Flames Offseason Moves

If the Flames fail to make the 2011 playoffs, there will probably be a major overhaul in the organization. For one thing, two of our key members : Tanguay and Glencross, are UFAs and one can expect them to a) Ask for a pay increase and b) Decent contract extension 3-4 years. I'm not sure we have the money to do that.

Assuming we don't re-sign these two players;
In the 2011/2012 Season our top Forwards will be

1) Iginla
2) Jokinen
3) Bourque
4) Langkow
5) Giordano

Giordano isn't even a forward but our team would be so pathetic that he would still be the 5th best forward.

At least we will have Steve "Pylon" Staois off the books. However, I don't think Flames should go out for any A-list free agents this summer. Keep it simple, stupid and grab some decent cheap plugs for the time being.

The 2012/2013 season is when Langkow, Sarich, Jokinen, Kotareek, Fagman all come off the books. We will have so much room that summer to go and splurge/splooge on free agents and help build a contender.

Wow actually have you seen the 2011 UFA List? As predicted by BoWC two years ago - the free agent crop has withered because of long contracts and is actually the most depressing thing I have ever seen. The only major star is Brad Richards, but we all know he will suck next year anyways.

I say the Flames sign David Backes. He'd be a good fit on our team : 3 years at 3 million. Do it.
Chuck Kobasew is a UFA. I will be routing for him to resign to become the superstar he was projected to be in NHL 2005.

http://www.mynhltraderumors.com/2010/06/01/2011-unrestricted-nhl-free-agents/

-Hal

Lack of Competitive Spirit at Flames Camp

With the signing of Tanguay and Jokinen in the summer, many Flames fans were hoping that a line of Iginla, Tanguay and Jokinen would be formed. Rather than waiting until the end of preaseason to see the level of compete amongst all the flames players and then determine who deseveres to play with Iginla, Sutter has decided to just hand the first line positions over to tanguay and jokinen.

How is this fair to Mikael Backlund, Hagman, Stajan or Bourque? All players deserved an equal chance to show what they can bring the team against the likes of lowly tanguay and jokinen. Tanguay played on a team where steven stamkos scored 50 goals and tanguay couldnt even score 15 himself. Jokinen was the biggest washed up bum ever floating around the league not finishing any chance he was given. Yet Sutter has determined that in the old boys club known as the calgary flames, you can earn your position on the top line without working for it, without having a good season the year before and especially without showing heart.

This may be an early forecast but i think the flames might be able to expect more from their second line than their first line this season. A line with bourque, langkow, and backlund could show a hell of a lot more heart than a line with a Gay and a Joke. If the second line outperforms the first it would be similar to the canucks 05-06 season when the sedin line emerged and began to outproduce the nazzy, bert b-mo line.

-hark

what the flames need

Now that kotalik has signed with the lokomotif in russia, it frees up some additional cap space for the flames. Oviously the majority will go to signing white at whatever price the arbitrator decides is fair. Then their defence will be excellent. Their goaltending situation is stellar as well. It really comes down to offense now.

Projected top three lines:

Iginla-tanguay-bourque
Stajan-hagman-jokinen
Moss-blank-blank

They really don't have much talent that can be expected to be a clutch third line. If there's anything we have learned from the blackwhores run to the cup, is that you need offensive depth on your third line if you expect to win. Flames can't rely on glencross or backlund to have a significant impact on the third line. So they should sign at least one and maybe two players.

Possibles:

Brendan morrison: had a stellar year with washington. Plus he has always played good against calgary. He is in the top ten for regular season overtime goals all time.

Lee stempniak:he had ten goals in ten games with phoenix last year after the trade deadline. He's a good player and has the ability to score.

-hark