robrob74

we did just lost to Buffalo, Washington, St. Louis and Chicago, half of those on the cusp of being in while the others aren't ... it is hard to predict whether we get in or not. i might be starting to lean into Iginla now.

you know that isn't what I'm saying... sure the goal is the cup. But I'm talking consistency as my definition of a good or better than good team... my idea of a good team is consistent every year. I'd consider the Sharks when they were consistent contenders to be good and would be my true goal because they were an example of just how hard it is to win it, getting close, winning rounds. I get that we had some good years. I won't deny that much, but I'd want more consistency than that.

we won 2 series in twenty years. One against a Canucks team that was on their way to being terrible and lucky to be where they were. The next year they were irrelevant . If the goal is win the cup, how are or were we ever a good team?

who said anything about Sharks level? This about contending for a cup and we were always far from it.

it was more the in and out part that I didn't like. This is where I got roasted a lot because I also felt in those tanks that were high up still weren't that good. Id say it then and got roasted for it. Maybe it's the new NHL I just can't read anymore? I don't like a possession game just for the sake of possession. Shooting from perimeter isn't exciting. We were lucky to have Johnny which eventually would help us get there those years. but at the same time their inconsistency to me signaled a bad team with some good players and if teams wanted to stop them they knew how...

I'm really quite guarded. I am waiting to see how it plays out. I've been a fan since '89 and was quite happy to cheer the team in the down years after. It was around when they started to skip steps that I started to sour on the team, mostly after Gaudreau was drafted. It happening a 2nd time was tough. Now I wanna see if the team has learnt from it instead of skipping steps and mortgaging futures in the process. I think it was cross or conundrum and others that said they need to treat team building like a small market team.

Theoretically it might take Zary to get a top 10 pick, if a team thinks they are close age-wise but need a push; teams like Buffalo, Columbus, Arizona, or Ottawa. That's not looking at their needs though. Maybe even Seattle... it's because Zary is showing top performance and is in a spot to help them move forward, while a pick might take 2-3 years to mature. its very hypothetical, but think it's one way to gain a top pick. It may not have been done very often either... just saying it would take a lot to get one, and I wonder if Zary is good enough to garner one? But it's something we don't wanna do either.

I read somewhere the traded players would be ineligible for the rest of this season to play on the new teams and would play next year.

only thing is, I think if a team like Jersey wants him that bad they'd go for it and be fine with the ramifications of not being able to play the rest of the season or in the playoffs which they're not officially out of but close to being out of it. so I'm just asking because some say they could be traded at the draft at earliest, but really could be anytime once both teams' seasons end.

Can teams make trades now? I guess they can make trades during the Playoffs considering they'd not be playing anyway. Technically, the Flames and Devils can make a deal during the playoffs, I think... a deal now, I assume would shut the players down the rest of the year? Like if Markstrom was traded, if he played he could help the devils into the playoffs, but not play in them, if the deals are allowed post TDL. So I see why he'd not be allowed to play regular season. But technically, can be dealt anytime from now on. ?

Well Detroit owners are not friends with Betman the way Dallas, Pittsburgh and Chicagos' are. Hope Betman has forgiven us for the whole Wideman thing.

The hope is Jersey maintains being ahead and might help them stomach a Markstrom trade if they're at 11 or 12 instead of below 10, which might get us a C&D in the 1st half of round one at the draft.

for me it's the fact Tkachuk never played as a Flame and didn't accumulate all those accolades for them too. So you have Tkachuk getting asked about dad, but is it a lot? Iginla would be asked about how he can live up to dad's legacy... i can see it both ways. The politically correct answer would be to say, I'm just here to forge my own way and do what I can to make the team and make the flames better...: But it's natural for people to question how they'll fill shoes of predecessors.

I don't remember there being such a circus for Tkachuk, maybe I am not there. Not saying it wouldn't happen for Tij, as I think both situations would be completely different. Like many say, Father is hockey legend in the city. i look at Sven. Almost the moment he was taken he was given the keys to Calgary as the one to be the next in line. That's pressure, and can also load arrogance to the player. But Sven started to have a sense of entitlement after and whether that first interview was part of it or not, but I think it was riddled in problems as he was expected to take on the Iginla torch and run with it.

are there other Kelowna players worth watching? Plus, with how close Iginla is to some hockey ops, could they just be that uncle that is watching their kid play? Where im from, an uncle is like a dad. They could just be proud to see the kid, and my actual dad wanted to see every game I played, even if just beer league lol. but ya, I dunno

maybe similarly, players in the year after they've been drafted can maybe tend to play bigger roles on their jr teams and that extra year is huge at that age, and so should get more points and look better.

Kipper credits the Flames, might have been Noodles, for telling him that he needed to change things up to maintain his ice time and helped him change up some training.

Coleman's contract ends the 2026-2027 season. retaining would be a lot of money. So it better cost the other team. Even retaining 500k is 1.5, in total money. Retaining 900k per brings him to a manageable 4m. But that cost the flames 2.7 mil

I agree with this. Trade Coleman to Dallas or something. He likes a community feel. A feel good story for Calgary and him choosing the Flames. I like him enough to keep him to mentor, but if you can get something then it's in line with what we did this year.

I don't even know if they need to play the 4th as per usual anymore. Why not just role all 4 evenly? Or play Coronato and like Travel says, push up and down the lineup? Maybe a Backlund Bump? I dunno. At least I think we only have mangiapane for one more year. He's ok, but I think he's a 4m- player, not a 5+. I never really liked him, because he falls. I liked his get up and go, literally, but being down too much... I think it's a good pick, but at the same time, having too many small guys like him hurts the team.... Dube's gone now though.

This is the time of year where (Maybe more theoretically) other teams start their backups against the teams that are clearly out. Hope that happens a lot and they can get a few extra points. I've never been a team tank, no!

which is why we can't be drafting guys who need work on skating. We need to draft skill and speed. I think we tend to go safe on 2-way play. We need wheels. I get you can move up ice as fast as the puck can go, it's the defending where speed is a factor...

Looks like the best we can do if we won lotto is draft 2nd overall in our current 12th spot. We need to drop a few more to get slightly better odds, and only one spot to have a chance at 1st overall.

they'll get the Chicago treatment as well and win the lottery.

Like that pun, the Oilers' not!