robrob74

maybe with expansion looming they'll start include old guys again, creating job for aging vets.

thing about signing up to this site, I think they make newbies create a new topic post as a way to verify they're not a Bot.... maybe.

that depends though. Is hockey that much expensive in the States? I assume things are cheaper outside of Canada because you pay for the demand here. It's the Canada tax. Equipment might be expensive, but maybe the play and other parts of the game are cheaper? I wouldn't know... just spitballing...

if there's a need in Buffalo, I can't see why not... and could it be a possible destination for Marky in some way or another? Or is their goaltending ok? are they like the murky area now where they need a few top up pieces? the Flames '04 team came together nicely. Ville N. was a huge add, Gelinas a proven performer, Simon too, and Kipper as a huge add that year. Small moves but big impacts. is there a move that can be had with Buffalo there? Maybe. We should trade them Andersson, Markstrom and Mangiapane, or Kuzmenko. But we'd need some firsts for this year and next year. We'd retain on Mange, Marky, or Kuz... two firsts and a second for the three? Maybe a roster player lol... I dunno I feel like I'm lowballing ourselves though.

I would say he's a bit more like a 7-12 range kind of player. And it might depend on the strength of draft where maybe in this one, one can argue for a higher pick.

you might have Montreal or Ottawa. It's possible any of the teams ahead of us would be willing to trade for him. They're a step our three ahead of the flames and possibly ready to compete soon. Ottawa alone expected to make some steps toward playoffs.

when I went through the selections by round in Wikipedia that draft looks pretty ok. It has decent players throughout. Kipper was drafted. We had two of the best goalies of that draft too, Kipper and Giguere... M. Savard was in a later round as well. Not a bad one, and I think orgs were just starting to realize the importance of scouting as the Cap happened after it. So I think back then it was normal to find gems later... im with you on trying to go for the Skill and not go for a guy just because he's big.

Iginla's draft wasn't that deep. Some good players but not very deep. In a redraft looks like he'd go first overall. Giguere might be the closest to 2nd overall. I don't see another star player besides Shane Doan, and for me he's just an extremely good loyal player. Although, he might have had the same thing as Iginla, not really building a quality team around him. he might have been better than Iggy but more the all-round game. Redden, Berard, etc were really good players, but not stars...

The Flames should have traded Marky. CanThe play of late lower his value?

I agree with that. They need to hold everyone to that standard. While he called out vets, I think it means more if vets get sat too.

For what was expected to be a "deep draft" in 2023, one where no one was trading first rounders, was the first rounder one we should have taken, without hindsight? Not knocking Honzek, just asking if maybe we might have needed a different approach to the depth. and can last year or the few years before's approaches hint at what to expect this year? Is it good, bad, exciting, worrisome? Many on this site seem to have their wishlist, and many are writing Santa. I was worried Honzek was a reach, and maybe needs a bit of time to grow into himself. I hope he becomes an NHLer. I get wanted a player of his stature and possible power, which makes it all that harder to read an 18yr old.

The problem with taking guys off lines they've had most success on is they might not replicate it with other teammates...

can skating only be worked on in the NHL though? Skating is something worked on outside the game, learning edge work and it's better to practice on players who aren't going to take their head off, and NHL isn't a full developing league... which I found they did with Monahan. I hated Monahan since his first year in the NHL. Maybe it's bias, but I just couldn't get passed his skating.

I think Bennett had an extra year where he could have gone back, after the injury? I think a consensus was that he was now too good for JR and then after he was on the team they felt disrespectful to send him to the AHL, which was another thing they should have done. I might be getting that mixed up and that because he came back and played the playoffs and played it well, they wouldn't send him to the A. Also, with Monahan, it might have been good to continue to develop his skating and defensive game. But he was kind of NHL ready. I remember seeing him and wondered how he could play, but Theo couldn't when he did the comeback thing. Monahan looked like he thought the game good, but his skating wasn't there.

while I agree, I think Johnny could be good, IF he had more around him. Him alone doesn't cut it and that's all the Flames had when they had him. Not the same but similar to the shortsightedness of trying to build around Iginla. The player was there, but nothing else other than Reggie. the philosophy needs to change and we need some superstar picks. im more in line with the goalie is important but not as important as the elite defender and center. But that doesn't mean the goalie is not a good goalie. Elliot looked great in a blues uniform. But we didn't have the same level of defenders the Blues had.

so basically, let guys develop even if they could be on par with NHL players? Like allowing Monahan an extra Jr year, not you saying that.... and Benny too. Tkachuk was good to play with Backs... but ya.

Never bet for or against this team, you can't figure out what you'll get...

Shouldn't they be playing Wolf? I guess Coach has learned from Sutter-ism.

That might even prove drafting in the top 5 is imperative. There are some good players past that point for sure, but it gets rarer and rarer, and the problem with Gaudreau was some years he was elite and other years he wasn't, like you said, up and down, and maybe where our discussion the other day about whether Calgary has been a good team or not over the past years... It's in the inconsistencies of Johnny.

People tend to quote the percentages and then when the percentages don't matter for the arguments, they say it's better to have quantity in having picks to hit on, like in a lottery system (Not the same as the draft lottery). Speaking of the lottery. they should just give teams a certain amount of balls and everyone has a chance. 32nd - 16 31st - 15 30th - 14 29th - 13 28th - 12 27th - 11 26th - 10 25th - 9 24th - 8 23rd - 7 22nd - 6 21st - 5 20th - 4 19th - 3 18th - 2 17th - 1 Keep pulling until the draft order is finalized... IF they pull a team a 2nd time, just try again.

I think the only way we receive a 1st this year is if the Flames trade their first for next year, IF Montreal doesn't take that one. And we'd have to have it free from lottery stipulations on it.

I just don't think we will ever be drafting low enough for it to be a rebuild. This year may be the lowest we draft in this iteration of a retool. we need to make sure we hit on players in the way Dallas did... and get that first rounder right.

im not thinking you're a downer. I think it'll be very hard, and my guess is bosn was thinking what to add to get there. if they wanted more firsts the TDL is where to get them, not the draft.

What about Markstrom and a 2024 2nd rounder for their 1st Rounder? Is that enough? They get "their guy" and a pick in this year's draft. Is Holtz part of the deal or enough 1-to-1? He's NHL ready with warts. Conroy loves NHL ready players. If I was GM I would trade Andersson and Mangiapane (50% retained) to Ottawa for a 2024 1st rounder and a 2024 4th round pick and a 2025 3rd round pick. It wouldn't be Ottawa's 1st rounder. Could we add Pelletier to make it their 1st? Maybe minus a later pick?

Hope they see a team that's ripe for the pickin' and we get ahead of ourselves. If Anaheim has speedy guys going then could be trouble. Sounds like they might have given the Canucks a run today but lost. my bet is we lose to one of them once or twice but beat a team in it.