Colin, I keep thinking Stajan is going to be "Fired" like Jokanen was. I don't see anyone trading for him, and they won't want him back next year, especially if they keep Backlund. We will need the roster spot, and I'm sure they will trade for another young NHL ready center (like they did for Colborne).

1st line: Monahan
2nd line: Backlund
3rd line: Colborne
4rd line: Knight
Extra1: Ramage
Extra2: Granlund
- FL4MES

Stajan still has value for a taem I'm hoping that is on the verge of just making or not making the playoffs and maybe if packaged with the right guy could bring us a 1st that could be in the 15 or 16 spot.

If Stajan is going to be traded then the Flames in my eyes have no choice but to keep Backlund which is a good thing he will be the only vet centerman we have left on the team

If the Oilers are still awful after the 2015 season I would not be surprised to see Mcdavid pull a Lindros if Edmonton tries to draft him.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I heard that Betman is working on placing a clause in the next barganing agreement that states that if a team can't climb out of the basement in 6 years then they have to join the AHL and the top ranked AHL team will join the NHL.

Its called the COILER clause

I heard that Betman is working on placing a clause in the next barganing agreement that states that if a team can't climb out of the basement in 6 years then they have to join the AHL and the top ranked AHL team will join the NHL.

Its called the COILER clause
- Svensational47

I say this every time I hear an Oiler fan start a sentence with "Oiler domination to follow" during any hockey related talk.

Stajan still has value for a taem I'm hoping that is on the verge of just making or not making the playoffs and maybe if packaged with the right guy could bring us a 1st that could be in the 15 or 16 spot.

If Stajan is going to be traded then the Flames in my eyes have no choice but to keep Backlund which is a good thing he will be the only vet centerman we have left on the team
- Svensational47

I agree with this...don't hate stajan but I think we can afford to lose him since he is only marginally better than our other options, and he has reached his ceiling. Package him and/or reduce his salary for something decent in return, teams with injuries and or lack of depth at Centre can always use a defensive forward for a playoff run. We can bring up Knight or Reinhart and go with 4 young centres allowing Backlund a chance to prove his worth, and maybe become our veteran centre as the rebuild continues.

I would also like to keep Stempniak if he is willing to stay, him, hudler, glencross, and gio would be a nice veteran core that provide good leadership.

But eventually those prospects or depth as yoh call it, get moved for proven NHL's for a playoff run. The question (s) is/are, does Yzerman feel ready to enter the window for a few years of PO's and does he enter it with the current assets and see how far they can go and possibly adjust next year?
- TandA4Flames

no they dont, they develope in syracuse, get to tampa, and develope more there and they become experienced and make their own playoff run, while they do that, the farm keeps developing for the next year. its why detroit is good year after year ...and thats the approach yzerman is taking

and about the best prospect depth in the league, TB is ranked #1 ...or #2, im not sure, but either way theres the proof...i dont know what evidence they used to complete it, probably just common sense...anytime you had the AHL MVP of the league, the leading scorer in the playoffs, and the CHL MVP of the league, and a franchise goalie who was 18 playing rediculous in russia in the KHL you have a pretty good pool, especially when the AHL mvp is only ranked #8 on your depth chart

no they dont, they develope in syracuse, get to tampa, and develope more there and they become experienced and make their own playoff run, while they do that, the farm keeps developing for the next year. its why detroit is good year after year ...and thats the approach yzerman is taking

and about the best prospect depth in the league, TB is ranked #1 ...or #2, im not sure, but either way theres the proof...i dont know what evidence they used to complete it, probably just common sense...anytime you had the AHL MVP of the league, the leading scorer in the playoffs, and the CHL MVP of the league, and a franchise goalie who was 18 playing rediculous in russia in the KHL you have a pretty good pool, especially when the AHL mvp is only ranked #8 on your depth chart
- RileyB77

Sure, you can go this route; draft and develop your own players and never add to quickly fill holes. But how long are you willing to wait for a championship run? By then some of your key vets like St. Louis is retired or no longer effective. Even CHI made trades and continue to do so.

Sure, you can go this route; draft and develop your own players and never add to quickly fill holes. But how long are you willing to wait for a championship run? By then some of your key vets like St. Louis is retired or no longer effective. Even CHI made trades and continue to do so.
- TandA4Flames

not very long, by the time st louis hits retirement age all our prospects will be entering their primes and vasilevskiy will probably just be starting to take over the starting role, lets not forget marty is 38 and skates like he is 30 and works out like he is 25 years old. he has quite a few more years left in the tank

stamkos, kucherov, drouin, hedman, koekkoek, namestnikov, connolly(?) , brown, johnson, palat,panik, i would rather have this core of 20-25 y/o's when im 40 leading me to the playoffs than any other team could offer

if all these guys are 25 years old in their prime and a major guy gets hurt, you do what were doing now, you give young guys that have proven themselves at the AHL level a chance, if you trade them away to aquire a more "seasoned vet" for a playoff run what kind of message are you sending to your prospects? work as hard as you want but if we make the playoffs your gone so we can make a deep run? thats discouraging, and it leads to you signing a vet to your lineup for 1 year and then losing him to RFA and not resiginging him we see it with Jagr, we see it recently with iginla, we see it with morrow, those guys are going everywhere.. and teams are empyting their farm to get these guys for 1 year, then what?

i undertand NJ kinda got thrown under the bus with kovalchuck situation and had to throw a roster together but jagr will be on a new team next year too

at this point im just rambling on, but i can see if you have an overload of talented winger prospects coming up, you can deal from a position of strength then to aquire someone who can help your playoff run by not giving up the whole farm, but to send guys off just to get a Vet for the playoff run is foolish to me, unless you have a strength in the position your dealing from

Thanks Colin for answering my question about Backlund. I can see where you are coming from with your answer. The thing that i don't agree with is that not only do you think they will keep Backlund, but you also think they will re-sign Stajan. I see little chance the flames go into next year with the exact same center group from this year. Not to mention that would probably leave Backlund as the 4th line center for next year as well.

I heard that Betman is working on placing a clause in the next barganing agreement that states that if a team can't climb out of the basement in 6 years then they have to join the AHL and the top ranked AHL team will join the NHL.

Its called the COILER clause
- Svensational47

This made me laugh a lot because it was both hilarious and original.

I heard that Betman is working on placing a clause in the next barganing agreement that states that if a team can't climb out of the basement in 6 years then they have to join the AHL and the top ranked AHL team will join the NHL.

Its called the COILER clause
- Svensational47

bahahahah nice...

I agree with this...don't hate stajan but I think we can afford to lose him since he is only marginally better than our other options, and he has reached his ceiling. Package him and/or reduce his salary for something decent in return, teams with injuries and or lack of depth at Centre can always use a defensive forward for a playoff run. We can bring up Knight or Reinhart and go with 4 young centres allowing Backlund a chance to prove his worth, and maybe become our veteran centre as the rebuild continues.

I would also like to keep Stempniak if he is willing to stay, him, hudler, glencross, and gio would be a nice veteran core that provide good leadership.
- Saskabush

Yea, I'd prefer to keep Stemper over Stajan.
Stajan has been a warrior for us, but I don't think I agree with you that we need more center depth...we have too much "depth", that's why Backs is on the 4th line and we got guys like Knight, Reinhart (and further down the road Janko?)
I think either Backlund or Stajan is gone. What we need is not mediocre level center depth, but package some of these centers for a better 1st/2nd line center. Since Backlund still has potential, my bet is you keep him...we know what Stajan's ceiling is, and he isn't a bonafide 1/2 line center on a good team. Then you bring up the guys like Knight, Reinhart next year to play 3rd or 4th line minutes

Hey guys, just wanted to give you all a heads up - I apologize for a late blog today, however work has been busy and Mike has asked that I post my Leafs blogs on Wednesdays ahead of the Flames blogs as an attempt to avoid posting at the same time. Should have the Flames game day blog up soon.

Cheers

Hey guys, just wanted to give you all a heads up - I apologize for a late blog today, however work has been busy and Mike has asked that I post my Leafs blogs on Wednesdays ahead of the Flames blogs as an attempt to avoid posting at the same time. Should have the Flames game day blog up soon.

Cheers
- Colin_Dambrauskas

- The-O-G

New blog