With everything still quiet surrounding the Calgary Flames, I figured it'd be fun to get a Q&A post in before all the action begins.
Let's get right to it.
@ToddCordell In your opinion what is the ideal goalie combo the flames should role with next season?
— Ajay (@AjayMann88) May 14, 2017
There are a few different tandems I'd like to see.
Should the Flames want an experienced goaltender, I think Steve Mason starting with Chad Johnson backing up would be more than adequate. Mason is coming off a bit of a down year but in three seasons prior had better than a .920SV% with the Flyers. He is very underrated and should be good for 55-60 starts.
If the Flames are comfortable giving someone who has never started before, I'd like to see Antti Raanta or Juuse Saros with Johnson again being the likely backup candidate.
Raanta has quietly posted a .924 save percentage since the beginning of the 2014-15 season while Saros has posted a .920 save percentage or better regardless of the league he is playing in or team he's playing behind.
Both those guys are signed through next season for $1 million or less so bringing one of them in would give GM Brad Treliving plenty of flexibility to upgrade the team elsewhere.
@ToddCordell Graubauer or fleury?
— daniel knapp (@danielknappkins) May 14, 2017
There are some others I prefer (see above) but Grubauer may be my choice, honestly. I know Fleury has been very good in the playoffs but he posted an underwhelming .909 save percentage in the regular season. Paying almost $6 million per for a goaltender in his 33 and 34-year-old seasons probably isn't the best way to spend money. If he can be had for minimal trade assets it's worth considering but giving anything of worth is not something I'd do, especially given all the other options available.
@ToddCordell Should the flames look to bring in TJ Oshie?
— Dean Portman (@deanportman5) May 14, 2017
Oshie is a very good player but I think the Flames should stay away from him.
This past season he scored on 10%(!) more of his shots than his career average. That really inflated his goal/point totals, as did playing with a pair of elite forwards in Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin.
He is due to regress next season and he is also on the wrong side of 30. Giving the money and term it'll take to get his signature is probably not a good idea.
@ToddCordell Or try and acquire Jonathan Drouin via trade?
— Dean Portman (@deanportman5) May 14, 2017
The Lightning want a young, top-4 defenseman if they're trading Drouin so I don't really see a fit. If the Flames were to part with, say, T.J. Brodie there would be a ton of question marks outside of the top-2. They need to upgrade their defense as is so trading someone like Brodie would be counter productive.
I'm sure the Lightning would have interest in Rasmus Andersson and/or Oliver Kylington but it would take *a lot* more than that to get Drouin. I think he's more likely to go to a team like Anaheim or Carolina if he's traded.
@ToddCordell What do the 4/5/6/7 d look like for next. Combo of free agents and ahl call ups?
— Vince Gibbons (@the_vincanity) May 14, 2017
I could see one of Micheal Stone/Deryk Engelland being brought back depending on the price, although I wouldn't re-sign either. Let's just assume Engelland takes a pay cut on a short-term deal and the Flames use their money to find Brodie a legitimate partner in free agency.
I think we could see something like this:
Mark Giordano - Dougie Hamilton Brendan Smith (ideally) - T.J. Brodie Brett Kulak - Deryk Engelland/Rasmus Andersson
@ToddCordell Free agent Dmen the Flames should get? I think Alzner B. Smith and Oduya would all be great. Leadership and playoff tested!
— JG13 (@JohnnyGaud13) May 14, 2017
I think Karl Alzner is overrated and Johnny Oduya has declined quite a bit in recent years so I'd stay away from both of those guys. Brendan Smith would be a great add, though.
He can skate, he is physical, he's an excellent shot suppressor and, quite frankly, I think he is exactly the kind of partner T.J. Brodie needs.
Recent posts: Could the Flames take a run at Juuse Saros?