Flames Offseason Moves and a Look at Free Agency
Jul 25, 2022 10:54:34 GMT -6
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Post by Calgary Flames on Jul 25, 2022 10:54:34 GMT -6
GM Sean McAndrews is notoriously quiet in the regular season if things are going well, preferring to nibble around the edges while not wanting to mess with chemistry of a team performing well. However, the opposite appears to be quite different in the offseason. In one deal he sent Mike Matheson to Philly for a pick and youngster Erik Brannstrom. Matheson was unbelievable for Calgary last season but the move frees up some much needed cap space. The move could not have been made if it were not for the development of Connor Timmins. Meanwhile, the Flames acquired a replacement for the retired Mike Smith by landing Darcy Kuemper from Colorado for a pick and prospect. Kuemper's ratings are not equivalent to Smith's but with an excellent defensive group in front of him the hope is that he will succeed. Finally Calgary moved Olli Maatta for a pick and cash. Again, Maatta was very strong for the Flames on the bottom pair but the move frees up further cap space which was needed for Kuemper and some of the raises the Flames UFAs and RFAs received. This leaves the Flames somewhat thin on the blue line. More in that later.
Here is a look at the Flames updated roster and expected lines after rerates and the above mentioned moves
Line 1: Kane (79) / Monahan (78) / Nylander (77)
Line 2: Oshie (78) / Lindholm (78) / Tatar (75)
Line 3: Maltsev (73) / Krejci (74) / Fabbri (73)
Line 4: Galchenyuk (69) / Stepan (69) / Hathaway (70)
Extras: Zadina (71) / Kahun (68) / Clifford (68)
D Pairing 1: Heiskanen (79) / Timmins (74)
D Pairing 2: Dahlin (80) / Lindgren (74)
D Pairing 3: Brannstrom (71) / Van Reimsdyk (71)
Extras: Olli Juolevi (69)
Starting Goalie: Kuemper (77)
Backup Goalie: Bobrovsky (74)
The top 6 forwards are really interchangeable and will likely be juggled a bit to find the best chemistry. The emergence of Nylander makes this group really well balanced. The big win is a vastly improved 3rd line. While Krejci is overpaid, his excellent FO and PA make him an exceptional 3C, especially for two younger wingers. On D you will notice Dahlin and Heiskanen split but again the top 4 could be juggled, similar to the forwards, to find the best combination and you can expect to see Dahlin and Heiskanen together at times throughout the year. The goaltending tandem is pretty straight forward.
So what about free agency? With the moves the Flames are expected to have approximately $5.6M in cap space depending on RFA contracts. This number could be increased if Krejci is moved for a younger forward using picks as an add on. Fabbri could be shifted to centre and Zadina could be promoted from the farm to the 3rd line. However, for now we will go with $5.6M. So what will this money be used on?
The first choice on the shopping list would be a veteran defender to be used on the 3rd pair allowing Brannstrom to move to the farm for additional seasoning and to be called up for injuries. There are a number of quality names out there that would fit the bill and would likely come in under $5.5M. While Ryan Pulock, as the top rated defender and ins prime, is likely going to attract more than $5.5M, there are a number of other defenders that might catch Calgary's eye including Alec Martinez, Erik Gustaffson, and Nick Jensen. Could they come in under that cap hit? Maybe. Could they improve the bottom pairing or even rotate into the top 6? Absolutely.
The second need would be more depth scoring to improve the middle six. Jamie Benn, JVR, and Jonthan Marchessault are likely out of range but could Nyquist, Eberle or Craig Smith be in play? Again maybe. If the Flames strike out on defenders, creating more competition on the 3rd line and inherently improving the 4th line would not be a bad option.
Finally in goal, with the acquisition of Kuemper don't expect a lot in this area from the Flames. While Greiss would be a slight upgrade, he is likely to go for enough of a contract that the Flames would be better off investing elsewhere.
And finally, the Flames are known to be looking bolster the farm roster as the team was quite poor last year. This could come through trade or, potentially, and offer sheet or two on RFAs. The Flames have built up an impressive amount of draft capital with 8 picks in the first 4 rounds. While they could certainly make all of these picks, they could also see if they could pull in an already established younger player.
Here is a look at the Flames updated roster and expected lines after rerates and the above mentioned moves
Line 1: Kane (79) / Monahan (78) / Nylander (77)
Line 2: Oshie (78) / Lindholm (78) / Tatar (75)
Line 3: Maltsev (73) / Krejci (74) / Fabbri (73)
Line 4: Galchenyuk (69) / Stepan (69) / Hathaway (70)
Extras: Zadina (71) / Kahun (68) / Clifford (68)
D Pairing 1: Heiskanen (79) / Timmins (74)
D Pairing 2: Dahlin (80) / Lindgren (74)
D Pairing 3: Brannstrom (71) / Van Reimsdyk (71)
Extras: Olli Juolevi (69)
Starting Goalie: Kuemper (77)
Backup Goalie: Bobrovsky (74)
The top 6 forwards are really interchangeable and will likely be juggled a bit to find the best chemistry. The emergence of Nylander makes this group really well balanced. The big win is a vastly improved 3rd line. While Krejci is overpaid, his excellent FO and PA make him an exceptional 3C, especially for two younger wingers. On D you will notice Dahlin and Heiskanen split but again the top 4 could be juggled, similar to the forwards, to find the best combination and you can expect to see Dahlin and Heiskanen together at times throughout the year. The goaltending tandem is pretty straight forward.
So what about free agency? With the moves the Flames are expected to have approximately $5.6M in cap space depending on RFA contracts. This number could be increased if Krejci is moved for a younger forward using picks as an add on. Fabbri could be shifted to centre and Zadina could be promoted from the farm to the 3rd line. However, for now we will go with $5.6M. So what will this money be used on?
The first choice on the shopping list would be a veteran defender to be used on the 3rd pair allowing Brannstrom to move to the farm for additional seasoning and to be called up for injuries. There are a number of quality names out there that would fit the bill and would likely come in under $5.5M. While Ryan Pulock, as the top rated defender and ins prime, is likely going to attract more than $5.5M, there are a number of other defenders that might catch Calgary's eye including Alec Martinez, Erik Gustaffson, and Nick Jensen. Could they come in under that cap hit? Maybe. Could they improve the bottom pairing or even rotate into the top 6? Absolutely.
The second need would be more depth scoring to improve the middle six. Jamie Benn, JVR, and Jonthan Marchessault are likely out of range but could Nyquist, Eberle or Craig Smith be in play? Again maybe. If the Flames strike out on defenders, creating more competition on the 3rd line and inherently improving the 4th line would not be a bad option.
Finally in goal, with the acquisition of Kuemper don't expect a lot in this area from the Flames. While Greiss would be a slight upgrade, he is likely to go for enough of a contract that the Flames would be better off investing elsewhere.
And finally, the Flames are known to be looking bolster the farm roster as the team was quite poor last year. This could come through trade or, potentially, and offer sheet or two on RFAs. The Flames have built up an impressive amount of draft capital with 8 picks in the first 4 rounds. While they could certainly make all of these picks, they could also see if they could pull in an already established younger player.
