travel_dude
-
Posts
51,567 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
104
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Videos
Events
Gallery
Everything posted by travel_dude
-
This probably isn't the place for it, but the reason the Flames made the playoffs was that the first line was the highest scoring line in the NHL for the month of March. Having Engelland meant that Brodie had to play with Engelland not on his normal side. Saying that, BT managed to get us above the cap floor. The term and AAV for both Raymond and Engelland is going to hurt the most, come year 3.
-
I was supportive of BT, not so much the player signing. I hated him as a Nuck, and have been mostly opposed to him being on the roster this season. If the aim was for goal-scoring, he may have originally fit that description. As a player brought in to fit the Gio-Hartley system, he was an epic fail. This was the 2nd chance the Flames had to sign him. It could have been in the previous season, where he showed up wanting to be be a TC try-out. That season may have been different, since we weren't competing, and we would have seen first hand how he fit on a 1-year deal. The Flames were not interested. BT obviously didn't listen enough to his coaching or scouting staff, as they probably wouldn't have suggested him to a 3 year deal. BT gets a pass for that. He learned what the Flames truly are and need.
-
It didn't really bother me at the time, since I thought Raymond was a better player than he showed. The NTC bothers me a bit. Engelland would not be a worry if we didn't increase our cap by having 3 goalies this season valued at $9m, having a new top 2 D, and signing an excellent player like Frolik. The only way I see BT blowing it is if one of these first contracts is the cause of losing a great player for cap reasons. I seriously doubt that happens. After this year, Ramo and Hiller come off. Jones' contract is done. Hudler and Russell are UFA's. Those are a lot of players that could come off the books, make for great trades, or be re-signed.
-
The Raymond and Engelland signings were bad term and dollars in hindsight. At the time, BT was like a lot of analysts - where are goals going to come from? Who was going to fill in on D? Wotherspoon was injured, so no idea if we had a prospect that could come into the team and perform. So, he outbids for Engelland. He signs an offensive d-man in Diaz. Takes a flyer in Potter, who could also start in Addy. End result, we are cap compliant. Raymond is a bit of a headscratcher. He was coming off a career season after being a walk-on signing in TO. We had that luxury but chose not to sign him, even though he expressed interest. Maybe the combo of wanting to play here, having a good year and Burke's assessment. The Bollig trade was all BB. A GM without any knowledge of the Flames would think we needed a functionally tough player. Bollig mat be that player on a good 3th line, but didn't display it here. I agree that these contracts will either hinder the GM or vindicate him completely depending on how he escapes or uses them. None of them are really needed now. Bollig is the least problem, since he doesn't take much space. Raymond could be headed back to the East, since he could provide the Leafs with some scoring.
-
What makes Ramo good is that athleticism. He needs to put some stickum on his pants, though, as he slides way out of the crease. He is a good 1st and 2nd shot goalie, but you need to clear the puck or the player. He was getting run too much and had players hacking away at the puck in the crease. What makes Hiller good is the calmness that he brings. He stops 95% of the pucks that are shot, but tends to get beat when he is deep. He moves too little. You can beat Hiller in close, up high. Orti is a little of both. I was a little worried at how he looked in game 82. He was the same in Addy in the first month. Wonder if he smokes in between practices like Kippper did? Hiller was PO'd the end of the season, when he lost the net to Ramo. The friendly rivalry was gone, as if Hiller figured he was getting the Anaheim treatment. I am fine keeping whoever is the best two at TC, but also believe that Hiller or Ramo is the best option to waive. Moreso Hiller. Unless a team lost a goalie in pre-season, I doubt Hiller would ever get claimed. Teams are trying to fit their rosters under the cap, and might have to waive/trade another player if they wanted to claim Hiller. BT would be aware of the roster situations, so he would likely keep three goalies if he was worried about losing one to the waiver wire.
-
You said things were looking good for both McDonald and Gillies with Thiessen being a UFA. I'm not sure what else you were implying, and you are being coy. So.....
-
GlenX was originally a "priority" to re-sign. His failure to put up really good numbers, followed by him taking a backseat to the younger guys resulted in him questioning his future. It was a bit of catch 22, since he couldn't put up career numbers in a lessor role, and could get a better role because he wasn't putting up big numbers. The trade was the best reality check that both parties could do. Did we need him to make the playoffs? Nope. Was he good enough to get re-upped by the receiving team? Nope.
-
I like that BT is looking long-term at the roster cost. Every move he makes takes the cap in 5 years into account. He has not overpaid for any player that will hurt us long-term. Even guys like Engelland and Raymond can be lost for nothing, and it is still just FA signings that we are out, no picks to get them. Getting a pick for a guy we were not going to keep was great. In one sense, it shows committment to the player to retain and trade. On the other hand, it is good asset management.
-
MacDonald is too young this year to join the Heat, if that is what you were thinking.
-
The "Playing Season Waiver Period" shall begin on the twelfth (12th) day prior to the start of the Regular Season and end on the day following the last day of a Club's Playing Season. Subject to the provisions of this Article, the rights to the services of a Player may be Loaned to a club of another league, upon fulfillment of the following conditions, except when elsewhere expressly prohibited... So, that means Sept.25th is the last day to send him down. That appears to be in the middle of pre-season.
-
There seems to be a bit of confusion about the rules. Deeds posted that he can be sent down 12 days prior to the season start without waivers. It's not the first time I heard that either. The majority of people believe he will need to go through waivers to play in the AHL. Period.
-
I like the move. Gives us the option of Hiller/Ramo, Ramo/Orio, Hiller/Ortio with the option of sending down the worst of the bunch or trading one of them. We don't lose Ramo for nothing.
-
I think that the Sharks traded for and signed Jones to be that #1 goalie. Think they are out.
- 13,115 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- goalies
- goaltending
- (and 2 more)
-
I like the deal, as it makes three guys need to be their best in TC. TBH, I think that the coach and BT lost faith in Hiller, so he may be a trade in waiting.
-
The general feeling seems to be that Hiller is being shopped. Yes Talbot could have way more upside than Ramo, but the body of work isn't there to back up the numbers yet. Ramo is a safer bet in the mid-term, as we don't know if Ortio will ever be a starter, and we don't know how long Gillies will ripen in the AHL. Being tied to Hiller for one year is not a safe bet longer term. He may also have asked to be traded due to his usage in the playoffs. I don't see Dubie as a realistic alternative (even if it would make the Oiler fans cry), as he inflated his value with a stellar season with a good defensive team. The other guys may be valid options, but Ottawa always wants the sun and the moon for their "stars".
-
BT and Ramo's agent are negotiating. That leads me to believe they don't have faith in Ortio or Hiller. Ramo won't get more than 3.5 in FA, as his body of work isn't enough to warrant any more. If Dubie gets a deal soon, there will more of a comparable (not that they are in the same league).
-
In 2013/14, he played 40 games. That was with the Berra and MacDonald love-affair early that season. 40 games is pretty close to being considered a starter. In 2014/15, he played 34 games, which was partly due to being injured twice. These are not typical backup numbers.
-
He was signed to be a starter out of the KHL, where he was a starter. He played 1a/1b minutes in two years. His body of work is greater than most of the backups out there. If he gets an offer, it will be for a starter job.
-
Well, he already had a 2 year contract paying 2.6m and 2.9m as an NHL "rookie". I can't see him signing for less as a backup, but the market will set his price. We will see if the Flames hedge their bets and sign him with Ortio still recovering. Injuries to Ramo and Ortio late in the season really messed up the starting/backup job for next year. So did Hiller's underwhelming performances in the playoffs.
-
Ramo is happy in Calgary. Offer him an extension and he probably takes it, if it is short enough. His body of work is too small to get the big bucks, so he may want to prove he is a number 1. Key to this is to get him signed now, while his heart is in it. Drag it out, and he would feel like he is being pushed out the door. That all assumes they want to keep him at all.
-
The only thing he is sure about right now is that you can't go with 3 goalies into the season. Hartley echoed that last season. I don't think he is married to any decisions he has made. He needs to figure out how to fix any mistakes he made. And he would like to do it out of the eye of the media. If he is leaning towards singing Ramo, he doesn't want to say anything until the ink is dry. Otherwise you PO the other goalies needlessly. For all I know, Gillies is going to be the NHL starter at some point next season, with Ramo the backup. That might sound crazy, but Gillies could be that good and the others that bad.
-
I found Hiller's comments to be different than the party line Hartley was saying the whole year about having two great guys that fed off one another. Hiller did say that it suited the team, but he hates to get stuck on the bench when he feels he is ready to play. Most of that was probably due to losing his spot in the 2nd round. Had he played game 2, we may have seen another Hiller, but Hartley believed the book was too well known to be able to come back. Goaltending was good to great last season, but our biggest asset was team scoring. No way we would have made the playoffs without getting (near) league-leading scoring. Our games weren't 2-1, 1-0 as often as we could have used. Hiller/Ramo is our best bet to repeat next season. If Hiller starts to regress, then we move him out prior to TDL.
- 13,115 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- goalies
- goaltending
- (and 2 more)
-
Manny was always a guy I though could help us. His FO% is through the roof, always has been. But he is to a point where his game is mostly ineffective. It would make sense to have him as a mentor for taking faceoffs, whether he was the 14th forward that only came in for limited duty. Get him on the ice when we needed a FO win, then get him off.
-
Breen isn't really comparable. Breen was slow even for the AHL, and was softer than when Colborne first put on CGY silks. Take either of those two, add about 40 pounds, add a dose of Seilof snarl, and a throw in some Wolfie. I would like to see him spend some serious time with a power-skating coach, and mature in a good environment. A goon is useless, but a monster that can skate and defend and doesn't get goaded into fights every game is worth his weight in gold.
-
I think the skating issues are overblown. Whenever I saw him (WHL level, mind you), he looked fine. I was using Kanzig only as an example of size, though. Saying that, it will be interesting to see him at the AHL level to see what he can do.
