AHL right now I think they have 2 prospects worth keeping an eye on that could surprise us (ala Mangiapane) and that is Phillips and Petterson. Outside of those 2 the only ones down there I think might have an NHL future are Connor Mackey, Luke Philip, and Martin Poposil. Philip is likely a fringe player and not a full time NHLer and I don't think Mackey nor Posposil have upside outside of bottom pairing or bottom 6. I omitted Ruzicka on purpose as for me i don't see an NHL prospect. However, it's worth pointing out he's defied odds to get here and is well liked in the organization so I am very prepared to be wrong about him and I'm hopeful he gets a shot to prove me wrong. So it's not an unfair statement, but at the same time the 3 biggest prospects in this organization right now are not in the AHL. Zary, Pelletier and Wolf are in junior and if you are looking for potential different makers it's those 3.

It's been the operating model here for a good 20 years. They want the playoffs every year and won't give up until they are certain it's over. They didn't even ok the trading of Iginla/Jbow etc until that 12/13 season started they were hoping to be in the playoffs that year. It's how ownership operates the team. I don't think it's necessarily that the Flames overvalue their own players, I mean everyone does to a certain extent, it's more that you don't tend to "win" hockey trades because your looking for equal value. Typically the best way to maximize your assets is to trade current value for future value and bet on the potential for appreciation but if the mandate is to be in the playoffs every year that option might not be on the table.

Hope now we can see Valimaki and Tanev as a pairing now. No sense having Gio there and might as well let Valimaki build some confidence going into the off season.

Sucks for Hanifin and I fee for him. I don't thikn he's been playing as great as some but he was having a good season and showing a bit of growth to his game and it always sucks to see a player get hurt. Be interesting to see how Sutter runs this. He doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in Valimaki, Kylington or Nesterov so my guess is that he might dress 7 dmen some nights and ride Gio, Tanev, Andersson and Stone pretty hard. That likely could be impacted quite a bit by the result of tonight's game and whether they fall out or not.

Erixon didn’t want to sign. Claimed there was too much defensive depth and he wouldn’t get a chance. Reality was he wanted to play in New York. the NCAA “rule” is overblown. There is leverage for any player out there regardless of what league they are picked out of, should they want to use it. The rule isn’t even different for NCAA player or junior players the only difference is you usually can’t play 4 years in junior.

I don’t see it that way. I’m not suggested he’s super valuable but I do think he’d draw interest on the market. Good centers always do and his contract is not nearly as bad as you make it out to be. I more see it as there’s no way Sutter would want to see his best two way center leave.

I think the odds the Flames move Backlund this offseason are small. Some of the smallest of their entire roster honestly.

Backlund has slowed some. Not a lot and he’s still been their best center this year (yes including Lindholm). I am fine with the idea of moving Backlund before his contract becomes a problem, which I agree it likely will. I however believe he is still valuable in trade because there is always a team out there that will overpay for a center, especially one like Backs.

Once Dawson Mercer went, 1 pick before the Flames original spot. i believe Zary was the next best guy. I believe Hendrik Lapierre is who you are referring to (good player who was hurt) but I prefer Zary. I personally don't see the upside in Lapierre that others seems too but even if you want to argue he's better I think it's a debate. if its a debate between players and you picked up 2 3rd round picks that is a win 1000% of the time. And yes Zary is older but at the same time the list of players who have put up that PPG pace in the WHL in the last 10 years is pretty small and includes some pretty good names. Small sample size thought too so would have to do it over 60 games like they did and not 20 but still encouraging IMO.

Really the only thing good in that article is he is also of the belief that Lucic has aleady agreed to waive his NMC, which has long been rumored.

LOL what??? What even is this article? So translated- "I have no idea who the last forward is but it's going to be a forward I know that".

This is correct. Exposure and eligibility are 2 different things. Phillips is eligible and the Flames need to sign an additional forward to meet the exposure requirements as you need to have 2 forward who are under contract (not RFA they need to be under contract) for next season. It won't surprise me if the Flames flip a piece over to Seattle to take Kylington. I don't think Seattle would have a lot of interest in Gio outside of what they could get at the trade deadline, which is why flipping a piece now to get them to take Kylington solves that. If the Flames want to rebuild, doubt it, then exposing Tanev and losing him is not the end of the world at all. Doubt it happens though.

League is a joke on head injuries. I don't think they actually care they just had to put some stuff in place to satisfy lawsuits and try to prevent more. They've proven time and time again they don't see it as a priority. I feel for Khaira. Career might be ruined because of it.