travel_dude

Okay, so some perspective is required. By losing Gaudreau, Tkachuk drops about 30 points including about 20 goals. Tkachuk got 104 points by playing with Gaudreau and Lindholm. Gaudreau without Tkachuk is between 65 and 85 points.

Who did Hubie have in FLA as a C? Bennett then Giroux? Now replace Bennett with Lindholm. Is sky the limit?

I remember the analysts talking about it and thanks for reminding me who it was. Good lord, you would think Gio never did anything wrong in his Norris season. I want to see him play here. We haven't had a top D here in some time. Gio was fading and TJ was too apt to use his stick to defend. Dougie was a mess some games.

I take what you said and Cross said to the point. For some reason I thought he struggled on defense. Maybe it was some comments I had heard or opinions from analysts. Dunno. All good. I know he has played both sides, but if Sutter likes LHS LD and RHS RD, I don't see the fit with Tanev. Puts us with Meloche on 3rd pair and Needing to move Kyl, Vali and Mackey, well 2 of 3. I could see a situation where Hanifin slides down to play with Tanev and Weeger plays with Ras. We still have Meloche or a LHS playing RD. Regardless, we have at worst a very good trade chip. A top capable D at 3.25M. Worth his weight in gold.

I see. So a player that wanted to play in FLA for his career and was traded now wants to go to MTL. He won't stay unless we have cup winning potential, yet he is willing to go to MTL and not even be close? There were other options. Kyrou or Bratt or Hischier or Robertson. BT didn't want to prolong it and got what he thinks will be the best two players currently available. You don't do that to just turn around and trade them. It's an option, but the two players make us a better team.

We have to consider more than just a few things. Pelletier and Ruzicka are middle 6 or more accurately 3rd liners. Rozie has only ever player C and looked out of place on LW. Pelletier is likely too good to play in the AHL this year. Monahan and Lucic are luxuries we don't need this year. Monahan is not a top 9 player anymore on this team. Lucic is awesome at hitting (one big hit per game) and is best fighter in the league perhaps. We don't need that protection as much now. Tkachuk used to cause some of those fights and anyone touching JH needed a tune up. We don't really have a spot on this team for Phillips when we are healthy. He's like Yamamoto, without NHL experience. Both players too small to take hits. Both players are driven to be near the net. We are not balanced yet at forward. Have one top 6 RW and Mange to possibly play there. Backlund is a great defensive C, but doesn't add a lot of scoring, and we can't play Mangiapane with him now. 3rd ine consists of Dube. Monahan is currently broken. 4th line consists of Gilbert and Rooney and a player fighting to keep up. We have to sign a C or a really good RW. A C pushes down Backlund to create a 2nd scoring line, but we still lack a true RW. The D situation is rags to riches. A top LD/RD like Weeger. A top RD in Ras and a possible top LD or 2nd pair LD in Hanifin. A 2nd pairing puck mover in Kyl, but seems to be discounted as low value asset. And not good enought o play 2nd pair even though he put up 9 goals and 31 points. Rock steady Tanev. Mean motha Zaddy, who has his mements and is brutal to play against at times. Meloche who I admit knowing little about, but I thought he was okay in seeing him play. Valimaki, who hasn't hit his stride in the NHL and rough season in the AHL. Mackey, who had an incredible AHL season, but only looked serviceable in the NHL so far. Gilbert, who is a tweener. If we want a C not named Barzal, we have to consider moving Valimaki and Dube. We could sign Rodrigues to fill the void or use him as a winger.

He's older? You mean that he was born June 4/93 and Gaudreau August 13/93 and is 2 months older? Perhaps they can't get both players re-signed, but they must have some idea of the asking price. You don't make a trade of a player for two pieces you have to trade. It was the best deal they could get, assuming they can be re-signed. Equal or better winger than Tkachuk. Better D than we have on the 2nd pair at the very least. Trade them, don't trade them, but don't assume we brought in a top winger in the NHL just to turn around and ship him out.

Shhhh, I was hoping Lou wouldn't remember that. In a world of what have you done for me lately, he sets up goals more than he scores. His best seasons are in the past. If NY values 200 foot play and defense, then Hanifin + Mangiapane + Zary might be a reasonable value. If we retain $2M of Hanifin salary, then they can come in close on the cap. A 35 goal scorer and young D and a high level prospect. Sounds similar to what was being offered for 100 point Tkachuk. Hey, I'm just throwing it out there. If there was a way to make it work, it would be fun. But we may have more luck getting Dvorak out of MTL.

I think they need to roll out the carpet for these two. We don't seem to do much, compared to say Vegas. Introduce him to the Swedish mafia (lindy and Marky) and make him part of the club. Take him fishing.

I don't think it's that big an issue next year. No $11M for Monahan and Lucic. He has to be willing to sign or he's unfortunately trade bait.

Well, the cost may be high, but they can't take on more than $7M really. They have $11M and need to get Dobson and Romanov signed. Also Bellows. It was just a thought. They were 16 out of a WC spot last year. With Lou there I don't think they can re-sign him. I dont think Barzal has Tkachuk value.

I belive it's the same situation as with Tkachuk. By acceoting an award, the team had only two choices; keep him for the year or let him walk as a UFA. They get no compensation for him walking. I'm not 100% sure of the math, but I think he walks this deal to FA. They are going to have to trade him or sign him for the value he wants. They are living on borrowed time. They have $68k cap remaining with 9F signed. McLwod they can hold of on, since he has no rights. Sign him after the season starts. They have Smith and Klefbom going to be on IR, but Smith's isn't guaranteed. He has to be evaluated and it's not before the season starts. So, 4.2M without him of cap relief. I don't buy it was season ending LTIR. That's not enough LTIR to do all 3, let alone have a full roster. If Smith is not on IR until the start, they have $1M less overage. They have to trade him and the offers are luke warm. We can help them out with a pick. I suppose this may be resolved when Kane is forced to go back to SJ. EDM will need to make a good offer for SJ to retain salary and trade him there. Or another team gets him. Kane knows all this and may not even have gotten a serious offer as a UFA, unless the team rolls the dice. By taking EDM's offer, he looks like a good guy. I have nothing to back this up, other than some speculation by analysts. I think it would be a great thing. They trade Pooly for a 2nd. They sign Yammer. They lose Kane. SJ doesn't want him, so they have to make a trade to get him back. Or even better, he goes East and there are no high end FA's left. This is my "karma is a biatch" version.

JT, I have no problem with Kadri, but that's an expensive long term deal. It may put us back in contender status, since right now we are still a few men down. There is nothing but salary in the deal, but we have to be ready to pay Hubie. Next year sot so much an inssue, but it's nice to have cap. Not for TDL buying but taking crap for prospects and picks. If we signed Kadri, there isn't really room this year for Monahan and Lucic. Rodrigues is intriguing. He's potential 2C unless we want to use him as a RW. Thinking ahead, perhaps Pelletier-ER-Toffoli Third line Coleman-Backlund-Dube Fourth line LW-Rozie/Rooney-Lewis If we can't get the lineup we want in UFA signings, then we need to consider trades. Hanifin or Kylington + Dube for Barzal? Barzal means we don't need that playmaker on the 2nd line.

One thing that might be important to Huberdeau is offering him a letter. Might not sit well with other players, but if it's what it takes to re-sign him, do it. He's a leader.

Monahan may stay to run out his deal. Might have enough in the tank to be re-signed here. Or we find a team where he would like to play. The prospect is worth about a 2nd or 3rd rounder, but FLA is tapped for picks. I doubt they included another one. The prospect is a RHS C. Might be able to push Zary.

Well, the value of Tkachuk was getting him signed and traded to ennsure he would accept. STL wouldn't have done that maybe. And they didn't want to trade Kyrou. NJ possibly, but I don't think they were giving up Hischier + or Hughes +. Other than that the Bratt offer was nothing awesome. The value of this trade to me is at least Hiberdeau signing. We would likely get an offer similar to NJ's offer for Tkachuk. Again, other than the additional assets we have, is that any better? If Weeger signs, it allows us to move Hanifin or Kylington or Valimaki, so be it. We get better in those trades. We aren't any less deep, just a different look. If he doesn't sign, we have a desired TDL asset at worst. Or he's proven to be worth the risk of walking for what he brings to a cup run. Dunno, too early to call.

We spent the last two weeks trashing Tkachuk and Gaudreau for their play in the playoffs and hw they weren't worth the big offers. They read twitter and wanted out.

They are already saying that BT is getting calls from teams for Huberdeau. Which is too funny. The market for an elite $5.9M guy is obviously pretty hot. The only way he should listen to offers is if he gets the sense JH isn't signing. I hope he has already started the process of re-signing him. There is no competition right now for the big offer on our team. I know this is sorta just related, but if MTL is looking for a puck mover, we could send them Hanifin for Dvorak. Or we use him to get Barzal. Two choices for two different styles of C.

I mean it's two players looking for deals. They would have been offered less money in FLA due to cap. If they don't want to be here, find out sooner than later. Huberdeau on the open market is probably worth more than Tkachuk. 5.9 for this season. Weeger is "young" by D standards. His offfense with limited PP time is pretty good. RHS RD/LD. But as I said, a trade is not the reason we got them. At least not on the surface.

What a miracle about re-signing two players. Perhaps they might actually feel welcomed here. We rolled out the carpets for Gaudreau and Tkachuk, but they wanted out for their own reasons. Perhaps they didn't like having to give 100%. Thachuk's dad bought a summer home in FLA, which is funny. He actually was sad that Matty was going to FLA. The pics from NJ were actually related to Brady's engagement. Maybe Walt was renting a boat for a party. Or he was buying a boat for FLA.

Many players decid they like it in this country. For many, the homeland draws them back. It's a decision as to where his kid was going to be born. The spoiled part came from deciding he wasn't getting what he wanted here. He was played down the lineup, but he never grabbed the rings. Was great in the playoffs, but when it didn't change his role, he got mad about it. Wanted to be traded. When Sutter came in, he thought it might chage. Sutter didn't see enough to change his role.

It's a different thing to re-sign your drafted players after they experienced the ups and downs of the organization than it is to re-up new guys and pending UFA's. The players that come here seem to love playing here. The ones that start out here either love it or want to move on. Guddy got an offer he couldn't refuse. And was a victim of the cap that we had no idea how to manage. Bennett was a spolied baby. Tkachuk decided that he dodn't want to be here and supposedly it had nothing to do with Gaudreau. Gaudreau decided he was an American. So, we have a chance to sign two players we could only get as UFA's or overpaying for. Huberdeau as a UFA would be more desired than Johnny was. He will be the highest paid Flames player next year. Why just pack it up and go somewhere that just wants to pay a little more? I'm sure he will like the team and love the seriousness of wanting to be a contender. Tkachuk didn't care and was incapable of doing everything need to win a cup. Gaudreau just wants to play hockey and hide in the rink. On another note, here is the conditions attached to the trade: Ryan Pike @RyanNPike · 22m If Florida's 2025 pick is top 3, #Flames send 2026 4th-rounder to FLA and receive their 2026 1st-rounder. If Florida's pick is not top 3, Flames send 2025 4th-rounder to FLA and receive their 2025 1st-rounder.

Argg, we are now already talking about trading the guy? Yeah, I know it's a response to JJ. You suggested re-signing for 12.5 x 8? Were you meaning JH and MW? Or just JH? Tkachuk, assuming we signed him (not arbitration award) to one year for the purpose of trading him... Trading him in pre-season, mid-season or TDL, it's a tough trade. Pending UFA with not a great playoff history. And he only has value if he puts up great numbers. That's not guaranteed now. Huberdeau, at 5.9M is far more attractive. My first choice is to lock up Hiberdeau. Weeger really depends on his fit. As a TDL trade, he could get a 1st, a prospect and a roster player. Think Hampus Lindholm trade.

So, we aren't about to go and re-sign the player(s) the minute we traded for them. Tkachuk had to be re-signed immediately. Huberdeau was a player they wanted to re-sign, but weren't perhaps ready to pay him a retirement deal. The kind of deal that Gaudreau just got and we avoided. So, worst case is we sign Huberdeau to something similar to Gaudreau. We get a player that is less likely to go whine to the refs or disappear in a tough game. It doesn't excuse losing Gaudreau for nothing, but the only way he's still a Flame is that we signed Gaudreau last season for 10.5M or came in early with a max offer and perhaps have to up that this year to 11.5. Saying we automatically get the same Gaudreau if he signed last year is not quite true. It may have resulted in having to pay Tkachuk 10.5 this year. Weeger is replacing what we lost in Guddy, with the offensive ability tacked on. And it's a Guddy that doesn't need to be sheltered at all. I like Guddy, but he had some faults. We are at least even if not somewhat better now. I didn't want the tear down trade. A player like Bratt might have turned out bad. Kyrou might have been a better fit, but maybe wasn't even on the table. Lundell wouldn;t have been a rebuild trade, but they obviously wanted him more than Huberdeau. Besides, they couldn't afford both Tkachuk and Huberdeau. Not today, definately not next year.

If he's a puck mover that struggles with defense, then is he best fit with Tanev? I mean they could very well keep the top 4 together and he plays with Zaddy, but not sure if that makes sense. But from a L/R sense, it makes sense. I don't relish the idea of Zaddy-Tanev.