Category Archives: Calgary Flames
Could the Flames make a trade for a goalie?
Ever wonder what life would be like without Miikka Kiprusoff giving the Calgary Flames at least a fighting chance almost every night?
Looks like Flames fans might just find out.
An otherwise encouraging night for the Flames was marred two-thirds through when Kiprusoff did not start the third period of a 4-1 win in Detroit due to a lower-body injury.
Could the Flames be looking to move a defenceman?
Anton Babchuk will likely be cleared for contact this week, meaning the defenceman is close to returning to the lineup. Or, at least, returning to the active roster. Hartley has, obviously, identified his top four blueliners, with the pairings of Jay Bouwmeester-Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie-Dennis Wideman logging a lot of minutes. With Chris Butler, Cory Sarich and Derek Smith already rotating in and out, Babchuk’s return from a shoulder injury will only complicate matters. The Flames are likely listening to trade offers for a defenceman.
NHL Notebook: Will Flyers pursue Iginla?
They need veteran scoring help and general manager Paul Holmgren has been sniffing around for more than a week now, sources said.
What about Jarome Iginla? He’s 35, but he’s still a bonafide NHL scorer, a guy who has scored 31 or more goals for 11 years in the league.
And here’s the thing: he won’t cost you Sean Couturier or Brayden Schenn or Claude Giroux.
Is it time for the Flames to trade Kipper and Iginla?
There’s certainly no way the quintessential team player Iginla will ever demand a trade, so it falls squarely on the shoulders of Edwards, King and GM Jay Feaster to make the brave move of being the bad guys for a few months and taking the heat for ending the Iginla Era. Their images will suffer temporarily, but the team will be better for it.
Even then, it isn’t as if the dealing of Iginla (and Kiprusoff, who almost assuredly would want out once Iginla was moved) will be an instant cure-all for Calgary. As one former GM told THN.com, “Remember what Atlanta got for trading Marian Hossa: Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and a first round draft pick.” In other words, the return for a star is not often going to be the foundation upon which your future is built. The pain will be felt in Calgary for years to come.
Calgary Flames: Where to go from here?
Calgary has a good team. They have had a good team for years. The problem with this good team it isn’t good enough. They are also getting old, fast. As Detroit perpetually reminds us, old isn’t necessarily bad (especially on D), but there are certain scenarios in which old is bad.
No right minded hockey fan would deny that what makes Calgary good every year is Miikka Kipursoff. Not that this team is talentless, but Miikka is a perpetual workhorse that consistently puts up good numbers. Why is this a problem? Well, Kipper is 36 with one year remaining on his contract after this season. He may very well want to sign with the Flames again or look to go to a contender in his last year or two. Though the signs aren’t pronounced, he is starting to look his age in net, something a tightly packed season likely won’t help.
Next problem: Jerome Iginla, the Flames Captain and best skater is 35 and in the last year of his deal. Having been with the Flames organization his whole career, it is understandable that he would want to stay with the Flames. On the other hand, like Kipper, he’s likely only got another season or two at a high level with no cup rings to tote. Maybe he doesn’t resign with the flames next year…
What would you do?
Imagine that you were the owner of the Calgary Flames. What changes would you do in order to turn the Flames around. Would you try to hire Burke as the next G.M.? Would you move Iginla right now ? For who?
Please have your say in this post.
Remember this is just for fun.
Media no longer allowed to ask Flames about Iginla’s contract status
Media members were warned —this is the final chance to bring up Jarome Iginla’s contract status.
After Sunday’s gathering, all inquiries about the Calgary Flames captain’s future with the club will be met with frowns and mutterings, rolled eyes and hot collars. Perhaps even a noogie or two.
Scorn will be risked.
So, according to general manager Jay Feaster and Iginla, this was it. Get it off your chest.
Red Wings talking to Calgary Flames about making trade for veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester
After failing to land a top defenseman through free agency, the Detroit Red Wings are looking to bolster their back end via trade.
A team source confirmed the Red Wings are talking with the Calgary Flames about making a deal for veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who has been the subject of trade rumors for more than a month.
The Red Wings are attempting to solidify their defensive corps with a trade because no top defensemen remain available through free agency.
Bouwmeester became expendable in Calgary when the Flames signed Dennis Wideman to a five-year, $26.25 million deal and the Red Wings need help on defense after captain Nicklas Lidstrom retired and Brad Stuart was traded to San Jose before he could sign with the Sharks as a free agent.
Wideman’s contract hiked Calgary’s payroll to $66.6 million, which is under the $70.2 million salary cap. But if the cap is reduced as expected when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, that could force the Flames to dump salary and the possibility might reduce their asking price for Bouwmeester.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/08/red_wings_talking_to_calgary_f.html
Numbers game for Flames
Top-six forwards are in seriously short supply on the UFA market, so don’t be surprised if the Flames don’t land somebody that way via free agency. A trade is more likely.
But, if the Flames look to the free-agent pool, Jaromir Jagr’s name has been bandied about, in part to skate alongside his former KHL linemate Roman Cervenka.
Jiri Hudler certainly would be an interesting departure from the normal Flames acquisition, as would Alex Semin. Shane Doan has close ties in the sense he’s good friends with Jarome Iginla and — as the critics would love to point out — not the kind of player the Flames mostly need, read: Younger.
Brad Boyes is a realistic candidate in the sense he can play centre or wing, just turned 30, and shouldn’t be commanding too much after netting just eight goals and 23 points.
As for the gritty, bottom-six forward, there are potential candidates.
Two-time Flames winger Brandon Prust showed everybody he was more than just a scrapper during his time with the New York Rangers, but may be looking for more coin than the Flames would like to dish out.
Jordin Tootoo is going to receive his share of attention, but would fit the bill. Zenon Konopka can scrap and wins all kinds of faceoffs.
What’s becoming more expected is the fallout from the free-agent frenzy.
Jay Bouwmeester has been the subject of trade rumours since before the draft and the Flames could be hoping teams which miss out on the free-agent defencemen up for bids — notably Suter, Garrison and Carle — will see Bouwmeester as a very good consolation prize.
A pie-in-the-sky dream would also include somebody taking on Anton Babchuk and his $2.5 million contract.
A year ago, the Flames surprising took a solid run at reeling in Brad Richards.
We’re not sure they’ll do anything that exciting this time around. But don’t expect it to be quiet enough to completely ignore the excitement of July 1
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/07/01/numbers-game-for-flames
Jokinen done with the Flames
Source tells me it’s official: Olli Jokinen’s days with the Flames are over and he will head to free agency July 1.
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) June 28, 2012
Steinberg on Flames: Bouwmeester trade merits
Make no mistake: the Calgary Flames have held trade talks regarding Jay Bouwmeester here in Pittsburgh at the NHL Draft. They also talked about trading their $6.7 million defenceman at February’s trade deadline. I’ve been a big defender of Bouwmeester during his time with the team, but there are good reasons for the move to happen.
The first and most obvious thing that comes to mind is saving money and cap space. Getting Bouwmeester’s money off the cap can only help the team financially and can only increase their flexibility in making moves for the near future. If a big move is what the club wants to do, saving a few million dollars on Bouwmeester’s contract will only help.
Any news that is filtering out regarding a trade doesn’t seem to suggest a “your bad contract for ours” type deal. That’s a step above what was being thrown around even a few months ago. The Flames aren’t going to be getting a huge return in a trade for Bouwmeester, so all that talk of a first round pick and a top prospect are probably unrealistic. But, the fact that the team would be able to get some sort of a return and not have to necessarily eat a terrible contract? That’s a positive in my eyes.
The merits of trading Bouwmeester go a little deeper, however. Plain and simple, there just hasn’t been a fit. Because his contract is so steep and because he’s such a high profile contract, the attention is hard to escape, and right now bad attention isn’t what this team needs. And I’m not even talking from a PR standpoint. Being around the team on a daily basis last year, there was no doubting how frustrated players got at times with constant questions about the team. It’s part of the business and no one is feeling sorry for them, but it can have a negative effect.
Divesting yourself from Bouwmeester’s contract sends a fairly clear message of moving on. He was signed by former general manager Darryl Sutter, his three years in Calgary haven’t lived up to expectation, and there just doesn’t seem to be a natural fit.
Why would Flames vie for aging Jagr?
The Twitterverse, in its constant quest to satiate the ravenous beast, has been alive with Jaromir Jagr conjecture over the past couple of days.
And the degree of possible Calgary Flames’ interest.
Speculation is that once the 40-year-old two-time Stanley Cup winner and ’99 Hart Trophy recipient lapses into unrestricted free agency on July 1, the local heroes will be in there pitching ardent woo, hoping to win his heart and land his decorated but decaying services not only to play a little right wing but as a buffer for incoming countryman Roman Cervenka’s smooth transition to the hurly-burly of the North American game.
General manager Jay Feaster is certainly banking heavily on Cervenka, splashing $3.75 million on a one-year deal for the Czech-born sniper. He scored 54 goals and racked up 100 points over the last two seasons for a Kontinental Hockey League outfit, Avangaard Oomsk, which Jagr used to captain.
There are, naturally, no guarantees that such Russian production is anymore than a cruel tease; will translate into pulsating NHL success. But having Jagr, the greatest-ever Czech to play in the big leagues, here to greet him, the thinking goes, should help Cervenka get over the inevitable initial stage fright and allow him to find his creative groove sooner than later.
The year Cervenka was born, Jagr was busy scoring 82 goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s grown up watching the predatoryNo. 68 shred defences and bamboozle goaltenders.
Bouwmeester most likely vet to be dealt at draft
On the telephone from Montreal late Thursday afternoon, when called to discuss the Gelnias hire, Hartley might’ve unwittingly given a tipoff as to how this all might play out.
“For me,’’ he declared, “looking at Jarome, Giordano, Tanguay, Glencross, Cammalleri, Kiprusoff . . . that’s going to be the core of our team.’’
Now maybe it was nothing more than an honest omission, or the overactive imagination of a scurrilous scribbler, but one prominent name was missing from Hartley’s list. There was no mention of No. 4. Of Jay Bouwmeester. Of a guy whose logged murderous minutes since the day arrived here.
If there’s to be a Regehr scenario unfold for the Flames in Pittsburgh next week, Bouwmeester shapes up as it. Yes, his compensation is wildly out of whack (he’s owned $6.68 million for this season and next), he put up almost as many minuses (minus-21) as points (29) last year and has the standard no-trade clause, but at age 29 when (if?) the 2012-2013 regular-season kicks off, the time seems right.
That persistent Columbus rumour that made the rounds a year ago is floating out there again. Toronto’s been mentioned, too. And despite the stiff tariff, you can wager there are bound to be other suitors willing to overlook certain flaws to secure the services of a player with the motor, the effortless skating prowess, of a Bouwmeester.