This move is great for them in 3-4 years, but they still need time. Their current roster has a good top six (Missing a 2nd line center), A #1 defensemen and a good prospect base.
They do however still have an awful defense, a bottom six with limited offense and a huge question mark in net.
Calgary is still arguably the 2nd best team in the division as it stands now.
Anyone here proclaiming our season is over already needs to give their head a serious shake. We as Flames fans know first-hand what it's like to watch management go out and sign the best free agents at the time (Bouwmeester and Jokinen), only to have it not work out the way we'd hoped. The season hasn't even started yet and too many of us here are wanting it over already.
Everyone needs to relax, wow, our season is already over because of the events of today??? get a grip
Yes the Wild got alot better, but that doesn't make them a "team". The pieces still have to round into form to be a legitimate contender.
The history of UFA signings always has these summer declarations that this team or that team is now the team to beat. Heck I remember when we made the Tanguay-Leopold trade, I was standing with my buddy in a lounge watching the ticker on the NHL and we were like "Wow Calgary is going to the Cup, Iggy's going to score 60 with Tanguay, etc."
Or how about how Pittsburgh was going to roll over everyone to the Cup this year?
Or when Colorado signed Kariya and Selanne?
Fair point!
That being said they got to be better than us on paper right now. They have the same amount of holes in their lineup but some serious star power now with Suter, Parise, and even Granlund if you want to add him into the mix.
Anyone here proclaiming our season is over already needs to give their head a serious shake. We as Flames fans know first-hand what it's like to watch management go out and sign the best free agents at the time (Bouwmeester and Jokinen), only to have it not work out the way we'd hoped. The season hasn't even started yet and too many of us here are wanting it over already.
My thoughts exactly.
Adding the two big name free agents is one thing. Pulling yourself out of the 24th spot in the league is another...
This must be a joke. Avs are going to be 3rd in the division most likely. Flames most likely last, barely beating Columbus for 14th. Flames are on the decline. Fast.
Heard this last year and the year before and the year before, fact is we've competed for (and yes, failed to reach) the playoffs in the past 3 years.
Every year some morons say the Flames will bottom out, but they never do, because our lineup really is not as bad as people think it is.
We play them 6 times. All we need to do is split the season series like we try to do with Vancouver. We just need our 96 points.
Our main problem last year was losing to the basement teams. We would have a playoff spot if we didn't blow it against Edmonton, Columbus and the NYI so many times.
Our problem is that we are fighting to "just win three"... This is loser talk and is a clear indicator we dont have what it takes to be competitive.
We might as well just blow it up now, we are not going to make the post season this year, we just wont.
I am actually also happy for Minny, always liked that team except for the fact that they play in the NW which obviously is no fault of theirs so I can't really hate them for that. It's unfortunate for us though that the talent level in the division rose. On the other hand, if we can't beat teams in the regular season it's not too likely that we can beat them in a 7 game series either. So overall I don't think divisional strength means as much as one might think. I suppose the antithesis to this would be to bring up the cup winners as an example, their being 8th seed. I would call that a fluke though, that and the magic that is Darryl Sutter.
Guys lets be honest, the only reason we have been able to keep pace is because of Kipper the last couple of seasons. But the good news is he is still here so we will win our share of games next season no matter what.
I do think it is time though that we go out and get a #1C.
Colorado is going to be very good next sesaon. The additions they have made, with Landeskog being a year older and Duchene bouncing back, they could easily battle for the division lead.
Guys lets be honest, the only reason we have been able to keep pace is because of Kipper the last couple of seasons. But the good news is he is still here so we will win our share of games next season no matter what.
I do think it is time though that we go out and get a #1C.
Colorado is going to be very good next sesaon. The additions they have made, with Landeskog being a year older and Duchene bouncing back, they could easily battle for the division lead.
Actually, Kipper wasn't very good two years ago, but the team had a top-10 offence. Last year, Kipper was very good, but the team struggled to score goals. Hopefully the team can have all the pieces working simultaneously.
Actually, Kipper wasn't very good two years ago, but the team had a top-10 offence. Last year, Kipper was very good, but the team struggled to score goals. Hopefully the team can have all the pieces working simultaneously.
Exactly. A good year in both ends of the ice is all we need. It would be nice if the coach maybe practices, PP, shoot-outs, and for the love of god, how to break out of our own end. We are painful to watch. Teams like DET, Van, etc they make it look easy to move the puck out.
Actually, Kipper wasn't very good two years ago, but the team had a top-10 offence. Last year, Kipper was very good, but the team struggled to score goals. Hopefully the team can have all the pieces working simultaneously.
Actually, he was still "very good" 2 years ago he just wasn't great. Fans in Calgary are so spoiled by him that when he doesn't stand on his head for long stretches he gets crapped on because he looks human. I get what you are saying, but the fact is he was still above average and better than most goalies. Not very good is not accurate IMO.
The problem on this team isn't Kipper, he's our best player without question. If Feaster is serious about competing we need to get an actual #1C. If that costs us Gio then so be it, a #1C is the hardest area on a team to fill.
^now IMO that is a way better lineup than ours. The only
question is their D, but they have a solid 1st pairing in
suter and Gilbert. Plus spurgeon and scandella and possibly add brodin to the mix are all talented and promising and have the ability to make this wild team a scary one.
Their team as a whole still is not great. Look out though...
You're kidding yourself. Minnesota is all over us in almost every way. We might have the more experienced defense, but they have us in talent, period. Look up and down their lineup.
We have got nothing that can compare with their center depth. Any one of their top three would be out number one center. Heck, they have potential to play a 20 goal guy on the 4th line. That's sick. On the wings we have nothing to compete with Parise. I'd say Iginla might still stack up to Heatley in scoring, but his performance last season was pretty weak to years gone by. We don't have the luxury of having the talent the Wild have on the wings. While we hope that Bartschi, the best player from the CHL last year, steps up and improves our scoring, the Wild have Granlund, the best player not in the NHL from last year, to center Heatley and Setoguchi. That's nasty. Their third and fourth lines are tough to play against and have the potential to score. Again, we don't compete on any line.
Their defense is a question mark. I like our depth better, but the definitely have the better first pair by a substantial margin. If their forwards maintain the puck as much as they have the potential to, that is going to relieve a lot of pressure on that back end. It might hold up, but if they can make a deal for another blueliner in the top four they will be very scary. They might be able to do that by dangling Bouchard and a prospect like Coyle. Would the Flames send them Giordano for that package? That would be tough to turn down.
In goal the Wild have us. Yes, we have Kipper, but we have an unknown as the backup. They have two established goaltenders that have shown they can carry the team.
We are talking paper lineups, but the Wild look damn scary. They make a move for blueliner in the top four and they are the best team in the division on paper, and arguably the best in our conference. We don't compete.
The major problem in the two signings is, it throws another team in that jam out west.
They have a good team, much better than last year... Unless preds fall apart sans Suter... Means about 11 teams fighting for 8 spots. With three of them being right up top. So... Makes for a lot of jousting.
As long as whoever centres that line isn't a plug then i'd say that line is better or equal to our first line.
Have you watch Heatley the last couple years? His play has completely fallen off. Setoguchi is still banking on some kind of potential that hasn't come through while he's settled into the low-20s. And Cullen's a classic tweener.
How on earth is Heatley-Cullen-Seto better than Tangs-(blank)-Iginla? Heck, Backlund between them is better.
That's an incredibly mediocre 2nd line. It's marginally better than a Glencross-Stajan-Stempniak line would be when you break down the parts.
You're kidding yourself. Minnesota is all over us in almost every way. We might have the more experienced defense, but they have us in talent, period. Look up and down their lineup.
We have got nothing that can compare with their center depth. Any one of their top three would be out number one center. Heck, they have potential to play a 20 goal guy on the 4th line. That's sick. On the wings we have nothing to compete with Parise. I'd say Iginla might still stack up to Heatley in scoring, but his performance last season was pretty weak to years gone by. We don't have the luxury of having the talent the Wild have on the wings. While we hope that Bartschi, the best player from the CHL last year, steps up and improves our scoring, the Wild have Granlund, the best player not in the NHL from last year, to center Heatley and Setoguchi. That's nasty. Their third and fourth lines are tough to play against and have the potential to score. Again, we don't compete on any line.
Their defense is a question mark. I like our depth better, but the definitely have the better first pair by a substantial margin. If their forwards maintain the puck as much as they have the potential to, that is going to relieve a lot of pressure on that back end. It might hold up, but if they can make a deal for another blueliner in the top four they will be very scary. They might be able to do that by dangling Bouchard and a prospect like Coyle. Would the Flames send them Giordano for that package? That would be tough to turn down.
In goal the Wild have us. Yes, we have Kipper, but we have an unknown as the backup. They have two established goaltenders that have shown they can carry the team.
We are talking paper lineups, but the Wild look damn scary. They make a move for blueliner in the top four and they are the best team in the division on paper, and arguably the best in our conference. We don't compete.
Have you watch Heatley the last couple years? His play has completely fallen off. Setoguchi is still banking on some kind of potential that hasn't come through while he's settled into the low-20s. And Cullen's a classic tweener.
I'd just like to point out that Heatley was our hardest worker last year. That guy really put it together in both zones. He worked his tail off in the defensive zone and it showed. And Setoguchi was hit by a car last offseason and couldn't work out to much. That affected his play this year.
I'd just like to point out that Heatley was our hardest worker last year. That guy really put it together in both zones. He worked his tail off in the defensive zone and it showed. And Setoguchi was hit by a car last offseason and couldn't work out to much. That affected his play this year.
Heatley is still a shell of his former self offensively and I just don't see it changing he seems to have lost the scoring touch.
