The Calgary Flames’ “We’re Rebiggling” Playbook

Sometimes it’s really hard to stay professional. I want to have a total temper tantrum, but I am not a fan, I am a blogger. So I must breathe deeply, put on my big boy pants, and figure this out logically.

As a Flames fan, you know what I am referring to, unless you are living under a rock. Frankly, if you were living under a rock, maybe find that rock and go back under it. That wasn’t very professional, was it? I guess I just do not have the knack of being tactful.  

I am, of course, referring to the latest transaction of the Calgary Flames, or as I refer to it, the Vegas Golden Knights' chance to win the Stanley Cup. Oh, I shouldn’t have said it; it doesn’t make me professional. Okay, time to take this bull by the horns.

The Calgary Flames perspective is easy to understand as long as you can find an interpreter who knows jibber jabber. Luckily, my wife understands me when I talk, so she interprets the Calgary Flames jibber jabber perfectly.  

Here is her interpretation of what the Flames said:

“We, as the Flames, felt we needed to get younger and build for the future while staying competitive. We felt the trade met all the criteria for our needs. We are undergoing a rebiggle and you will completely understand what we are doing in three weeks. We live to serve all of our rebigglers. Please be patient at this time.

There will be a Kumbaya concert served with milk and cookies for the media after the press conference.”

Unfortunately, when you translate jibber jabber, you get back more jibber jabber. Sorry about that; we did not get much to work with. She did say the dialogue is open to much interpretation.

Final word

The trade with Rasmus Andersson has now concluded. The Flames directed attention to Kadri and Coleman. That does not necessarily mean they will both be traded. They may well flip Whitecloud at the deadline. Plus, keep in mind the Flames might not stop their rebiggling, which has no bounds. Remember, this is business first, sport second.

Randy 

Play GM: What Should Calgary Ask for Andersson?

There has been a lot of nothing happening with the transactions involving Kadri, Coleman, and Rasmus Andersson. 

I am sure the Flames have been listening to offers for Andersson, but nothing has come close to what they have asked for. I have heard so many different rumours about the asking price. Hockey is a business of who to keep and who to trade. Let’s try to play GM and trade Rasmus Andersson, shall we? There are two scenarios if we trade him. What is your asking price for  Andersson? If you are on the side of keeping him, what would you be willing to spend?

What is the price? What do you want to give Andersson? 

So what is the price for a top four defencemen? Before we answer, let’s go over the stats. Andersson has 10 goals and 19 assists for a total of 29 points. He is on pace for 51 points, which would beat his career year of 50. He has 3 goals and 9 assists on the power play. So, how valuable is a #2 dman, and possibly a power play quarterback? Keep in mind he is pure rental, so they won’t get as much as if he had been in terms. They want 3 pieces. I suspect they settle on a  #1 pick and a high prospect.

Show me the money 

Negotiations started ugly, with reports of $3 million a part. Keep in mind the contract Broberg signed with the Blues six years ago for $48 million, which works out to 8 million a year. I feel Andersson is better, so you have to go $8 million plus. I am looking at $8.5 million plus. Would you do it? Some of you may not think that Broberg is comparable to Andersson and keep it at $8 million. That is fair to say.  

Final word 

Blake Coleman is connected to Montreal. What is the asking price? Are we getting a first-rounder? The Flames want a first-rounder; whether they get one is the question. The more I hear, the more I think he stays. Kadri has no desire to leave; they will only trade him if they get blown away. 

Of course, the latest says Andersson has played his last game as a Calgary Flame. Let me go on record: the Flames will regret this. Andersson might very well get his cup before we do.

Randy  

Home Heat: How the Flames Are Beating the League’s Best at the Saddledome

Devin Cooley

The athletic netminder signed a two-year contract for $1.35 mm. For two years. His ability to handle the pressure and keep himself under control gives the Flames a chance to win every night. Devin’s two biggest strengths are his quickness laterally and his glove hand. His 2.40 goals against average and 914 save percentage ain’t too shabby either.

Now that the business is out of the way, the Tank Nation is taking a beating as the Flames have been quite the challenge at home. They have defeated the likes of the Oilers, Knights, Wild, and, of course, the Stars. The predominant factor is the re-emergence of MacKenzie Weeger. He seems to be back to himself.

Michael Backlund

Backlund has been on a tear lately, filling the net. He and Coleman have become quite the dynamic duo. Backlund is a valuable asset, the perfect third-line centre. He is a reliable defensive centerman with offensive punch. He is the picture of the true Mr. Flame.

Rasmus Andersson

Rasmus continues to be a leader on this defense. He is upping his trade value with each outing. The only thing to update is the number of teams he is attracting. What is making Andersson more valuable is his hockey IQ. He is playing smarter out there, creating scoring chances rather than committing defensive lapses at the other end.

Final Word

The Rasmus Andersson market could get more complicated if the Flames continue to improve in the new year. The Flames may be looking for a young player who can play now in the return package. They may not get it, but you can bet they will ask.

There may be as many teams inquiring about Andersson as there are about Blake Coleman. Blake is on a 30-goal pace, which is very appealing to teams. A defensive juggernaut who can score 20-30 goals is very valuable.

Randy 

Who Stays, Who Goes: Trade Targets That Could Make or Break the Flames

The rumours are flying right now about three players' futures: Nazem Kadri, the Texan Blake Coleman, and, last but not least, Rasmus Andersson. I believe that if these three stay on the roster, the Flames will be a mid-tier team that just misses the playoffs.

If the Flames don't rebuild, would it be detrimental to the team's future? The short answer is yes, but let me issue a warning: You cannot allow a dressing room to accept losing. If the Flames go this route, they have to make sure the return is positive for today and the future of the Flames. They have to make sure the players who remain do not have a negative attitude toward the club's future. The club should ask Kadri and Coleman their thoughts on whether they want to leave or stay and be part of the solution to the Flames' future.

So why would other teams be interested in the three players?

Nazem Kadri

Kadri is a clutch forward who is capable of scoring twenty to thirty goals a season. When you need a player to kick a team in the butt, Kadri will give them two kicks. He is the perfect second-line centre. The ideal pest to get into the opposition's head.

Rasmus Andersson

Rasmus is having a career year. The veteran defender can be a dangerous spark plug to a powerplay. He has an underrated slapshot that is deadly accurate. His vision is extraordinary, and his ability to make that extra pass will be an asset to any powerplay.

Blake Coleman

Blake is a perfect garbage man. Meaning he gets his nose dirty to get that goal. He will go the extra mile to get the puck out of the zone. He has a terrific wrister among the best. He is also working on a 20- to 30-goal season.

Final word

It is awesome to see the captain fly around and put the puck in the net. Backlund is on a roll. It is great to see. Backlund has been the perfect soldier. If there is a player who deserves a cup, it's Backlund. I love the player; he is the true meaning of being a Flame.

Randy 

Conroy, Criticism, and the Perils of Armchair Management

Who doesn’t like to think that they’re smarter than a GM? Tell me I am wrong, please. As a blogger, the biggest complaints I hear are about the lack of trades.

The second biggest complaint I hear is the lack of intensity from players who seem to be just going through the motions. I admit that players do, at times, look disinterested. To be fair to the players, at times, they do not fit the system but can become stars in other systems. One example of this is Martin St. Louis.

Martin St. Louis

Playing for the Calgary Flames in 1998, St. Louis fell quickly to the fourth line. He appeared in only 13 games in Calgary during the 1998 season, spending most of the season in Saint John.

On July 31, 2000, Martin signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and things began to change. In the 2004 playoffs, he led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup, coming back to haunt his old Flames teammates in a seven-game thriller series, and won the Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player). His best year was a 102-point season in 2006-2007 with 43 goals and 59 assists. He remained a star for years to come.

The General Manager’s Tenuous Existence

Marty is a prime example of how a player fits one team but not another. But does that mean that one general manager is better than the other? Sometimes a team hits pure gold. Every general manager hopes he hits pure gold, but first he has to sift through the fool’s gold. He could be fired at any time if he makes the wrong judgment call. You still want his job?

Next time you want to shoot Conroy, remember the pressure he is under. And watch out, you might just get what you wish for.

There have been times when I have not liked the decisions that Conroy has made. But I do not doubt his heart, so, as a faithful armchair general manager, I will not be pushing him out quite yet. Give me a couple of weeks. Yes, I am being facetious, but we are all finicky fans. We would all fire and hire him at least 20 times. 

Randy

The Math the Flames Still Haven’t Learned

There is a simple math test I wish the Calgary Flames would learn: a hockey game is 60 minutes long. Playing 1/3 of a hockey game does not give you two points. My math is pretty good. Twenty minutes is 1/3 of 60. I am being sarcastic, but my point is the Flames have to play a full 60 minutes to win a game. That one-third was fun to watch, but it isn’t enough of an effort.

If you were the coaching staff of the Flames, would you concentrate on the period they played like a team, or would you chew them out for the two periods they played like a bunch of individuals? I would spend 2/3 of the time on the individual players and 1/3 on what they did right as a team.   

Dustin Wolf

Wolf has won his last three starts, although he could have done better against the Buffalo Sabres. Has the old Wolf returned? He can be the standup goalie; he is one of the elite. My fingers are crossed that the Flames could still have a bright future in net. Nice to see signs of the good Wolf back again.

Yegor Sharangovich

Yegor is beginning to play better; maybe he is upping his trade value. Seriously, though, he seems to be more relaxed. Hopefully, he will continue to progress. He has a lot of talent, but at times he looks disinterested.  

MacKenzie Weeger

It is nice to see MacKenzie get his shot back. He has struggled this season. I wonder if it is as simple as MacKenzie putting too much pressure on himself. I think if he just plays instead of overthinking, we will see the old MacKenzie Weeger.

Final word

If I am reading these veterans right, I come to one conclusion. They are working toward the playoffs. I’m not saying they’ll make the playoffs, though. These vets have to show the younger players what it takes to play a full 60 minutes. It comes down to simple math. Although we have seen some signs of improvement, there is still more to do. It may be cliché, but hockey is a game of 60 minutes. 

It’s Time to Talk Turkey — Do the Isles Go All In?

The Isles are at a crossroads this season; they have to make a decision about the direction of this team. In the last blog, I wrote about a replacement for Romanov. Do I dare say the loss of Kyle Palmieri is worse? Where is the offense coming from? If they’re serious about making the playoffs, the Isles need to address the issue.

Unless another forward steps up to help Bo Horvat, the offensive production will be a problem. The Isles’ forwards are going to have to pick it up. I am looking at you, Jonathan Drouin, with three goals this season. He needs to improve. Anders Lee, with five goals, will have to pick up his game, too. The one player who has played well is the unsung hero, Emil Heinemann. He is the only other player in double digits.

The next quandary is what to do with Matt Barzal. Do the Islanders separate the two to add scoring depth? Could Barzal survive on his own? I think he has to for the Islanders’ success. Last but not least, the Isles need the bottom list to pinch in. The scoring as a committee will be full force.

The best solution is the trade route. Can the Isles find a suitable partner who is willing to talk turkey? Pardon the pun, can the Isles find the right dressing to bring the team to the table? It all comes down to whether the New York Islanders want to go all in or play it cool and try to pull off a hockey trade.

Final Word

There is one player I would put high on my list if I were the New York Islanders. Let’s qualify this before I go ahead—I am in no way suggesting that the New York Islanders are talking to the Calgary Flames. This is only a suggestion, not inside info. That being said, the play I would highly recommend is the New York Islanders, with Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames.

Do you think the Islanders are a playoff team? It’s material at this moment because the fact is, they are within shouting distance of making the playoffs. Like it or not, those are the facts. Whether you feel they are a playoff team or not doesn’t change their position. The New York Islanders will have a choice to make by the deadline. Do they go for it, or will they sell and get ready for the draft next year? That is anyone’s guess. I would look into replacing the injured players and take it from there.

Randy