Make changes now before it is too late

The Calgary Flames need to make a statement, because the way they're playing is hideous.  So much inconsistent play, from the forwards down to the goalies. Rittich is coming off his worst start of the season against the Panthers. The Flames had total control of the game, up 4-2 in the third, when their brains seem to cease working. They instantly went into sleep mode and allowed the Panthers to score three goals in the third.

What is going on? One has to think there is a problem in the dressing room. They seem to be uninterested in playing a full 60 minutes. The defence is getting caught flat-footed in their zone. The forwards are taking penalties, too lazy to make an effort.  Too many times, the Flames have just stopped skating. They are holding and tripping to get the puck back, which could easily be fixed by taking that extra stride to catch up.

Is it the coaching?  The players seem to have no idea what system the Flames are playing. They seem to be confused about their coverage in the defensive zone. Two defencemen are going behind the net, leaving opposing forwards wide open in front of the slot, while the Flames forwards are waiting for the defence to getting them the puck.

The second line is lacking hustle.  Frolik is the one taking the heat. Frolik is a steady player, but he is not a second-line winger. The Calgary Flames have to take part of the responsibility for this. They knew he was not a second-line player, yet they did nothing to find a replacement.

The Flames have had an issue with second-line support with scoring for the last three years. They have had a dressing room issue for the previous two years. Players are putting themselves over the team. The Flames have to make a statement. They must hold players responsible for their actions.  Changing the lines up at the Heritage Classic was a step. Free rides must come to an end; this team has to mesh before it is too late.

I know what you are going to say. I know it is early. But too many times, I have seen the Flames fall behind too far to come back. The team's attitude of just "showing up" has to change; this team is not good enough to just show up.

Randy

Same old, same old

The Flames are still looking like they forgot that a game is sixty minutes. They are making too many mistakes, leading to many scoring chances. The forwards are still not coming back; the defence again caught way out of position. To be fair, the Avs are one of the best teams in the League. I know it is only one game, but it just concerns me the team is still having the same issues.

My biggest worry is the goaltender not being able to bail the Flames out. Rittich was not bad, but he was not spectacular. For the Flames to win against this all-out offence, the goaltending has to flawless. The Flames are a force to be reckoned with, but they cannot win with this offence. Frankly, they don't have the tools to do it.

The Flames are trying to sell Frolik. But they are running into problems with the cap. Teams need an incentive to take that cap on. Frolik is a useful player, but his cap is a bit too high for a third-line winger.

So the Flames have to add a pick get a deal done. They have another option, and that is eating some of the cap. So far, they have not been willing to do that. 

They have been in discussion with the Devils. The Devils have not shown much interest in Frolik. But they have admitted to looking for a defenceman. That is okay with the Flames, but the Devils are balking at the price of Brodie. I guess the Flames want an arm and a leg for TJ. I never understood that saying, but I digress. The Devils are not alone; many teams are showing interest, but the Flames cannot get anyone to bite on the price.

Don't kid yourself; the Flames are one of the most active teams in the League, but they cannot find a willing partner.

I can tell you they are ecstatic with the play of Lucic—go figure.

The Ugly Truth

TKACHUK

Who in Calgary, in all honesty, isn't sick of the Tkachuk saga? I know I am getting tired of hearing all the same answers. No matter how much I ask, I am not going to find out the full truth. To be fair, my source can only say so much. This much we know: they're fighting over the bonus structure. The good news is that the differences in the dollar amounts is not a worry. Tkachuk wants the Marner contract. The Flames have made it clear that under no circumstances are they going to yield to that demand. Well, there is one way — maybe if Tkachuk lowers his cap hit, the Flames will put some of the bonus structure back. See how that works, except if Tkachuk wants as much as he can and is giving up some free agency years. So right now it is a game of chicken or who blinks first. My money is on Tkachuk.

The team has gone through this before and will again. Tkachuk does not have much pull here; sooner or later, he will have to capitulate. The Flames will only go so far.  

GOALTENDING

Jon Gillies 

What are the Flames going to do with him? He struggles with controlling the puck; stopping the puck. In fact, he struggles with anything that has to do with a hockey puck. The Flames pretty much informed him that he has dropped down the depth chart to number four. 

Artyom Zagidulin

The Flames are being cautiously optimistic when it comes to Artyom. He has been flawless, but this the preseason. He is a terrific prospect in which the Flames have insurance if Talbot or Big Save Dave go down. 

Tyler Parsons

The intriguing question is Parsons. Do you put Gillies in Stockton at the expense of him? Parsons has been better than Gillies but can he keep it up for the whole season? The other question is, do they base their decisions only on the camp or does last season play into it? Gillies was the better goalie last year, no doubt. An interesting dilemma. The only thing I am sure of is that Gillies will have to clear waivers this season for sure. 

PTO PLAYERS — MY TOP PICKS

Zac Rinaldo

Zac has shown he has some talent. Making a beauty pass on the Flames second goal was impressive. He has picked up some speed and hustle. He has fit in and has represented himself in Flames colours quite nicely.

Devante Smith-Pelly 

I am a big fan of Smith-Pelly since his Capitals days. I love his no-nonsense style; the Flames lack toughness, and he would address this issue for sure. He might not add much offence, but his style is contagious and would put some fire in the dressing room. 

What does Andrew MacDonald's PTO mean?

The Calgary Flames made it very clear that they wanted veteran defencemen to fit in that number six or seven spot. So, does Andrew MacDonald fit the bill? Well, he's a vet, alright. The problem is, he is also a slow dimensional dman.  Andrew would help in the powerplay and add the goal now and then.  He is a good leader who would help the young dmen. You can never get enough leaders in the dressing room. The advantage for Andrew MacDonald is there is no pressure on him; he would simply be another weapon on the powerplay.  

But does he fill the role of third pairing on the defence?  Technically, yes;  but do I think he is the answer?  I think the Flames can do better. The problem is they might not be able to for a couple of reasons. Defensive strength comes at a high cost. The Flames may very well have to give up a high pick and a couple of prospects to get him. I am not sure the Flames will be willing to pay that price.  First of all, the Flames have to believe that they are a cup contender. Then are they comfortable giving up prospects? Are the Flames confident in their prospect cupboard? The experts seem to think it is a little thin. Do they want to make it thinner?

The next problem in that teams are holding onto their picks. A lot of organizations feel this draft pool is deep and talented. Something more the Flames have to evaluate is if they want to gamble for a defenceman.  I hate to be negative, but I am not that sure the Flames are that close enough to a cup run to ruin the future doing it.

So Andrew MacDonald gets a PTO with nothing to lose. If he doesn't make the team, the Flames turn him loose. If he does, he is a $700,000 number 7 defencemen.

The elephant is still the elephant. There is no change in the Tkachuk contract negotiations. Same old, same old - negotiating the bonus structure. Tkachuk wants to get paid during the lockout. The Flames are trying to minimize that bonus structure as much as possible. Both sides want to get done; this is just business. As a fan, sometimes that is hard to believe.

Randy

Much ado about nothing

It is all hush-hush in Flames-land, like they are hiding classified information. The other day, I was promised some info, so I was excited about finally having something to write. Boy, was I ever wrong! I was told, "It is all about the RFA's right now." Matthew Tkachuk is no different; the Flames main priority is all based on him. I am of the opinion that the Tkachuk contract is complete; they are just trying to make room for him to fit under the cap and to work out the bonus structure. Whether I am right or wrong is remains to be seen. The only thing for sure is that they are trying to clear up about $2.5 million, which means they want a little breathing room at the deadline. Every team would like to have some wiggle room to bring in some help to make that extra push towards the playoffs. I was told, "Do not read too much into it; we are just covering all our angles." I keep getting told there are no worries when it comes to the Tkachuk cap issues. It is frustrating to have to wait and see, but it is a business, and the players want to protect themselves during the lockout. "We want to get paid during a lockout" seems to the sentiment out there. Nothing ticks me off more than these players trying to get paid in case of a lockout. How about trying to avoid it instead of planning for it? The Curse of Juuso Valimaki You have to feel bad for Juuso. He's had one injury after another. So I was brave enough to ask my source (if you don't ask, you will always wonder), "What is our next move?" "First, let's see if we move Sean or Mark." I was flabbergasted. EXCUSE ME? Are you joking? He later clarified, "Yes, I am joking. Actually, we are not sure." The Flames are looking into moving out someone in the bottom six right now. But they could end up moving others or no one. Those weren't his exact words; I am paraphrasing as close as I can. They were getting together to discuss their options. So after the meeting, they did get back to me. I still don't have much to tell you, but this much I know, the Flames are trying to shop Frolic. I told him, "everyone knows that." He responded, "There is a plan, just give me a chance to explain." (I was being a little doubtful towards the execution of the said plan.) "We're hoping to find a team with an underachieving defenceman who we feel could excel in our system." We want to find a cheaper version of Frolic, plus a draft pick trade for Brodie to make more room. As I said, the Flames are trying free about $2.5 million in cap space. They are trying to be creative and get the deals done. Conclusion I wish I had more, but it is what it is. Hockey is a business, and the Flames need to be aware of cap issues, as do many other teams. The sooner the Flames can work out the bonus structure of the Tkachuk contract, the better. Then they can begin to prepare for the season.

Rittich Signs

Big Save Dave did not look like he was going to sign before the arbitration hearing. But in his own words, the work got done overnight. Boy, do I feel foolish; I was under the assumption that it was not going to happen.   Well, the Flames didn't think it was going to happen, but you never know!  One thing I have learned while covering the Flames is to expect the unexpected.

So what went right?  Rittich knew he would get a one- or two-year deal. So Dave went down to two years from his three-year stance. The Flames then upped their offer to $2.75 mm for two years. Presto, we have a deal! My source said no big deal; sometimes things get done.

It seems that most people are quite happy about this deal. Rittich was asking $3-3.5 mm. Nice to see the Flames up their offer to $2.75 mm. Big Save Dave has earned his coin. I'm glad Rittich signed two years instead of one.  About the only downside is that the Flames get no UFA years.

That likely means that the Flames think Parsons is close to being ready. He has two years to become NHL ready. Rittich might be willing to stay longer, but the Flames may have to pay the piper unless they are confident in the progress of Parsons.

So what does this mean for Talbot?  I don't think it will mean much. The Flames will be going with a 1A and 1B combo. They seem to feel it is working to a rested goalie going into the playoffs.

WHAT'S NEXT? WHAT ARE THEIR OPTIONS?

The team has to do another deal to make room for the Tkachuk signing. They do have options. First, there is the trading of TJ Brodie. The second option IS using the second buyout window. The likely choice is Michael Stone. The second buyout window closes Thursday, August 1 at 3 pm. The Flames do not want to use that option but may be forced to go that route. Another option is trading Michael Frolik. Michael Frolik's major problem is his cap hit. The Flames feel that his term reduces that; I beg to differ, but only time will tell. Every team can use Frolik. He is an excellent penalty killer and a third liner; just not at $4,300,000. In my opinion, it will be easier to trade number one defencemen  TJ Brodie at $4,650,400. Teams foam at the mouth to get a chance at a number one or two defensemen.  

Now there are other options, but they are too radical to consider. The Flames could look at trading Janko. I would hate to lose him because he has so much potential.  They have no interest in trading Gaudreau unless someone blows their mind.

34th Street meets Elm Street

So yesterday was nothing special. Not like anything significant happened, right?

Just a little dash of humour.

Let's talk about the  Milan Lucic for James  Neal. I had some time to think about why the Flames executed the deal. I understand it, but I don't like it.

Nightmare on Elm Street - Trading Neal for Lucic

What does Milan Lucic bring to the Flames? When I  asked my source, he said, "Milan gives us a different dimension, something this team has not had for some time." Milan is a true power forward who can get the garbage goals." Take it for what it is worth; the Flames lack toughness. They got pushed around too much last season. The coaching staff felt the Flames lacked leadership; a player who will do what it takes to win. They love Lucic's attitude. He is a player's player. He will lead by example.

He asked me what I thought of the trade. My response: "I did not like it at first. But now I understand it. Lucic will help the powerplay and give us a big body in front of the net. It is a fresh start for both players and both teams. Neal will produce at a higher rate in Edmonton. Lucic will perform better than in the past few years, so it will help the Flames also.

My initial thoughts on the deal

I  will be honest. My first reaction that it was like getting a kick in the teeth. That is the main reason I put off the blog for a day. I was looking at the stats. But the stats did not tell the full story. My heart understands Lucic putting too much pressure on himself, but my head says that is why he gets the big bucks. It comes down to my feeling that Neal has more potential than Lucic. I understand the transaction, but I still don't like the trade. Whether Lucic succeeds or not depends on how he handles the pressure in Calgary.

What does this have to do with Bennett?

I wish I had some insight here. What it comes down to is that the Flames are trying to keep Bennett. The main problem is that there are not too many other options.   The potential to trade Brodie is there, but the Flames are asking a lot, and teams feel it is too much. There is the option, of course, of Stone being bought out. But the Flames prefer the trade. That pretty much leaves Bennet in limbo with no place to go.

Miracle on 34th Street: The new building announcement

The Flames and the City are close to getting a new arena. It is nice to see the parties coming to a tentative agreement. A new arena will make it easier to entice players to come to Calgary. According to the Flames, they were never leaving Calgary. This is just one step closer to getting our fans into an arena that works for everyone.

The Flames needed the new arena for the suites; it will bring in more revenue. And like I say, players will want to come here. The finalization of terms should take about six months and construction could begin by the spring.

One final word

What is going on with Tkachuk?  Nothing new to report here. My source says when it is done, it is done.  It is close, but sometimes when it is close, there is still a lot of work to be done. There are no worries, though.