Like fans of other franchises with a recent history of management that has displayed questionable competency, the off-season can be a very worrisome and stressful time for Flames fans, waiting with bated breath for the next blunder by their General Manager.
With less than a week to go until the Flames pick 13th overall at the NHL Entry Draft, and the start of Free Agency one week after that, the next fortnight provides a prime opportunity for said blunder to occur--multiple times over. After more than half a decade under Darryl Sutter's management--a time made infamous by the "Sutter Equilibrium"--it's difficult to be particularly optimistic about the off-season's coming milestones, particularly after the Erixon debacle. Whether that means signing Alex Tanguay to a contract too rich for the Flames' cap constraints or trading every pick the team owns for the rights to Brad Richards, most Flames fans have little confidence that the next few weeks will pass without Feaster committing to a gross over-pay or a short-sighted deal intended to shed salary that doesn't comply with his team's current predicament.
If you count the Karlsson signing as a positive, which I think I do, then you could say that Feaster is 2-1 in his moves as Flames GM thus far--the Glencross signing being the other "win"--but this weekend's Draft and any moves he makes leading up to and during the free agent frenzy will certainly put that record to the test. Let's try and stay above .500, shall we?
Links after the jump.
More on Feaster's address to the media this afternoon including an update on negotiations with Alex Tanguay and which RFAs the team plans on keeping in the fold [Flames Nation]
The best product invention I've seen in quite some time [Hit the Post]
The off-season outlook for the Northwest Division [Red Light District]
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a change behind the bench today, disposing of long-time assistant coaches Keith Acton and Tim Hunter and replacing them with former Isles bench Boss Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin [Maple Leafs Hot Stove]
The new "Winnipeg NHL Franchise" SB Nation site (formerly Behind the Net) has been unveiled [Arctic Ice Hockey]
Who owns the history of the Jets? [Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains]
An excellent piece on the eye injury that almost ended Steve Yzerman's career in the 2004 playoffs and his eventual retirement [Winging it in Motown]