Monday's Hot Coals: Changes
by Hayley on Jun 27, 2011 2:35 PM PDT
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PrintIn the span of just three days, the Calgary Flames appear primed to become a vastly different team than the one that closed out the 2010-11 season back in April.
Not only has the team dispensed itself of one its longest-serving members in Robyn Regehr and adopted what seems to be a dramatically different mentality towards drafting smaller players, but yesterday Duane Sutter (Director of Player Personnel) was dismissed, bringing the number of Sutters in the organization down to just two.
Before last weekend, Jay Feaster hadn't really shown any indication that his reign as Flames General Manager was going to be much different from the previous regime or that he was really interested in making changes that, on some level, needed to be made. You'll be hard-pressed to find many people who are a fans of the return the Flames received in the Regehr deal, but at the same time, few will disagree that the team desperately needed to increase its cap flexibility going into next season. While ridding themselves of Regehr and adding two unknowns in Chris Butler and Paul Byron may not have been the best way to go about that, you also won't find many people complaining about Ales Kotalik's absence from the Flames' roster next season or about the 2011-12 squad getting a little younger (for the time being, anyhow).
Regardless of the fan base's general attitude towards Feaster and the organization at the moment, the NHL's Free Agency period begins this Friday, meaning even more changes could be ahead for Calgary. In other words: Don't get too comfy, Flames fans.
Links after the jump.
- Kent Wilson and Walkinvisible bid farewell to Robyn Regehr at their respective blogs [Flames Nation] [Hit the Post]
- More announcements from the Flames' camp are on the way this afternoon as the organization prepares to bring in John Weisbrod as Assistant GM and has extended qualifying offers to three RFAs not named Matt Pelech, Gord Baldwin, John Armstrong, or Josh Meyers [Flames.nhl.com]
- Jarome Iginla is happy to have his set-up man Alex Tanguay locked up long-term [Calgary Herald]
- And finally, Pierre McGuire has announced that he is leaving TSN for NBC/Versus. Does this mean the end of the World Juniors Drinking Game? [The National Post]
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Pierre McGuire has announced that he is leaving TSN for NBC/Versus.
I’m doomed.
by Colin S on Jun 27, 2011 4:22 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
No more McGuire? Fuck yeah!!!!!
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 27, 2011 4:31 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
No more ruining of priceless moments in the World Juniors!
Also, fun fact: If you listen REALLY closely when Crosby scored the goal in the Olympics, you can hear a small “pop”. I would be willing to bet anything that that was the director ordering Pierre’s mic to be muted, allowing Canadians to bask in the glory of the win.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 27, 2011 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
God. The Heat are gonna be terribad this year. Unless Feaster gets some veteran help.
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 27, 2011 4:32 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Doesn’t mean that they won’t get resigned, it’s just that they don’t want to have those contracts on the reserve list. Any QO automatically counts against the 50.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 27, 2011 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Also, according to CapGeek, Meyer has one more year left on his contract.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 27, 2011 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions
It’s the backend that is gonna be brutal.
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 27, 2011 6:52 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Howse, Horak and Byron new up front. At present looks like Nemisz and Bouma stay in Abby too
The loser of the Butler, Mikkelson, Brodie battle for 6/7 – but no new 20 year olds on defense. All the more shots for Irving to see – and Ortio as the backup ?
by PrairieStew on Jun 27, 2011 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I think at least one of Nemisz or Bouma plays full time with the big club this year.
I think Butler’s our 5, Brodie’s the 6 and Mikkelson or Carson the 7. I hope Ortio stays in Finland. One of the two goalies is gonna get screwed in terms of development if they’re both in Abby.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 28, 2011 2:11 AM PDT up reply actions
It should probably be Bouma given he’s already near competently playing his expected long term role in the NHL while Nemisz still has work to do on his role. Not to say I don’t like Fancy Pants Lance, but he’s not exactly a high upside player, and while I don’t think Nemisz is either, he’s got a higher upside than Bouma and still needs to develop more pro-level offense in the AHL.
Also, Ortio’s here. He’s got an ELC. He’s not leaving anytime soon. I really wouldn’t mind seeing Ortio and Irving split their starts. 50/50 or 60/40.
I know Ortio has an ELC. That’s not what I’m concerned about-I don’t think it’s productive to take minutes away from a goalie who just had his first real season of improvement without a valid reason. If the Org is concerned Ortio may never come over here if they leave him in Finland for one more year, then yes, bring him over.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 28, 2011 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Disagree. He won’t be better than Nemisz, who was by far the best player forward on the Heat last year.
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 5:56 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Wanna split an AHLLive team season pass and watch the Heat this year?
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 6:17 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I’d be down for that. How much?
Also- the bet I was thinking of would be loser has to buy an Oilers shersey and take a picture of themself wearing it for the next full season.
Haha. Ok. But it has to be an effeminate one. Like a Cogliano or Gilbert. OR (shudder) a Stortini jersey!
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 6:52 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I think the team pass is 120$ or something.
What’s the parameters of who is better? Just points?
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 6:53 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
You guys aren’t thinking lame enough…
Get the jersey with “Smackintyre” on the back… worst nickname ever.
you can get whatever you want put on the back of the jersey so far as I know
www.mmalinker.com
by exsanguinator on Jun 28, 2011 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions
A shersey is a jersey shirt. Like a t-shirt with the logo on the front and numbers/player name on the back. Jerseys themselves are way too expensive for a semi-joke bet.
I must have misread then.
www.mmalinker.com
by exsanguinator on Jun 28, 2011 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Who will tell us
all about the junior team a guy played for, his family, how great his parents are, and where the guy is from? Man, I am not sure I will be able to get past this “loss” of Pierre… pffffffffffttttttttttttt!!!
Or!
How such and such player resembles “insert obscure Czech Republic league player here” in their prime.
Or!!!! How when a defenseman flips the puck out of his own zone and it bounces favorably and Pierre starts claiming the person could be a pro football player with passes like that. I mean, WTF are you talking about Pierre!?
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 7:54 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I think it’s going to be Byron playing with the Flames. Feaster’s latest interview on Fan960 had him spewing Bryon awesomeness all over the place. He felt Byron could have made Buffalo if Ennis and Gerbe hadn’t already made the jump.
Ryan Popilchak
Matchsticks & Gasoline, Artic Ice Hockey, &Hockey Prospectus. My twitter handle is @sprtopinionated
It’d surprise me… at least to start the season. Barring anymore trades we have zero openings in the forward ranks.
Not sure who he’d knock out…if things stay the same.
"You said you didn't give a f#%k about hockey. And I never saw someone say that before..."
Hagman
Ryan Popilchak
Matchsticks & Gasoline, Artic Ice Hockey, &Hockey Prospectus. My twitter handle is @sprtopinionated
$$$. How do you get rid of those two contracts without giving up assets?
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 28, 2011 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions
Then including Kotalik in the trade is even more confusing, since he had the least value on the team.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 28, 2011 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Question: Did I read right and Winnipeg didn’t qualify Anthony Stewart? I mean he’s not as good as his brother but he’s a fine young player in his own right.
I think you’re right.
"You said you didn't give a f#%k about hockey. And I never saw someone say that before..."
Can I throw a flyer out there on Bergfors? Any takers?
"You said you didn't give a f#%k about hockey. And I never saw someone say that before..."
There’s an oddly high number of decent RFA’s not being qualified… Stewart, Bergfors, Kennedy, Stralman, Gilroy, Bernier, and D’Agostini could all be really good gets at the right price.
Some of them may be resigned as UFA’s by their clubs-I think this is just a way for the teams to avoid RFA arbitration, which is often messy.
We know two things: Shitty Hockey and Booze.
Go Flames Go!
by Justin Azevedo on Jun 28, 2011 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Bergfors was more often then not in Sutters doghouse wasn’t he?
by Jeremywilhelm on Jun 28, 2011 8:57 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
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