conundrumed

Capfriendly is showing Vladar as non-roster so if he's roster we're at 5.375 remaining for Dube, Gawdin, Mackey/potentially Stone. We don't really have much cap left, just PTO cap.

He does that every year. Perhaps he tried to make moves but didn't like the ask/return. Can't win them all. He got better depth at G and bottom lines. Coleman's a good add. D leaves something to be desired. Need younger players to take another good step. Different and short offseason, maybe moves will be made into the season.

Seems unlikely they are hold ups at this point. No one is paying the ask, the ask isn't dropping, move along. I mean sure Eichel's a great player, so was Lindros. Add in the health status runaround, walkaway. Why bother?

I agree with most of your overview, although Gawdin I just don't see it. Just too slow.

Makes you wonder who gets to PTO level? Galchenyuk, Vatanan, Donato?

It's almost time to get the PTOs in place and find out which plugs will keep our ELCs in the A. Keep wondering if Phillips will ever get a look. Would've been nice for BT to accomplish more this off-season, but the devil's in the details I guess.

Time to get Dube, Valjmaki and Mackey done and move this thing forward! That would be 12 fwds, 8D, 2G.

JJ, just 1 thing, the title...it's ZadOrov

Fun comparison.

I was thinking 2 x $4. 1 yr for a 3rd I don't love, but as mentioned it can be recouped or he could re-sign. Need sandpaper on D and he provides some. The Avs are a great example of a team with great puck-moving D but no grit at all. I like Dmen that play D first, then add in the other stuff.

You mean, "no matter how many teams he tried out for and made amongst his Canada-wide age group". Pelletier is the most complete 200' fwd in our system. Thinking he's plateau'd is just stat watching. Stats mean nothing once you're drafted. What matters is working on weaknesses in your game and overall body strength for the next level. Small doesn't matter so much, center of gravity with your skating is more important.

This part: Wallstedt > Coronato > Francis > Pelletier/Zary. This >means greater than. I think you meant <.lol

Dear jesus jj, what?lol Pelletier and Francis are the same age and same size. Pelletier has been on every National team since U17. He didn't have a "breakout" year in the Q. He performed from the second he got there. He has excelled at every level. I love that you like Francis a lot. Just do that, don't try to sell us that he's a better prospect than Pelletier. Zary is also a U18 and U20 National team player in a harder league than the paintywaif Q. Again, all 3 are the same age. Why are you doing this to yourself? Be happy we have them all. Pelletier will without a doubt be an NHLer.

Are you on the whiskey again?lol

Not necessarily. Need solid fwd depth too, so Coronato, Zary and Pelletier are important prospects too. Getting Andersson, Valimaki, maybe Mackey, Kyl were important adds. Fox woulda been gigantic, but whaddya do? Fwd depth was shaky, but it's decent now. Vladar and Werner are nice adds to what was looking brutal, and a little further along. Can't have it all, where would you put it?lol I'm a fan of our prospect pool now, as opposed to 2 yrs ago. It was looking pretty rough. When Askarov, Wallstedt and Cossa are Vasilevsky, I'll believe you. I don't see it from my limited viewing. Askarov looks total sketch from what I've seen.

Totally agree. Love those adds. Very much needed, the G prospect cupboard was essentially: Wolf Parsons

Alternatively, Dvorak would be a solid addition as we are thin at C and he's a solid choice to bolster the 2-3 slot and allow us the Lindholm to RW option. Run on sentence.lol

Is Mony fully healthy and good to go now? There isn't a lot of history of late offseason deals.

A month to training camp and not much out there. I think any moves now are minor.

Seems the offseason has gotten long in the tooth for much meaningful move-wise. Wait for PTOs?

Markstrom's fine. Putting heat on him boils me. He was outstanding until, "Jesus Christ I can't do this alone". He thought he came to a good team, not a no effort, asleep at the wheel nightmare. But I digress... Gaudreau has to take ownership of this team. Not sure how else to describe it. Johnny, you aren't Patty Kane. He doesn't whine, constantly. Cut that Satoshi Nakamoto out. Nor does he try to be a 1 man wrecking crew when he's frustrated. We need JG to take a maturity step, and ownership of this team. In my honest opinion. This club trended to needing a Sutter. I'd say their choice. Well, you've got one. Good luck.

In fairness, he's young with a lot of skill so moving him around the lineup is a good thing to do. Another good summer regiment for him this summer, and I think we have ourselves a player. Of all of our LWs, I'd move him to RW first. He's the most skilled to take pucks on his backhand and the best passer. And breakaway threat. Ideally, to me: JG-Mony-Dube Tkachuk-Lindholm-Mangia Coleman-Backs-Pitlick Lucic-Ruzicka-Lewis (Either righty at C) Facepuncher, Phillips or Gawdin Ideally, Lindholm with Mony and JG, but we lack C's. I don't love it, but most of the top 9 can be fluid for in-game change ups. Need Zary and Pelletier to run to the NHL, but that's not practical.

Of all of our roster, I believe Dube will be taking a big step. He just turned 23 and I have little doubt that he'll be good. In the trade proposals, I don't like seeing the Mangia OR Dube part. I would say Mangia to trade, quite a bit before Dube. Dube is almost untouchable for me. I see a lot in his game that will translate and he's high IQ, which this team lacks. He'll improve on his 11/11/22pts in 51 games last year. By a lot I'm thinking.

I believe regardless of all else, the Flames will be better under Sutter. The NHL was an aberration last year and a half to the point where I really wish that I didn't bother with it. There are no kid gloves with Sutter. I get the argument that he's not here for a rebuild. I think what he's here for is to see what this team actually is if they'd show any sign of consistency every game. I know he'll accomplish that one way or the other. I think the Sutter hire is the last, end of the rope hiring. Mgmt believes it's a good roster, but it needs a constant kick in the aphids. Sutter is the kick. If it's more of the same, I believe it will be a full on rebuild. I trust Sutter won't let happen what we've all been seeing. He saw a better roster than the product on the ice, or why would he bother? So I have to have faith in that. I just hope Ruzicka can be our 4C rather than Gawdin. I don't see NHL upside in Gawdin, just too slow. I also believe Dube will be attached at the hip with Mony, and Mangia will be Backlund's LW for more balance. The bottom 6 should be fairly improved for chipping in. D is D. You don't need the class of the NHL D when you drill into the fwds the right way to play responsible hockey. Many call it boring, I disagree. Play the right way, be accountable or have a seat.