Flames were a dominant team with Hamilton on the ice. Their problem was the 2nd and 3rd pairings not the 1st. Gio's also only grtting older. Not sure if he's capable of putting a lesser d partner on his back.
- flamminghead

Dominant teams don't miss the playoffs by 10+ points under any circumstance.

Well, a couple things.
1st I’ll apologize to Bingo, obviously I over assessed Hamilton’s value. I like the players coming back, but Dougies #’s should have gotten more coming our way.
2nd given the scope of the return, this has to mean there were issues with Dougie, right? And Ferland? And I guess those Fox not wanting to sign in Canada rumours must have some truth to it as well.
I really hope this works out for us.
- TandA4Flames

You might lose a little talent, but should gain team chemistry... and you get 2 legit young players.

I think Bennett may be the next one out of town. The way things are going he may not crack ten goals this season. Get something while other teams still feel a change of scenery will help realize his potential. It might never happen

Ferland has less penalties than Johnny Gaudreau. That says something.
- Kevin R

Technically true, but 12 of Gaudreau's penalty minutes were from when he got sticked in the face against Colorado.

The way things are going he may not crack ten goals this season.
- Hardbalz

Um, what?

Bennett's not getting traded unless a team's willing to pay for his full potential. His potential is worth far more to the Flames than whatever scrub he'd get back at this point. No point in selling low.

I think Bennett may be the next one out of town. The way things are going he may not crack ten goals this season. Get something while other teams still feel a change of scenery will help realize his potential. It might never happen
- Hardbalz

Oh I would hate if they traded Sam right now with a new coach running the show. Flames have too much invested in Bennett, trading him now would admit they made a mistake. He plays the game with an edge something the Flames need even more now that Ferlands gone. Even if he never scores 20 goals in a season he still makes a good top 9 forward. Let's see how he responds with a new coach and a fresh start first before we run him out of town.

Horrible trade. Yes the Flames underperformed last season but to blame one of their best players is conpletely asinine. I guess our gm puts more stock into intangibles then he does into analytics. Very disappointing.
- flamminghead

Now we know.....From today's Calgary Sun:
"...Hamilton ..... falls into the category of a player who isn’t bothered at all by losses, which rubs teammates and upper management the wrong way. Winning, and all the things necessary to do so, isn’t paramount to him."
"Conversely, Hamilton was clearly frustrated by the team’s decision to put his brother on waivers and did several things as the year wound down to demonstrate his unhappiness."

I can only imagine how that must have gone down with Tkachuk and Gaudreau to name two Flames (and Smith) who play every game with heart and soul. Add to that a rookie coach who couldn't find a solution that might have been possible with a more experienced coach.
Source:
http://calgarysun.com/spo...nge-dressing-room-dynamic

So Faulk is gone? Dont see the Hurricanes play Pesce on the third pairing

Knowing how Carolina loves to save money I think they will move out Faulk for futures, which would give them.

Slavin - Hamilton
Bean - Pesce
Fleury - TVR
McKeown

Um, what?

Bennett's not getting traded unless a team's willing to pay for his full potential. His potential is worth far more to the Flames than whatever scrub he'd get back at this point. No point in selling low.
- Hunkulese

THIS

Isn't that just part of the cycle of this forum?

-"Player X sucks, never gonna live up to their potential, gotta trade him"

-"When are they gonna trade player X, the GM should be fired if he doesn't trade player X"

-"We should trade player X while we can still pull the wool over some other dumb GM's eyes"

-"it's about time they traded Player X, but why would they take that bad deal, they didn't get enough for him, fire the GM"

-"The GM should have done a deal with this other team and got player H, player Y, and the #2 overall pick, what an idiot"

Had to read about why Backlund should be traded for years and years, and how he was never gonna pan out and that he was a bust of a draft pick. Now he's a top 5 checking center in the league so he's called overpaid and we should trade high.

Just painful sometimes.(always)
But I keep coming back, so I guess that's on me.

I want to vomit and die.

Now we know.....From today's Calgary Sun:
"...Hamilton ..... falls into the category of a player who isn’t bothered at all by losses, which rubs teammates and upper management the wrong way. Winning, and all the things necessary to do so, isn’t paramount to him."
"Conversely, Hamilton was clearly frustrated by the team’s decision to put his brother on waivers and did several things as the year wound down to demonstrate his unhappiness."

I can only imagine how that must have gone down with Tkachuk and Gaudreau to name two Flames (and Smith) who play every game with heart and soul. Add to that a rookie coach who couldn't find a solution that might have been possible with a more experienced coach.
Source:
http://calgarysun.com/spo...nge-dressing-room-dynamic
- itwasin

Strange you mention Smith's heart and soul but I seem to remember his play taking a drastic turn for the worse in the second half of last season. He plays like that again this year and the Flames are done.

Dominant teams don't miss the playoffs by 10+ points under any circumstance.
- aries1976

When I say "with Hamilton on the ice" it refers to the minites and seconds on which he played not each total game that he was healthy.

Hamilton has always been the king of fancy stats, but if you look at last year, his fancy stats were only marginally better than Hanifin's. Analytics puts a huge emphasis on shots so CF% is a pretty good stat to just boil everything down to a single number. 1st in CF% last year, Giordano, 2nd, Hamilton, 3rd, Hanifin. Hamilton was just slightly ahead in Points/60 and primary points/60. All the stats are at 5v5.

If Hanifin continues to improve next year, the step back from Hamilton will be minimal if there's a step back at all.

If Brodie can get back to where he was with the Giordano bump and Hanifin and Hamonic work well together, Flames can easily have the top 5 defence everyone was expecting last year.

Knowing how Carolina loves to save money I think they will move out Faulk for futures, which would give them.

Slavin - Hamilton
Bean - Pesce
Fleury - TVR
McKeown
- DutchSenators

You know that this guy has only owned the team since February, right? This is a completely different situation than what has been there in the past.

You know that this guy has only owned the team since February, right? This is a completely different situation than what has been there in the past.
- BINGO!

It's cool to see the owner of the Hurricanes with the balls to spend a little money. I live close enough to them to check out 8-10 games a season. I'm not a fan of them, but the fact I can go see them play and only drive two hours gives me a soft spot for them.

When I say "with Hamilton on the ice" it refers to the minites and seconds on which he played not each total game that he was healthy.
- flamminghead

Team chemistry will be better without Hamilton.

Hanifin will not disappoint.. Elias is a legit top 6 guy.

Don't be a hater.

Hamilton was the only really grossly overrated player on your team.

If offence was the only thing that kinda matters...
Hamilton 44 points, Gardiner 51 points, and some idiot leaf fans would trade him for a 2nd round pick.

Somebody didn't like Dougie...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ7EYRokluQ

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Brouwer
Mangiapane-Shore-Foo
Subs: Dube,Gawdin,Phillips,Prybil,Hrivik

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kulak-Andersson
Subs:Valimaki,Kylington,Wotherspoon

At this point this is what we are working with to start the season fellas. Not to shabby if the season started now. Probably still looking for a top six winger still however.

Paul Stastny will be a UFA that Winnipeg simply cannot afford at all. You could probably get him in the 5 mil range if you wanted to push Backlund down to 3rd line centre. Probably not something I would do though considering Tkachuk's upcoming contract.

I like that Hanifin's good buddies with Johnny and Chucky..from what Hanifin said in his interview yesterday. Also, Lindholm and Backlund know each other. I think the chemistry on this team should be better than last year. Pure speculation but this team looked off in terms of chemistry last year.

I think BT did as well as he could in getting value for DH and Fox with this trade. I also love that both hanifin and Lindholm have 5/6 years of RFA years left. I think this was a good move.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Brouwer
Mangiapane-Shore-Foo
Subs: Dube,Gawdin,Phillips,Prybil,Hrivik

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kulak-Andersson
Subs:Valimaki,Kylington,Wotherspoon

At this point this is what we are working with to start the season fellas. Not to shabby if the season started now. Probably still looking for a top six winger still however.

Paul Stastny will be a UFA that Winnipeg simply cannot afford at all. You could probably get him in the 5 mil range if you wanted to push Backlund down to 3rd line centre. Probably not something I would do though considering Tkachuk's upcoming contract.
- Flamin_Irishmin

IMO Still need another RW that can score. Any chance if we overpay Neal he might sign for less term?

Frolik had 25 points last year. Not good enough for 2nd line duties. He is essentially a shutdown guy now. Lindholm can do the same but score goals. Time to move on from Frolik.

A 3rd line Bennett, Janko, and either Foo or Mange. Give them some easy zone starts and see what they can do. This line should bring speed and energy.

Read somewhere that it makes more sense to buy out Brouwer next year. Keep him around for the PK and the odd fight........and important faceoffs.

JG-SM-??
MT-MB-HL
SB-MJ-SFoo
AM-Shore-Brouwer

Bringing in Neal might be a good move just to have a Vet with some experience in playoffs on the forward core, we will have to overpay but it fills a huge need.

I think this lineup brings a pretty balanced attack. Gives Bennett another winger that can actually skate as well.

With Stone they could probably retain 1-1.5 mil and a trade would be much easier.

IMO Still need another RW that can score. Any chance if we overpay Neal he might sign for less term?

Frolik had 25 points last year. Not good enough for 2nd line duties. He is essentially a shutdown guy now. Lindholm can do the same but score goals. Time to move on from Frolik.

A 3rd line Bennett, Janko, and either Foo or Mange. Give them some easy zone starts and see what they can do. This line should bring speed and energy.

Read somewhere that it makes more sense to buy out Brouwer next year. Keep him around for the PK and the odd fight........and important faceoffs.

JG-SM-??
MT-MB-HL
SB-MJ-SFoo
AM-Shore-Brouwer

Bringing in Neal might be a good move just to have a Vet with some experience in playoffs on the forward core, we will have to overpay but it fills a huge need.

I think this lineup brings a pretty balanced attack. Gives Bennett another winger that can actually skate as well.

With Stone they could probably retain 1-1.5 mil and a trade would be much easier.
- DuranDuran

Hakan Loob?

I think Bennett may be the next one out of town. The way things are going he may not crack ten goals this season. Get something while other teams still feel a change of scenery will help realize his potential. It might never happen
- Hardbalz

Never draft players that can’t do a single chin up.

So Faulk is gone? Dont see the Hurricanes play Pesce on the third pairing
- DutchSenators

It would be Faulk who would be third pairing with pp time.

Hakan Loob?
- jazzca1974

😁👍