Trade rumours & armchair pipe dreams 19-20 Sponsored by SKYO

[BCExpat]

I don't see the Flames being a contender with the current core. That being said, I didn't think the Stars were a contender either, but they made the SCF, so who knows.

It was a deep draft this year, so that is why Zary dropped to the Flames. He may not end up being a Mckinnon or one of the guys of Doyle's list but he should be pretty decent as a 1C. Then again, he might just fall off into the abyss.

[Meds]

Agree. Monahan to me is a 2C who can play 1C, he is not a true 1C, unlike Pettersson who is. Gaudreau is best to play off a more dominate C or LW. It is a bad balance the Flames have in their top 6. They also don't have a true 2C that can take the heat off of Monahan too.

Monahan is definitely a 2C. Backlund should be a 3C. The Flames have had trouble getting a true 1C back to Iggy's days as a Flame.

That's because they have never built from within.....at least not in recent memory. They end up with a dominant player or two and then try to sign free agents and pull the trigger on trades for 2nd and 3rd liners without actually cementing those 3 key positions (1C, 1D, 1G).

In 2004 the Flames had that Cinderella run to the Finals and were immediately heralded as the favourites when the NHL returned to play in 2005-06 after the lost season. They hadn't improved, and while were a solid regular season team finishing 7th overall, they scored 218 goals, good for 28th overall. But this team was a favourite to win everything, and management drank the Kool-Aid. They got bounced in the 1st round for the next 4 years.

I mean, they tried to build around a winger by giving him Craig Conroy and David Legwand for a top line center. The didn't have the chips in hand to actually trade for anything good without gutting the existing roster, and the prospect cupboards were barren.

Alberta teams are polar opposites in terms of ways to not build a consistent contender.

Well they do have a couple of guys who could end up being legit 1C guys in Dube and Zary. The problem is, they need someone now and those two guys aren't ready yet. Dube may be ready in a year or 2 (he's playing with the Flames now, but not ready to take over the 1C spot yet), Zary is probably 3 to 4 years away. So, they have drafted some decent centres in recent years. They have vastly improved their drafting since Treliving has taken over. It's going to take time - but he is on the right track. He is building a team that will be a contender eventually. So you can't go by what the Flames did before Treliving. That's not how they are operating now.

And please don't lump the Flames in with the Oilers. The Flames have NEVER had a 1st overall pick. The best they had was 4th overall. The Oilers should be in the middle of a dynasty with all the first overall picks and high draft picks they have had, yet they are still mediocre. How much longer will it be before McCovid asks for a trade?

Oh and, David Legwand was never a Flame.

I was saying the Flames and Oilers are opposites. Flames haven't really drafted high but have tried to build through free agency and middling trades. Whereas the Coil keep trying to build with high picks and no real support. If you put the teams together you'd probably have a dynasty.

I mean Damon Langkow.

[Chef Boi RD]

Zary’s biggest knock on him is his skating, considered to be below average. He is not a flashy player, isn’t great in any one area, the best case scenario for him regarding his ceiling is - a Bo Horvat type player but that is “best case” scenario. Bo could handle IC duty if you put him with very good wingers but Bo is a perfect 2C complimentary centre to a very good 1C like in Pettersson.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Strength down the middle is a beau thing

[BCExpat]

Zary’s biggest knock on him is his skating, considered to be below average. He is not a flashy player, isn’t great in any one area, the best case scenario for him regarding his ceiling is - a Bo Horvat type player but that is “best case” scenario. Bo could handle IC duty if you put him with very good wingers but Bo is a perfect 2C complimentary centre to a very good 1C like in Pettersson.

Don't know where you heard that Zary is a below average skater, but this is from a top shelf scouting report on Zary:

Skating

Zary is a good skater, if somewhat unconventional. His stride can be a bit short and choppy at times, but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration. Zary also has very good agility and edgework. This helps him to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Strong backwards skating also helps him to play a 200-foot game. Zary has a strong stride, that helps him to fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. It also helps him to work along the boards. If he can improve his lower body strength, this will improve even more going forward.

[ESQ]

Skating

Zary is a good skater, if somewhat unconventional. His stride can be a bit short and choppy at times, but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration. Zary also has very good agility and edgework. This helps him to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Strong backwards skating also helps him to play a 200-foot game. Zary has a strong stride, that helps him to fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. It also helps him to work along the boards. If he can improve his lower body strength, this will improve even more going forward.

I haven't seen the guy and claim no special knowledge, however that is as close to a kiss-of-death that I've seen in an amateur scouting report.

[Cherry Picker]

Skating

Zary is a good skater, if somewhat unconventional. His stride can be a bit short and choppy at times, but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration. Zary also has very good agility and edgework. This helps him to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Strong backwards skating also helps him to play a 200-foot game. Zary has a strong stride, that helps him to fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. It also helps him to work along the boards. If he can improve his lower body strength, this will improve even more going forward.

I haven't seen the guy and claim no special knowledge, however that is as close to a kiss-of-death that I've seen in an amateur scouting report.

Isn’t that exactly how they described Cody Hodgson’s stride?

[ESQ]

Isn’t that exactly how they described Cody Hodgson’s stride?

That's certainly how resident bird-dog Chef described his stride (at least, that was how he described it after Hodgson was traded )

[Cousin Strawberry]

Skating

Zary is a good skater, if somewhat unconventional. His stride can be a bit short and choppy at times, but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration. Zary also has very good agility and edgework. This helps him to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Strong backwards skating also helps him to play a 200-foot game. Zary has a strong stride, that helps him to fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. It also helps him to work along the boards. If he can improve his lower body strength, this will improve even more going forward.

I haven't seen the guy and claim no special knowledge, however that is as close to a kiss-of-death that I've seen in an amateur scouting report.

Isn’t that exactly how they described Cody Hodgson’s stride?

Thats the first thing that I thought of.

[BCExpat]

Skating

Zary is a good skater, if somewhat unconventional. His stride can be a bit short and choppy at times, but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration. Zary also has very good agility and edgework. This helps him to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Strong backwards skating also helps him to play a 200-foot game. Zary has a strong stride, that helps him to fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. It also helps him to work along the boards. If he can improve his lower body strength, this will improve even more going forward.

I haven't seen the guy and claim no special knowledge, however that is as close to a kiss-of-death that I've seen in an amateur scouting report.

Isn’t that exactly how they described Cody Hodgson’s stride?

Thats the first thing that I thought of.

I think you missed this part:

"but this doesn’t seem to take away from his speed. He is still above average in terms of his top-end speed and he reaches that quickly with good acceleration"

That doesn't sound like a kiss of death to me.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Is his torso longer than his legs as well? Is there any sign of a micro-fro? Has his dad represented him yet?

[rats19]

Is his torso longer than his legs as well? Is there any sign of a micro-fro? Has his dad represented him yet?

Cotton Hill... I always laughed at that

[lostinarink]

Any thoughts on the Ericsson / Hoffman rumours (from EK )

Hoffman waiting for Benning to clear cap so he can sign.
Benning offering Ericsson and next year's 1st for, well, nothing....

I believe Benning said no way he would offer a high draft pick to sell players, and the source is suspect, but would you do this?

[Megaterio Llamas]

Any thoughts on the Ericsson / Hoffman rumours (from EK )

Hoffman waiting for Benning to clear cap so he can sign.
Benning offering Ericsson and next year's 1st for, well, nothing....

I believe Benning said no way he would offer a high draft pick to sell players, and the source is suspect, but would you do this?

That would be a big nope from me on buying out Loui Eriksson this year, and a negatory good buddy on Hoffman, not interested there. I would take Benning at his word on this. As you say.

[Cherry Picker]

if Benning got rid of six million in cap space (which he likely won’t). He’d have better options to take players from teams that are over the cap (like Tampa) than to sign Hoffman.