Calgary Flames Monday Roundtable: Free Agency, This Past Week
With a busy week last week and Free Agency this past weekend, we have some things to discuss as Calgary Flames fans. Let’s have a roundtable discussion.
Hello Calgary Flames fans and welcome to another edition of Monday Roundtable! The segment that we here at Flame for Thought bring you every Monday. Basically, I ask the other writers here questions surrounding a specific topic each week and we have a virtual roundtable discussion about it. Last week, we discussed the Expansion and the Entry Draft. This week, let’s talk about this past week and Free Agency.
The Calgary Flames had quite the eventful week. There was the Travis Hamonic trade on Saturday, they signed NCAA FA Spencer Foo on Tuesday, on Thursday they signed Kris Versteeg and traded for Eddie Lack, on Friday they re-signed Michael Stone. Then Saturday aka Free Agency Frenzy came around and they signed a couple of free agents. Marek Hrivik and Luke Gazdic were both signed on one-year two-way contracts.
And that’s not including the weeks before that with other trades and the draft. So yeah, you can say that Brad Treliving has been a busy man.
So let’s have a virtual roundtable discussion about this! Also, we have two new writers here at Flame for Thought, so more opinions! Everyone give a warm welcome to Tom and Ian who will now be featured in our Monday Roundtables.
Question 1: Eddie Lack was acquired for basically nothing. Are you happy or not with this trade?
Jonathan Boulanger
Ecstatic. The Calgary Flames are all in and I could not be happier. A rock-hard defense, two solid proven goaltenders and a great forward core. A great time to be a Flames fan. Now, the only problem is those pesky oilers.
Ian Gustafson
I am happy with the Eddie Lack trade as it gives the Flames a reliable back up. Eddie Lack could be a starter on some teams if he was given the chance.
Alex Hoegler
I love the trade. I had the chance to follow Lack a ton during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He filled in nicely while the starters were injured. Lack is real calm and poised. He’s going to be a quality backup, especially with that loaded Flames defence in front of him.
Related Story: Trade Alert - Flames Acquire G Eddie Lack
Tomas Oppolzer
I’m quite happy with it to be honest. He’s coming on a very cheap contract that can be easily buried in the AHL if he doesn’t work out. Also, prior to his time in Carolina, Lack was a quality goaltender in Vancouver. @GregBalloch on twitter has gone into more thoroughly, but Lack is a goalie that’s comfortable playing deeper in his crease, but when he was traded to CAR, they tried to make him play a more aggressive style like Cam Ward does. If Calgary lets him go back to the way he was comfortable playing, there’s no reason he can’t be at least a quality back-up for the Flames.
Dan Raicevich
If Eddie Lack can be the backup he was in Vancouver, then it is a home run for the Flames. If he looks like the player he was in Raleigh for the last two years, then he could find himself on waivers by January. I firmly think that this is a career defining year for Lack. An extremely poor year for the Swede and he could find himself without an NHL job next summer.
It is a gamble, but one worth taking.
Ramina Shlah
The Flames basically got Lack for almost nothing, so it was a good trade in my opinion. And his numbers in Carolina, while they weren’t the best, they also weren’t terrible for a backup goalie on a team like Carolina. I’m happy with this move and I’m glad this is the general consensus.
Question 2: Are you surprised at all that the Calgary Flames were relatively quiet on free agency frenzy on July 1st?
Jonathan Boulanger
No, because of the flurry of moves before it. The Flames did all their work prior to free agency and earned a period of inactivity.
Ian Gustafson
I wasn’t surprised the Flames were quiet. Mainly due to the fact that they have been pretty busy the last week. Although I do believe that they will do more.
Calgary Flames
Alex Hoegler
Not one bit. I knew Brad Treliving was done shopping once he got his two goalies and traded for Travis Hamonic. The Flames had no reason to chase big names in free agency. They’re set in goal, on the blue line and have more than enough depth on offence. Treliving’s re-constructed this roster well, and there aren’t any weak links on it.
Tomas Oppolzer
Not really surprised as much as I was disappointed. Signing Michael Stone to the contract they did the day before free agency likely contributed heavily to their lack of moves and it was a contract I’m crazy about. I wanted them to go out and get a player to shore up their top-nine and it’s not as likely as it was before. Here’s hoping they can still bring someone in that falls through the cracks in the first couple days.
Dan Raicevich
No. Treliving did much of his work prior to Jarome Iginla’s birthdate. The only player they had a shot at signing seemed to be Patrick Sharp. Sharp decided to return to the Windy City instead, his loss on that.
Ramina Shlah
Yeah I’m not surprised either. With how many moves Treliving’s been making, it was somewhat obvious they weren’t going to do anything drastic.
Question 3: Do you wish the Calgary Flames were a little louder and acquired some sort of Justin Williams or Patrick Marleau esque guy?
Jonathan Boulanger
It is always great to get a guy like that, but it is hard and is very important to not look at those type of guys as the superstars they once were (In Jagr and Marleau’s case)… Except Iggy, he will always be a star.
Ian Gustafson
I wish that they would have been a little louder but Treliving did the best with what he has. If he did go for someone big like a justin williams, it might have put us in cap trouble. So I think that he spread the money around in a good way without putting the team in a hole.
Alex Hoegler
No, because signing a guy like Williams or Marleau comes with a risk. They’re both approaching their 40s and were quite overpaid this offseason. Calgary needs to keep saving some cap space, and signing a veteran long-term (when he’ll realistically have one or two good years left), isn’t worth it.
Related Story: Flames Interested in Patrick Marleau
Tomas Oppolzer
No. I just don’t think they have the kind of cap space to make that happen. It would have been nice, but I just think the Stone signing really hampered the team’s ability to go out and get a big UFA unless they can unload someone like Troy Brouwer.
Dan Raicevich
Brian Burke once said that teams overpay on July 1, and I am not upset the team passed on those two players. While the two players still have something left to give, Williams wanted to stay in the East and Marleau realistically has a year left of being a skilled player. A weak free agent class none the less. The Flames didn’t miss much.
Ramina Shlah
Hey, I didn’t know that Brian Burke said that, Dan, but it makes sense! I do wish they could have maybe gotten a Justin Williams, but only if they could free up cap space if they could have traded Brouwer. But seeing how much Williams contract ended up being ($4.5 million AAV) and seeing how the Flames still have Brouwer, I’m glad they stayed relatively quiet.
Question 4: If there’s one player you would have liked to see Treliving pick up, who would that have been?
Jonathan Boulanger
Jarome Iginla. Gosh it would be a storybook Hollywood ending to his career and it would warm the heart of every Flames fan. Could you imagine if he gets his cup in Calgary?
Ian Gustafson
If Treliving could pick up one player from free agency it would definitely be Iginla! His stats are not what they used to be, but I still think he can contribute a lot.
Alex Hoegler
I would have liked to see a Nick Bonino, Brian Boyle or Dominic Moore signing. Adding a shutdown defensive player who can chip in with 10-20 goals a year could have been a low-risk, high-reward move. Championship-caliber teams always have those fourth liners that can make a significant impact. Calgary could have used one of those players to fill out the roster holes.
Tomas Oppolzer
Before the Canucks signed him I would’ve liked to see Patrick Wiercioch as a Flame. He’s not the flashiest player in the world, but he’s a really effective defenseman. And as we can see from the deal he got from Vancouver, he would’ve been really cheap too after his down year in Colorado.
Related Story: Figuring out Michael Stone's Partner
Dan Raicevich
Patrick Sharp or Mike Cammalleri. Both players signed inexpensive deals with their respective teams and will provide depth scoring to the Top Nine. Calgary needs that type of offense, as well as an extra veteran presence in the lineup.
Those two guys stick out to me as players who could of fit in Calgary.
Ramina Shlah
I still would have liked to have seen Justin Williams, he was projected at being $3.8 million and if the Flames could have traded Brouwer, they’d free up that cap space to get him. But, he’s just as much for Brouwer, and now I’m not so sure.
Like Tomas said, someone like Patrick Wiercioch would have been nice, but I’m not super bummed or anything that it didn’t happen.
Question 5: That being said, if there’s one player who’s still a free agent that you’d like to see come to the Calgary Flames, who would that be?
Jonathan Boulanger
Again, Jarome. What Flames fan doesn’t want him back? He is the best player in Flames history and the fit seems to be perfect. Pleaaaase Treliving!
Ian Gustafson
Like I said before JAROME IGINLA because he would provide leadership and he would jump start the team for a cup run.
Alex Hoegler
Mike Fisher would be a worthy gamble for the Flames. He’s an excellent two-way player who’s capable of scoring 15-20 goals a season, and can be effective in the special teams department. Fisher brings plenty of leadership and personality to his game, and I think Calgary should give him that one more chance at a championship.
Tomas Oppolzer
Jarome Iginla or Jaromir Jagr. Neither are likely or even sensible but damn would they be fun. With Iggy you’d get the old man, the face of the franchise coming back for one more kick at the can on a team that will likely make the playoffs and is probably even a contender in the West. With Jagr, you get the ageless wonder who, at 45, is still putting up around 40 points every season. Both are first ballot hall of famers and they would just help to make the season all the more special.
Dan Raicevich
Jarome Iginla. Bring the franchise’s greatest player back for one final push at Lord’s Stanley. He can play on the power play, as well as he played very well for the Kings after they freed him from that messy Avalanche in Denver.
Iginla’s best days are definitely behind him, but he would make a fit in the city he once called home.
Ramina Shlah
Of course this is a no-brainer for me — Jarome Iginla. I’m glad we’re all on the same page with our old Captain. With the Calgary Flames legitimately believing their contention window is open, it makes sense for him to come back to his old team where he could potentially go further than he has since he left Calgary. If you follow our Twitter account, you know just how much I want Iggy.
But also someone like Jagr would be fun. Imagine him on a line with Sam Bennett and Curtis Lazar. He’s older than both of those guys combined.
Next: Flames Remain Quiet on Free Agency Frenzy
That’s all in this week’s roundtable! Is there still a free agent available who you’d like to see be picked up by the Calgary Flames? And would you want Iginla back on the team?