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1) Over the last few days, I've written a lot about why the Calgary Flames should try to add another top-9 forward this summer.
In short, they want to contend, have the cap space to add another piece, and doing so now would save them from trading assets (picks they don't have or quality prospects) to get one down the road.
There are a few notable free agents still unsigned but the more I think about it, the more I think Jussi Jokinen could be the best fit for the Flames.
He is coming off a down season but he's just a year removed from a 60-point campaign and a lot of his struggles last year come back to unsustainably low shooting percentages -- both individually and on-ice -- and individual points percentages (he had a point on 53% of the goals he was on the ice for, the lowest of his career by quite a bit).
Those numbers should improve next season and, as such, so should his point totals.
Jokinen is also a good defender and would be a nice compliment alongside Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg, who are not spectacular defenders.
Jokinen can also skate well enough to keep up (I love Jaromir Jagr, but I do worry about his foot speed, especially in the playoffs) and wouldn't need to be sheltered with offensive zone starts (like Thomas Vanek, for example).
2) The Flames recently signed forward Luke Gazdic to a one-year contract. On the surface, it seemed like an AHL move but Brad Treliving didn't exactly close the door on the possibility of Gazdic sticking with the big club.
For whatever reason, the Flames continue to put value in the role of enforcers. Obviously, Glen Gulutzan decides whether Gazdic plays or not but if Treliving wants Gazdic on the roster, he will be.
I think that'd be a bad thing because any value Gazdic provides by making teammates feel safe, if that's a thing, would seemingly be undone by his play (he owns a 40CF%, 31.2GF% over the last four years).
Recent posts:
There's incentive for the Flames to add now
The Flames still have flexibility to add
Flames sign Stone to three-year extension
Flames sign Versteeg to one-year extension
On Chiasson and Brodie's 5v5 production
Breaking down the Travis Hamonic trade
Flames select Juuso Valimaki 16th overall
Flames acquire Mike Smith
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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