-- After Vegas takes Derek Engelland. - (Will be missed)
Sorry ahead of time, I like Details.
*RIGHT WING - Flames need a right wing to work with Gaudreau & Monahan something like Hudler but younger. Skill, hockey IQ and speed. TARGET UFAs - Oshie, Eaves, Radulov, Jagr (hasn't played for CGY yet)
*TOP 4 - Flames need to sign or trade for a top 4 defense maybe something older to mentor the younger core of defense coming up (Kulak, Andersson, Kylington, Fox, (Mattsson, Healey, Keagan?)) TARGET UFAs - Markov, Daley, Franson, Shattenkirk (Yeah right)
*BACK-UP - I thought this role was Chad Johnson and it could still be(UFA) for now I put Rittich/ Gillies there for it. (one here, other starter in Stockton) TARGET UFAs - Johnson, Condon, Kinkaid, Kuemper, Pavelec.
RE-SIGNS-
F -Bennett - 2.5 Mil
F -Ferland - 2 Mil
F -Lazar - 1.5 Mil
F - Hathaway - 1 Mil
D -Kulak - 1 Mil
G -Gillies - 1 Mil
G -Rittich - 1 Mil
UFAs-
F - 4 Mil
D - 4 Mil
G - 1 Mil
Extra 4.5 Mil
*Versteeg - Had a dream year with the flames last year, great Powerplay specialist but never really fit in on 5 on 5 (maybe because of time with Brouwer?) Can he fit still with a team with so many prospects waiting for opportunities (Jankowski, Hathaway, Shinkaruk, Klimchuk, Carroll, Mangiapane, Dube, Phillips, etc.)
*Stone - Another player who worked well with the flames but I don't think he should be getting paid 4 Mil+ He looked good with Brodie but he was still learning our system which seems to be a hard one to pick up look at the Elliot Moose exit interview. He is youngish(27) which doesn't always work with a prospect pool that we have. 5th rounder to ARI if signed aswell (2018)
*Brouwer - This is one I can't understand why we even signed him, 4.5 M for a player who was known to be building a house here in Calgary, who had a great playoff run with St. Louis and came to Calgary can't stay out of anyone's mind about how bad of a contract this was (Can't blame Tre for this but you have to wonder what the heck was he thinking.) The length of the contract was the most confusing to me expires same year as Frolik and Brodie but both of them look like steals for their contracts.
- I chose to buy him out because I don't believe anyone would take him unless a good prospect or first rounder is giving up for him (Tre does make magic sometimes tho.)
- 1.5 Mil on the books sounds better then 4 on the bench.
- I could be completely wrong about the guy he could turn it around and be what he was paid for.
*Bouma/Stajan - I would use these two as trade bait around trade deadline both have 1 year left on contracts and they are great defensive forwards (PK specialists) I have always been a Bouma fan if he stays health, last contract year lit a fire under him so maybe we can hope for the same?
*Engelland - Derek was a monster for this team he stood up for another in a red sweater, the Flames need to fill that void with Ferland, Hathaway, Brouwer, Bouma or Tkachuk/Bennett (please no)
- Hathaway is my likely choice but his roster spot isn't there with what we have.
- Tkachuk/ Bennett would do it in a heart beat but we need them to develop skill not more brawn, Ferland could be on this list as well.
I don't think that trading Brouwer is in the cards. Calgary would be much better off eating some salary in a trade. If they could deal him in a mid-round pick to a team like ARI, they could eat 1.5M in the deal. This would be the same cost as a buyout but they would only be paying for 3 years instead of 6. Stajan I think would be the more likely candidate for a buyout since he only has 1 year left, and would conly cost around 600,000 for next season.