cross16

I agree. Tanev is the type of player everyone wants in the short term, but don't want to commit to long term. Won't surprise me if he only ends up getting a year or 2 in FA Why I'm also not convinced he returns a haul at the deadline. I'd really like Dellandrea but I have a hard time seeing the Stars giving up a player off their roster. Give me multiple picks over a 1st any day. I think once you get out of the teens int he first round there is little difference between a pick in the 20s and the 2nd round, so give me the extra lottery ticket.

Cue the rumor mill…. mostly kidding. Vladar has been decent against the oilers so I actually think this is just getting him a start. Kuzmenko not there is more surprising.

Not to dispel this, but until their slide NJ was a top 10 team at 5 on 5. Injuries have hurt so they've slipped but their goaltending is bottom half of the league. Flames are a middle of the pack team, who are close to the playoffs because of their goaltending. If I were the Devils i'd be looking at my team and saying that with a goalie i'm right there. But yes it might be too late and with the injuries on D it woudln't surprise me if they just say no this year. Their D is promising but t's young and struggling right now. Probably need a new coach too.

Don't disagree. Some who have broken news in the past still say it isn't dead so we'll see.

Obviously a biased slant to this but I'm here too.. what exactly at the Devils waiting for? If the rumors are true there is no doubt that Conroy is driving a hard bargain here but here is probably the most popular rumor that seems to be floating around. Flames: Markstrom (50%) retained Maybe someone like Rooney Devils Holtz 1st round pick this year Seasmus Casey I've heard some say it's Mercer and not Holtz and it sounds like the Devils are balking at giving up either Mercer or Casey. I'm not sure why the insistent on salary retention from NJ but even with those being good young players I think NJ will be fine without them. Casey might not even crack their blueline behind Hamilton and Nemec for years. Probably something to it, but the approach from the Devils has felt weird to me.

Friedman on Hanifin: thinks work is being done but a lot of teams checking on where does he want to go and sign Thinks Leafs wanted him but Hanifin wants to be in the US Thinks Tampa wants him but he doesn't see how they can do it. Feels Tampa would want him and he would want to go there but trade isn't clear. Feels it's Boston and Florida as the more natural options. Feels that's based on the options they have to trade Unsure on the Devils. not sure if Hanifin would sign there. Feel they would want him but just not sure that's where Hanifin wants to be. Feels it's Boston, Tampa, Florida and Jersey who are kind of the short list. He's heard some chatter about Lundell being out there. Doesn't' feel Florida wants to do that but it's a player that would be up the Flames ally. It does seem like this is setting up to be more of a sign and trade then a rental. Or at least sending him to a place he's interested in being long term. Kind of throws cold water on the idea of Boston trading Poitras.

And to be clear I have no problem with Conroy holding his ground, be it retention, money, whatver. He's got almost 2 weeks here so there is no "just get a deal done" from me. Doesn't even have to be this TDL but if it's not it should be by summer. End of the day my point is that it makes no sense to me to have Markstrom be a Flame come next season. This franchise has to start doing things differently and IMO this is a great place to start.

And no one is saying do it for the sake of doing it but I think there a middle ground between give away and being unrealistic. Your not getting Mercer, Holtz and a 1st that's crazy so your basically saying let's keep Markstrom. I'm saying find middle ground especially because I don't think his value is going to go up. From what I believe, the hold up is retention not the value of Markstrom. Hoping they find something workable in the next week or at the latest this summer. All i'm saying is past this summer I think you bring risk in that are going to weaken your negotiating position. Again, doesn't move them to "trade them just for the sake of it" but the longer you wait the less the ability to do well in trade.

Wasn't sure where to put this but the Flames sure won't be missing Ruzicka. There is a video online if you want to go and look but i'm going to refrain from posting it. Probably someone who needs help

Other than you've cost yourself a good young player and a pick (maybe more). And if he plays well and the Flames finish 11-14th next year you'll lose that pick to Montreal. Clearly we won't agree but IMO this is short term thinking for a team that should be thinking long term. Your plan has this franchise repeating the same mistakes they've made in the past. Let's accept what we know now so we can avoid the fear of the unknown. I don't want to sign up for that personally.

The thing that you still haven't addressed though is Markstrom is 34. So great he's awesome now, but what's he going to be next year or the year after and then he is UFA. Again if we were talking about a goalie in his prime I would get behind what you are saying here but that isn't the case here. So what i'm saying is in 2 year from now, and as possibly as early as next year you might not have that goalie so let's cash in now. It appears you are willing to bet against that age curve and that's fine but IMO that is a mistake that Conroy should not make and it's a mistake this franchise has made far, far too often. If Wolf is as good as we think then all the more reason to cash in now. If he isn't well then yes your looking for a goalie in a year or 2 from now which is the same spot you'll be in if you keep Markstrom.

If people want to keep Markstrom fine but the question should be, what is this "culture" (I don't agree he is near as key to it but let's say so for the sake of discussion) worth to you? It is worth a 1st round pick/good young roster player? it is worth a 11-14 pick next year? It is worth the difference between a top 5 pick this year versus the 10-12th pick? If Markstrom was in his 20s I can see this being a real point of debate but Flames are moving into a non competitive playoff window for what I think is at least 2 more seasons. To keep a 34 year old goalie going into that cycle and accept the risks I listed above makes zero sense to me. Culture is important but so is talent and if you are going to be a winning team you need both but there has to be some give and take to that discussion. If Culture is your number 1 then fine but what's your plan to getting your talent level up to where it needs to be? I think keeping Markstrom past the summer is a mistake. Between this deadline and the summer he needs to be moved.

Lots of time until the trade deadline so I don’t think there is a timing concern yet. I do think this deadline is the best time to move Markstrom. Can’t say it’s a mistake to not move him but I’d be wary of some of the risks in keeping him. I don’t think his value goes up from here.

did you watch the video? I would if you haven't. Think you'd come to a different conclusion.

Nope. and the creditability of the person who posted that isn't exactly stellar.

On the Boston rumor i will say I'd be surprised if BOS were going to trade both Grzelcyk and Forbort. That really guts the left side of their depth, especially with Lindholm hurt. it sounds like that Boston reporter was giving his opinion and not a rumor so see what happens

I'm not as bullish but I get where you are going. I just don't think you give up top 10 picks for what you are saying here though, that would be my main point. Can find a veteran presence without giving up top 10 picks. Goalie is there biggest need. if they are giong to give up their first I think it be for that.

So you think LA has done that and Nashville has said no? Nashville would dot hat in a heartbeat IMO. I find that those trade insiders may know the teams involved but they really overshoot the values. they had Lindholm worth Byram and a first and then we see what Lindholm actually gets moved for. Byfield has finally starting to look like a player so don't see the logic of him getting moved

Because of their need at center, when I looked at the teams rumored to be on Hanifin I think there were 2 plan As for the Flames. Can you get Poitras out of Boston Can you get Lundell out of Florida If you can get 1 of those 2 pieces plus a pick or 2 you've done well IMO. No idea if there is validity to this or not but I think you are doing well if you get Poitras from Boston.

Not a doctor nor do I know the scope of the injury but given he is a future piece that doesn't change my opinion of it. I can see where it feels underwhelming but as I've said for a while I don't think Hanifin is viewed the same outside of Calgary as he is here, or by some fans.

That's actually more than I thought Hanifin would return so I personally would not find that underwhelming. I can understand where Poitras is overhyped but i still consider him a high end prospect. I don't think he's a top line guy but I think you've got yourself a potentially really good middle 6 center there. That and a first is a good return for a pending UFA IMO.

You'd have to. Player is not going to agree to waive until the trade is done because part of the wavier is are you going to let me keep my clause. As i said, you can have a preliminary discussion but you likely don't get the final wavier until the deal is finished.

Agreed. They are IMO the most overrated team in the league. they have about 5-6 good/interesting pieces surrounded but a whole lot of meh and roster filler to me. They also have some of the worst goaltending in the league. They are not that close IMO.

I think there is room for both to be true. The ask to waive a clause is formal and requires the player to actually sign off on it and I don't think any player is going to do that until the deal is agreed upon and the destination known. Clearly this trade never got to this point. there is also the more general "hey we are either looking to move your or are we receiving calls from team x, we want to pursue are you ok with that". This would not be binding so player would reserve the right to still axe the deal if they wanted but it would give the team some confidence to pursue a deal. IMO that's why you have conflicting reports here. Markstrom was never asked to waive the clause because no deal was made but doesn't mean there was never a conversation between he and the Flames.

I think it’s very premature to bring ownership into this. I think it’s clear they’ve talked but as clear they haven’t settled on a price. Rumors are Devils are wanting a big chunk of markstroms contract retained and Conroy is driving a hard bargain to get them to compensate the flames for that retention. is he asking too much? Time will tell but it’s too early to point fingers imo.