With the hiring of Geoff Ward back as the head coach, the Flames are signalling they do not want to put the moola into a coach. I will be honest: I wanted Laviolette, who took his act to Washington. With this hiring of Geoff Ward, it is thought that the Flames may not part with Gaudreau. Some people think that maybe the Flames Management thinks they are closer to winning the championship than most of us.
I will say this; Ward brings with him a familiarity with the players. This move also gives the players confidence that the ownership is behind them. I mean, it might provide them with the chance to finish what they started—Management is showing that they liked what they saw in Ward. As I said earlier, the cynic in me thinks the Flames did not want to put the bucks into coaching.
Then there are the rumours the Flames are going after the Coyote goalie, Darcy Kuemper. Then Flames' goaltending troubles are well-known, as the meltdown in game six against the Stars exhibited. That might have ended the talks between Talbot and the Flames.
Speaking of Gaudreau, there is some chatter that the Flames could go with all offence. Could the Flames fit Hall and Gaudreau? If that happens, Brodie and Hammer will be departing. I question the logic of keeping Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hall.
Last word
The Flames would love Connor Mackey and Juuso Valimaki to step in now. They might just bring in a new goalie and sign a big name forward. They also have Kylington and Yelesin if they chose to use them. The point is, they may want to give the young legs a chance to run with the puck. Or should I say, skate with it.
As we enter this wacky offseason, none of us know what to expect. Will we have fans or not? How long will the season be? Will it be another bubble season or will the teams be travelling? What we do know is that there is an NHL Draft scheduled for October 6th-7th. The Free Agent Frenzy was moved up to October 9th because the teams need something to do. Of course, I am being factious. I have no idea why they moved it up.
Some teams will be scrambling to stay under the cap. Others, like Montreal and Ottawa, will be opening up for business. The management of every team is trying to nail down what kind of team they want? I am not sure every team knew who they were, much less how to win a championship in this environment. If you don't know what kind of team you want, how can you expect success?
Brad Treliving's future may be on the line. It is vital for the Flames to get this offseason right. Brad Treliving: The Clock is Ticking
Flames management has to figure what kind of coach they want. Picking the right coach for the team is a process; that is why it is so vital for the Flames to come to a landing on this team's direction.
Picking a coach will ultimately determine the fate of Gaudreau. In order for the Flames to make a decision on Gaudreau, the new coach's hiring process should be done or close to it.
This offseason is short, so time is of the essence.
The hottest topic among Flames fans at the moment is what the Flames will do with Johnny Gaudreau (who will be known as Johnny Hockey from now on.) It is almost like an election. Wait—this is not democracy. The Flames don't care what the fans want. Sometimes I think we would be better off if they did. But I digress. Back to the real focus of this blog.
The Flames have been a colossal disappointment all season. We know that this core can't do what it takes to get us to the promised land.
It is time for a change. This franchise has gone stagnant. Whether or not it is fair, Johnny Gaudreau is always under scrutiny.
The Cons of Trading Johnny Gaudreau
Johnny is a very talented hockey player, and they don't grow on trees. Losing an arguably top-ten player can be catastrophic. Who will pick up the slack in the offence?
The second con is, how is this going to affect Monahan? Sometimes you have to worry about a player's ego and baby him a little. Monahan's season may even get worse without Gaudreau. Who is going to feed him the puck? Monahan stats will take it a hit. It will take him a while to get used to a new linemate. You have to consider moving Monahan, which could be a huge undertaking.
The third con is that you are not going to get an equal trade. If a team gives you an equal left-winger, they will consider that a lateral move, meaning the trade will not improve their team. You know that the team will not be better after this trade.
The Pros of Trading Gaudreau
Johnny is the star of the team. He is the greatest bang for your buck. There is no doubt Johnny will get you the most significant return in a deal. You will get three assets back in a trade. The Flames need help in the prospect pool and help in the defensive core. They will get that and more in a trade involving Johnny.
This team is in dire need of a shakeup. There is no greater shakeup than trading the star of the team. The Flames lack an identity; it's time to remedy that. They are only as good as their best star, and he is not getting it done. It might not be fair, but when things go wrong, the star gets the blame. It is a fact of life, just like death and taxes.
Last word
One thing is for sure—the Flames need a change. Tinkering is just not going to cut it. I would love to see a total rebuild. I know that will never happen, so that I will settle for a retool.
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.
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.
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.
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.
