Calgary Flames Monday Roundtable: Draft and Expansion Recap

Question 2: Engelland was going to be a free agent on July 1st and he’s made a point that he’d like to finish off his career in Vegas where he has a home and his family is. Do you think the Calgary Flames somewhat got away with a steal since they took a player that was most likely going to be going to Vegas anyways?

Jonathan Boulanger

If Lazar or Ferland were available, I would have been relieved for Vegas to take a guy like Engelland, but the options were scarce. I don’t really think it’s a bullet dodged considering their best options were Stajan, Brouwer, Bouma and Engelland.

Calgary Flames

Alex Hoegler

Yes they did. The Flames clearly were prepared to move on from Engelland, so they basically didn’t lose anything here. Seeing how guys like Jonathan Marchessault, Shea Theodore and Marc-Andre Fleury were lost by their respective teams, I’d say Calgary got away with a steal here.

Dan Raicevich

I think the Flames came away from the expansion draft unscathed. They kept all their young talent, and they improved at the NHL Draft. All in all, the Flames might of came away from this weekend better than all 31 teams.

Ramina Shlah

Like Alex said, seeing how Vegas got guys like Marchessault and Fleury, the Flames somewhat got away with a steal. None of the guys left exposed were quite Fleury or Marchessault steals though, but nonetheless, Engelland was most likely signing with Vegas when he officially became a free agent anyways. So I guess the Flames didn’t really lose anybody in the Expansion if we look at it like that. But at the same time, a loss was not freeing up any cap space. Which I’m somewhat alright with right now.