Flames Face Off-Season of Change Following Playoff Departure
For some members of the Calgary Flames, the loss to Detroit in Game 7 by an embarrassing 4-1 score was hard swallow.
"We had a good thing going this year," said captain Jarome Iginla just hours after his team was eliminated by the Red Wings. "This year hurts. We felt like we had a good chance to go the distance, and we couldn't do it. I wasn't good enough."
Bold words, but true, from a man who had just two goals in 14 playoff games, and was given very little by Detroit's defense. His 11 points were second on the team, but Iginla was unable to put the puck in the net when the time called for it.
"I know a lot of people will be upset with my performance, and I needed to be better," Iginla followed up. "But you know, we proved a lot of people wrong this season. Everyone was counting us out in December, but we proved that we can win when it matters. So next year I expect us to challenge for the playoffs again, there's no question."
Flames GM Jay Feaster was unavailable for comment until after the Stanley Cup was awarded, but he was very clear about the direction of the Flames as the offseason approaches.
"I've said all along that I want this team to get younger, faster, and more skilled. The Calgary Flames may have a new look by the time September rolls around. We have a lot of contracts coming off the books and a lot of cap space that will be available to us."
NHL Entry Draft - Calgary Flames
*TRADE: CGY 2013 4th Round Pick + RW B.J. Crombeen to STL for COL 2012 2nd Round Pick
*TRADE: C Lance Bouma to MIN for C T.J. Hensick + MIN 2013 5th Round Pick
Round
Pick
Player
1
23
C Joseph Blandisi
2
51
RW Dylan Willick
3
83
LW Jonathan Lessard
4
113
C Alex Galchenyuk
5
136
D Marc-Anthony Zanetti
6
173
D Dane Phaneuf
7
181
D Griffin Reinhart
7
203
C Gelen Smith
The Flames had one of the league's weaker prospect pools heading into the 2012 Draft, but they did a lot towards fixing that this year. Adding high-profile names down the middle in Joseph Blandisi (OHL, Owen Sound Attack) and Alex Galchenyuk (OHL, Sarnia Sting) will give the Flames two shots at scoring that playmaking center they have coveted for years now, and Gelen Smith (OHL, Owen Sound Attack) projects to become a solid energy center. Dylan Willick (WHL, Kamloops Blazers) and Jonathan Lessard (QMJHL, Baie-Comeau Drakkar) will hopefully give the Flames some offense from the wings. The blue line is an interesting situation for the Flames, however. They managed to pick up Dane Phaneuf (QMJHL, Prince Edward Island Rocket), brother of former Flames first round pick Dion Phanuef, and they can only dream that he has the abilities of his older brother. They also drafted Griffin Reinhart (WHL, Edmonton Oil Kings), brother of current Flames prospect Max Reinhart. Reinhart was expected to be passed on this year because of his age, but next year most experts expected him to be a top-10 pick in the draft. That the Flames drafted him this early is likely a sign that he will turn into a premium defender. And of course, the addition of Marc-Anthony Zanetti (OHL, Ottawa 67s) will help to round out a young defensive core.
Resigning Phase: June 25 - June 30
The following are entries from Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster's journal.
June 25
Wrote up some entry-level deals for Joseph Blandisi and Sven Bartschi... all submitted
Offered contract to Jimmy Slater... he wants one year, maybe he'll sign for longer?...
Same issue with Tim Jackman...
Called Mikael Backlund, told him an offer would be coming his way soon...
Informed T.J. Hensick's agent that we'll be buying out his client...
Tendered qualifying offers to Paul Byron, Brian Connelly, Leland Irving, and Blair Jones...
June 26
Got the a-ok from Backlund (2 years, 1.3 mil per), Slater (2 years, 1.05 mil per), Bartschi, and Blandisi...
Jackman rejected offer... says he wants around 1.5 mil... not sure if we can make that one work out...
Not sure about the Olli Jokinen situation... he wants nearly 4 mil but don't know if we can offer that...
Sent offer to David Moss...
Another offer sent to Jackman...
Called up Cory Sarich and Scott Hannan, telling them they will likely not be resigned in the next few days, but to keep their phones close by...
June 27
Moss resigned (2 years, 1.125 mil per)...
Jackman rejected again... not looking good on that front...
Blake Comeau unlikely to be retained... same for Lee Stempniak, though that one is Lee's own choice. 28 goals this past year, this is his chance to cash in big...
Entry-level contracts handed out to Laurent Brossoit and Joni Ortio...
June 28
Tom Kostopoulus will not be resigned...
Ortio and Brossoit accept their offers...
June 29
Nothing going on today... Akim Aliu expressed interest in resigning with the club, but we'll see...
So i managed to save another GM file over my Chicago GM File, so i'm gonna start thinking about doing a new one but i can't decide a team.
So what team should i pick? I'm not going to do a complete rebuild like use to do, but i'm looking to play with a team that can make the playoffs and could be a good contender with some tweaking. (No Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington or Vancouver)
So i managed to save another GM file over my Chicago GM File, so i'm gonna start thinking about doing a new one but i can't decide a team.
So what team should i pick? I'm not going to do a complete rebuild like use to do, but i'm looking to play with a team that can make the playoffs and could be a good contender with some tweaking. (No Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington or Vancouver)
2017-2018 Trade Deadline day as the Columbus Blue Jackets
It's been a while, like 3 days, since I posted, so here we go
Details: The CBJ are doing fine, although almost every player is having sort of a down year points wise, but we are still winning games and are currently 4th in the West and still hunt for top seed, as only the Central Division and particularly St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and somewhat Detroit Red Wings are in the race for the 1st spot. Record: 40-19-5
Trades:
SJ receives: D Andrej Meszaros, 2018 1st and 2nd round picks (CBJ) CBJ receives: D Taylor Doherty, 2018 1st round pick (SJ)
Details: ok, I'm not really sure why I did this, but I needed to get rid of Meszaros because I have to sign many players next season. And San Joses 1st round pick will most likely be 1st overall pick, so it's OK.
EDIT: Just picked Andrej Meszaros from waivers.. Thank you, San Jose!
So yeah. Another year, another contending team. Although this summer might get interesting.. But maybe the fact that most players are having a down year will help me sign them for less cash?
Lineup post-deadline, 2017-2018 season
van Riemsdyk, 90 - Toews, 94 (C) - Skinner, 90
B. Connolly, 88 - Nugent-Hopkins, 91 - J. Staal, 89 (A)
D. Jones, 83 - Hanzal, 83 - Leino, 83
Machacek, 81 - Samson, 81 - Greening, 81
Finns are taking this tread over, SWEDES - come together!!!
I'm currently in season 2034....sucks to have all these amazing prospects and to never be able to see them at their full potential..
Yeah, I'm on my seventh year on a 10 year Be A Gm, acquired most likely the 1st overall pick for the upcoming draft and I'm wondering if the player(s) I draft will develop enough.
Nah, more like hard hitting guy. Pitkänen isn't kind of guy what I looking.
This is my planned team for next season:
R.J Umberger - Paul Stastny - Gabriel Landeskog
Evander Kane - Matt Duchene - Milan Hejduk
T.J Galiardi - Ryan O'Reilly - David Jones
Cody McLeod - Kevin Porter - Daniel Winnik
Jan Hejda - Erik Johnson
xxx/Shane O'Brien - Kristopher Letang
Shane O'Brien/Mark Stuart - Ryan O'Byrne
Semyon Varlamov
Devin Dubnyk
------
Maybe I should just trade for left-handed d-man prospect. I have none of them now.
The following are entries from Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster's journal.
July 1
Need to shore up the center position... looking into who is available...
Same thing on right wing... we lack depth on the right side, so we should see what we can do about that...
James Sheppard is an RFA, would have to give picks to the Sharks to sign him...
Sent out another offer, waiting for responses...
July 4
Devils sign Nabokov, no surprise there...
Sheppard likes our offer, signs offer sheet, but the Sharks have an opportunity to match...
Signed Jordin Tootoo (2 years, 1.5 mil per)...
Fedotenko and Avery resign with the Rangers, Kotalik to the Caps, Sturm to the Habs...
Trent Hunter to the Flyers, Torrey Mitchell to Florida, Olli Jokinen back to the Panther as well! Good for him.
Comeau goes back to the Islanders as well... Souray to Ottawa, Caps sign more wingers in Hejduk and Stempniak, Kuba to Anaheim, Patrick O'Sullivan to Columbus...
Also, a trade... Edmonton gets Mark Letestu and a 7th for their 3rd...
July 7
Paul Byron accepts qualifying offer... as does Brian Connelly
Vokoun back to Florida... Bryan Allen to the Rangers, Fehr to Tampa, Roszival to Dallas...
Sharks match the Sheppard offer sheet... darn
Sent offer to Dominic Moore...
July 10
Blair Jones accepts offer sheet...
Flyers sign Mike Mottau, Blues sign Sarich and Gilroy, Oilers sign Hannan, Gervais, and Willie Mitchell, Coyotes sign Eminger and Corvo, Jackets sign Campoli...
Moore accepts contract offer (3 years, 1.3 mil per)...
Sent offer to Mike Commodore...
July 23
Commodore accepts (1 year, 1.455 mil)
Ducks acquire 3rd rounder from St. Louis for Rod Pelley and a 5th
Jackets tried to sign Irving to an offer sheet, but we'll match that no problem. Nice try, Howson. Why haven't you been fired yet?
Made some offers to some young, high potential guys...
July 30
Two young d-men signed on... Brandon Scott and Erik Gustafsson signed to 2-way deals
Teemu Selanne signs in Philly. Wow. So they miss out on resigning Jagr but bring in Selanne. Crazy.
Jackets sign Dwayne Roloson
Made an offer to Evgeni Dadonov
August 13
Dadonov agrees to two-way deal
Washington acquires Lepisto and a 3rd from Chicago for a 2nd...
Toronto signs Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Tommy Wingels...
Ducks sign McElhinney, Caps sign Deslauriers, Tampa signs Jack Hillen...
Avs sign Randy Jones and Tyler Eckford, Jets sign Maxwell...
Hey guys, don't want to interrupt or anything but I have a franchise (first year) and I want to somehow get the REAL players in the 2013 draft... Nail, Reinhart, etc... Can someone lead me in the right direction?? Thanks
Hey guys, don't want to interrupt or anything but I have a franchise (first year) and I want to somehow get the REAL players in the 2013 draft... Nail, Reinhart, etc... Can someone lead me in the right direction?? Thanks
In the 2012 draft (where you get Yakupov, etc.) you can find most of the guys in round 2-3. Or, you could download rosters from online.
