Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
1) Prior to the Calgary Flames landing Mike Smith,
it was reported Marc-Andre Fleury was their top target.
With Fleury bound for Vegas and the Golden Knights intent on keeping him, the Flames had to turn their attention elsewhere.
Obviously, the Flames eventually settled on Smith but during their search for a new goaltender they also checked in on Petr Mrazek,
according to Craig Custance of The Athletic Detroit.
Mrazek was shopped before the expansion draft protection lists were solidified and there wasn’t serious interest. A big reason for that was because teams would have had to protect him in the expansion draft and at $4 million, it wasn’t enough of an upgrade over their current goalies to pull the trigger. Calgary, a team that showed some interest, opted for Mike Smith as the goalie they wanted in the short term to try and win games while also working with the young, talented goalies coming in the Flames organization.
I know Mrazek had a down season, but I think he would have been a nice option for the Flames. Clearly, his value has reached a low point and, last season aside, his numbers have been excellent every year regardless of which league he's played in.
Whether he's drafted by Vegas or not, Mrazek could still probably be had at a reasonable price but the ship has inevitably sailed for the Flames.
They're not going to invest almost $8.5 million into goaltending -- they have other needs, like a top-4 defenseman -- and I still believe Chad Johnson is a realistic option to be brought back on July 1.
2) The Flames' new jerseys came out last night, and they seem to be garnering a lot of attention, so I figured I'd touch on them.
They aren't the retros I was hoping for, but I still like the home jerseys. They seem a little sharper and more detailed than the previous ones with Reebok.
I think the road jerseys will be pretty good, too, once there are actually some numbers on the back.
Notice all the blank space above the logos? I think that was intentional. Don't be surprised to see an advertisement or two fill some of that down the line. The Adidas agreement is for seven years and my guess is ads will be on the jersey long before that time comes.
Recent posts:
Flames among those in the running for college free agent Spencer Foo
Who will the Flames lose to the Golden Knights?
Flames release expansion protection list
Flames acquire Mike Smith
Treliving comments on expansion draft, NHL draft, Parsons and more
Flames lose out on Rutta sweepstakes
Flames shouldn't be interested in Mike Smith
The Flames should stay away from Alzner in free agency
Giordano-Hamilton the NHL's best pairing in 2016-17
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»