Let's play General Manager

Let's play General Manager. Don't tell me you guys have never wished to be the General Manager? Who hasn't thought about what they would do if they were in charge? So today, we discuss who wins the coaching job, because we all fired Ward.

Peter Laviolette

Peter is on the top of the list of every team that is looking. He is a winner wherever he coaches. He coached the Canes to the cup in '05. Peter is a defence-first coach; he will drill into this team to be smart out there. The Flames need a system that works. 

Michel Therrien

Michael is a veteran coach with the Pens and Habs. Michel has coached the Pens for four years. Therrien coached the Habs two different terms, the first a three-year term and the next being a five-year term. Eight years of a no-nonsense head coach. In contrast, the Flames have allowed the inmates to run the asylum.

Dan Bylsma 

Dan is the head coach of Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. Dan was the head coach of the Stanley Cup Champion Pens in 2008-2009. Dan is the coach of the young players. He is known for being a strict but fair coach. 

Bruce Boudreau

Coach of hard knocks Bruce runs a tight ship. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that is is the captain. Bruce has a solid hockey mind. He appeals to the real men. Fans will love Boudreau; he will be the man everyone pulls for. 

Last Word

The Calgary Flames are in no hurry to make changes. Gaudreau and Monahan are saying they don't want to leave. I think they doth protest too much. It is all about playing the game. Each team has their public relations people prepping them what to say. The bottom line is, Gaudreau is only getting traded if we can get a package to help with the future and now. Get used to having him around.

Randy

Dumpster Fire

 

I was just going to leave asterisks in the title and let you use your imaginations. I was going to call it 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. In essence, ways for the Flames to part ways with their core. 

Then I said to myself I have to be professional. Wait—I really don't have to. Hence the title Dumpster Fire.

I understand everyone's frustration, but leaving the team in Edmonton is too cruel. No one deserves that. But I digress; what can be done? First of all, you have to go about this logically. Trading players away just for the sake of trading them is not going to work. Secondly, the knee jerk method "fire everyone" can't automatically be put into action. Even though I feel that cleaning house is the best option, I do not think the Flames will use it.

The team must also figure out whether to retool or rebuild.   

Here is a quote coming from an avid Flames fan on what the Flames need:

"The GM failed big time in getting a number one goalie and, more important, an elite coach."

I concur with that, and I also feel the team has failed in getting a number one centre. 

Johnny Gaudreau 

Again, people, I can't use that kind of language in my blog! 

Johnny has two years left in his deal. He is Calgary's best bargaining chip. He has one of the best contracts in the NHL. Love him, or hate him; everyone knows he is worth more than $6.75 million. Johnny Gaudreau is good for nearly a point a game All selling points if you put him on the market.  

Sean Monahan 

Sean is a second-line centre who will get you 60 to 70 points a season. Known for his quick release, especially his wrister. Of course, he is the Flames' number one centre and they will want the first-line centre package in return. No chance they get it. The better option might be to hang on to him and keep him as a second-line centre.  

Here is another quote from a fan, a thought I think is running rampant among Flames fans. 

"Why are we talking dumping Monahan or Gaudreau? The Flames should dump them both disappear during the playoffs anyways. He says, "The Flames should start looking at players who perform in the playoffs who know how to win." 

 

There are some good assets to hang onto. Among the forwards, of course, we have Matthew Tkachuk, Dillon Dube, the bead man Andrew Mangiapane. Of course, the biggest is Sam Bennett, who raised his stock considerably. To a lesser degree, Elias Lingholm and Mickael Backlund. There is hope from the farm, left wing Jakob Pelletier and centre Martin Pospisil, who could be traded if it really meant bringing in a player. I would prefer that the Flames do not go that route, and hang onto the prospects. 

Goaltending Woes

Everyone knows the Flames have two number two quality backups. The problem is trying to find a number one in the market. The talk of the town is the late-round pick, Dustin Wolf. His lateral movement is bar none. He fights through screens and follows the puck well. Dustin is still a few years away, though. Find out more on our goalie panel blog. 

The two most prominent names in the goalie market are Lehner and Holtby.

The defense is stable enough, with Rasmus Andersson getting ready to take over the number one position. Juuso Valimaki will be healthy and should be able to take one of the spots. Hannifin has to improve. If the Flames chose to let Hammer and Brodie go, Kylington and Yeltsin will be in the picture. 

We do have some exciting prospects in the future. Connor Mackey and Colton Poolman have tons of potential. 

And there are many challenges in trying to find a player who knows how to win and a number one goalie. Yeah, good luck.

Randy

The Goalie Panel

 

Today, Dearen and I address the goaltending tandem for next season.

Randy

First of all, let me say ahead of time I have nothing to do with Rittich. I know that's a weird way to start, but I wanted to get that out in the open right away.

The Flames could explore many more options. The goalie market is wide open. The big two are Holtby and Lehner. Holtby does not impress me at all with his showing with the Capitals. He's about as consistent as a three dollar bill. Let me say no thanks. 

Robin Lehner is another name that could attract some interest. The main problem with Lehner is the cap. Robin will want the bank and a couple of Islands along with it. The Flames are not in the real estate business again; no thanks. In a perfect world, I am sure the Flames would love to bring him aboard, but they can't. 

The bottom line is the Flames really don't have too many options. The two biggest names, Holtby and Lehner, can't be had. The others I could go into are not in Talbot's league. This is based on what Talbot has done in the playoffs. He has not been human. 

That leads me to Rittich. Is he willing to take a lesser role? I know what you are going to say. He has no choice. And you are right. That being said, if he becomes unhappy with his role, he might become a hindrance instead of a team player. The Flames may have to explore the option of trading Rittich. 

The Flames will explore, but in the end, they will go back to Talbot and Rittich. They are not going to find anything better. 

Dearen 

Here is my partner in crime. You can follow Dearen on Twitter at Jasta28.

Who should be the Flames goalie duo next season?

Currently, Cam Talbot is playing some of the best hockey of his career. Once again, covering a poor showing by Monahan and Gaudreau. However, let's not fall in love and crown Talbot with the starter's job for next season or even discuss a long term deal for Cam Talbot. Has Talbot earned a new contract? Yes, yes, he has, but that contract may not be with the Calgary Flames. 

During the COVID shutdown, Cam Talbot went public in a few interviews and shared that he is comfortable and very happy in Calgary. He even said that he would love to sign a new deal in with the Flames. His current play will motivate him and bring his confidence to where he believes he deserves the number one job. But are there enough teams out there willing to sign a 32-year-old net-minder one year removed from a bad season to a multi-year deal with a guarantee he is the number one? I doubt it, especially with the absence of a salary cap increase. 

I do believe Cam Talbot has earned a raise, and he will likely make more than $2.750M next season. The goalie market heading into free agency looks to offer some intriguing options for teams. Names to mention with age: Braden Holtby (30), Robin Lehner (28), Jacob Markstrom (30), Anton Khudobin (34), and Thomas Greiss (34), among others including Cam Talbot. The big name that jumps out is Braden Holtby. Lloydminster born, Western Hockey Leaguer and Stanley Cup winner Braden Holtby. Robin Lehner is close behind. Should the Flames sign either Holtby or Lehner, I would feel a lot more confident heading into a season than the start of this past season with Rittich and Talbot. 

I've seen some comments where people believe David Rittich will be moved and that Rittich cannot handle the wear and tear of a full NHL season. Some of the criticism is fair, but Rittich, who turns 28 in a few days, is a young 28-year-old net-minder. Rittich is still learning the game and still learning how to best train his body to endure a heavy NHL season. I would be shocked and disappointed if the Flames make Rittich available and move on. I think Rittich's best playing days are still ahead of him. In today's NHL, where you need a goalie tandem, I would be more comfortable with a Holtby/Rittich, Lehner/Rittich or Talbot/Rittich tandem than other options that do not include Rittich. 

My prediction is that Cam Talbot comes back on a one-year deal, perhaps a two-year deal to bring the average cap hit down, and we move forward with a Talbot and Rittich tandem for next season. I believe Holtby will be too rich for the Flames, and although Lehner would be a welcome addition, I think the Flames will go with what they know and the more affordable option and our current bubble MVP Cam Talbot returns.

Kipper the Man

 

Before we do our Flames panel, I would like to honour Mikka Kiprusoff. (Kipper.) When my son Doug was young, he and I want to all the Flames practices, where we met a lot of the Flames then playing. At one of these practices, we met Kipper for the first time. My son was 5 or 6. I lost sight of him and was looking for him frantically. I heard Kipper calling me over and saying, "Is this him?" Doug was surrounded by a bunch of fans trying to get Kipper's autograph.

The next time we saw Kipper was at another practice when I asked him about the scorpion save. I asked him, "How the heck did you manage to get that puck with the ledge?" His reply was, "Just instinct." Here is the save I found on Youtube. 

Kipper was known for his agility, making saves out of nowhere. His ability to dive back to save the day was second to none. One such time, Kyle Winwood had an empty net. Instead of slapping the puck, he just gave it a little flick. He paid for letting up, giving Kipper enough time to dive back with his stick out, stopping him from putting the puck into a wide empty cage. 

The fans never wanted him to leave, yelling out Kipper to the end. His sendoff was one of the most powerful moments I have ever witnessed. 

Kids wanted to be him. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. This kid took it to another level:

Last Word

Kipper had nine great seasons in Calgary. He was a late bloomer and really did not become a superstar until he arrived here. His best year was 2003-2004, carrying the team on his back right to the finals. Some people beg to differ, saying that 2005-2006 was Kipper's best season, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy (best NHL goalie statistical.) He also won the Vezina Trophy that year. He was the goalie, period. 

Randy

Flames' Future

Today I have a special guest, Dearen. I asked him: Should the Flames re-sign Brodie and or Hamonic?

It is a great question. Both players will be 30 years of age when they sign their next NHL contract. Hamonic, a right-hander, and Brodie, a lefty who predominantly plays on the right side. Right side defensemen are valuable, and when you need one, they are hardly ever available. But will the Flames re-sign either guy? If both guys walk, it will leave the Flames with Andersson as their top right side defenseman and no right-handed depth behind him.

With 637 career NHL games, Hamonic plays in the trenches, a team-first player, a player who will block a shot and lay his body on the line every shift. This means his 637 career NHL games have put some wear and tear on his body, but you need guys like Hamonic to win. His current cap hit is $3.857M, which is a result of the discounted extension he signed with the Islanders years ago. 

Brodie, with 634 career NHL games and counting and a $4.650M cap hit, is a different player and a better skater than Hamonic. However, you could argue that Brodie is not the same player when he is not paired with Norris winner, Mark Giordano.

For me, it comes down to the Flames needing defencemen who can play that right side, and the Flames are also desperate to find a powerplay quarterback. Perhaps Gustafsson flourishes in the powerplay role, and he is re-signed to fill that need. But let us take a look at which pending unrestricted defensemen are available that could fill those two needs:

Alex Pietrangelo - Unlikely this happens, I know. But Pietrangelo would fill both needs if Hamonic and Brodie walk. Also, Pietrangelo could cost the Flames in salary what Hamonic and Brodie make combined, or close to it. I would make a serious pitch, tell him the new arena is not that far away and give him a percentage of all Pocket Dawg sales.

Alex is the best free agent defenceman in the market. He is the best skilled all-around player. He excels at all aspects of the game.  

 

Tyson Barrie - Around the trade deadline, Barrie's name was linked to Calgary numerous times. Western Canadian guy who is likely to return to Toronto. More offensive than both Hamonic and Brodie. Could you bring Barrie in to play second pairing minutes while running the powerplay? I'd consider it.

Tyson Barrie would be a perfect fit for a powerplay quarterback. His strength is distributing the puck up to the forwards. Controlling the powerplay would be right up his alley. 

Other names available that could fill one of the two needs:

-Justin Schultz

-Torey Krug

-Joel Edmundson

-Sami Vatanen

-Radko Gudas.

My suspicion is that Hamonic signs with Winnipeg and the Flames add Tyson Barrie via free agency. I do not think the Flames spend the money to bring back both Hamonic and Brodie, and they need to get a guy who can run a powerplay, we need to find a way to reduce the on-ice time for Giordano. I could see the Flames signing both Barrie and Brodie, but that will mean we did not add a top-six forward. I am not convinced the Flames can land a guy like Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman or Tyler Toffoli anyway, so maybe they spend their cap space on the defence and bring in Barrie and retain Brodie. That is my best guess. 

You're exactly right about Hamonic. I feel strongly That the Hammer is going to the Jets. I think that he wants to be closer to his family. Finally, third fold the Winnipeg Jets need defencemen. Everyone knows that Taylor Hall would love to come home can the Flame fit him. 

Hey, look! Braden Holtby is an unrestricted free agent. Sorry, Randy, this is about our defence, we can save that one for another blog.

 

A great job, bud. You can find Dearen on twitter @jasta28. A terrific follow. Yes, we will address the Holtby in another blog.

The next vital question is, What will the Flames to with Johnny Hockey? Should they keep him or not? I asked one of my followers on Twitter. 

I think the Flames need to keep Johnny Gaudreau, simply because he’s the best and most polarizing player we’ve had since Iginla. He’s fast, exciting, and every time he touches the puck, there’s the potential for something special to happen. Trading Gaudreau, in my mind, signals that you are beginning the process of rebuilding. He’s the one that puts butts in seats at the Saddledome, and without him, our team looks a lot less formidable. While he has struggled lately, there’s still reason to believe that he has some magic left in him yet. Lastly, there’s no real evidence to suggest that “he wants to go home” aside from a radio hit he did years ago when he was essentially saying something to that effect to flatter the host who asked him the question.

First of all, I like to thank CofRedCentral for joining me on this blog. He is an excellent follow. I enjoy his tweets and his observations a great person to follow.  

I concur that there is no evidence that Johnny has wanted out. I asked a Philly media representative the question. He said he would not read anything into it. Every player dreams about playing in his hometown.  

Johnny is one of the best players in the League, no doubt. He has to be more consistent. I do not doubt that the Flames do not want to trade him. The problem is, I don't think they can find a suitable player to replace him. 

The last guest I asked Taranjot Vining, an aspiring Broadcaster who has been running a Flames related page on Instagram for 3+ years—born and raised in Calgary. You can reach him on Instagram at @straight_outta_calgary or on twitter @Flames_Report. 

I asked him the question, What happens if the Flames don't make a long run in the playoffs?

If the Flames don’t manage to make a deep run in the playoffs, I think management may be the ones to blame. Management failed to address the issue of having to add a top-six right winger and failed to add some much-needed help to boost the depth in the bottom six of the team. However, management did try to bring in pieces like Kadri, Zucker and Stone—Zucker and Stone were pieces the Flames tried to add at the 2019 Trade Deadline. Reportedly, Kadri nixed a deal that would’ve sent him to the Flames in exchange for Mark Jankowski and a few other pieces—but they failed to do so, as none of the trades went through. Either due to players nixing the trade or the team just not wanting to go through with the trade. All in all, I think management should’ve properly managed assets and brought in a piece to help the top six.

Your first comment on the top-six forward is dead on. We have not addressed that issue for some time. We have been looking for two years now for the second line. The Kadri deal was nixed, the Flames have to research to see if the player would love to play her. Management has to take the blame if this team does not make a large playoff run. 

I want to thank the gentlemen for joining me in the blog. If you want a say, contact me at twitter @thefanblogger. 

Stay safe.

Randy