Post by Calgary Flames on Aug 23, 2023 10:43:20 GMT -6
The title of this article has pretty cool alliteration. Am I right?
Calgary was very active in free agency and were in on a number of big names before prices became astronomical but they still managed to improve their squad....on paper anyway. Here is a look at the signings made.
1. TJ Oshie - the Flames welcome back TJ Oshie on a contract with a $6.25AAV. This is a relatively high number for a 36 year old but this was intentional. A) The player is expected to retire in the next year or two when the Flames key RFAs are needing new contracts and, B) The higher value offset a very minimal bonus as the Flames did not want to depelte the bank account for a guy that could be gone next season. Oshie is expected to start the season centering the 3rd line to provide a boost to a line that was inept last season but he could shuffle into the top 6 depending on line chemistry.
2. Casey Desmith - the Flames were destroyed by the play of Bobrovsky early in the season before they found an adequate tandem for Kuemper. They did not want to start this season the same way so they targeted a 1b goalie as the top end guys were going for too much for a franchise that does not want to sink to much cap into the net. The team currently spends $7M total on its netminders.
3. Troy Terry - the speedy winger is a decent passer and is decent defensively. He is likely to suit up on the 3rd line and get some PK time.
4. Andrew Cogliano - the aging veteran has forgotten how to skate but he can still dish the biscuit and his veteran leadership is expected to help on the 4th line or could be an asset in the minors for some of the younger players. He makes league minimum and may retire soon as he is pretty fucking old.
5. Kevin Roy - another player that can't skate, Roy has oddly highish passing (75) and scoring (70) skills. He could get some time on the 3rd line because of this but his defensive short comings could see him stapled to the 4th line or even in the AHL.
6. Andrew Poturalski - the man known as the Ukrainian Assassin likely got a little too much money at a shade over $1.8M but his passing (76) and scoring (70) are hopefully going to provide some scoring depth which was lacking last year or to help develop the likes of Texier and Zadina in the minors.
7. Kevin Connaughton - the veteran defender was brought in to mentor some of the teams younger defenders on the farm. He's another signing that can't skate.
Overall, it was a successful free agency period. The Flames paid for Oshie but de-risked the contract a bit and there is hope that their goaltending will be a top 10 unit. Kuemper was a a top 10 tendy in most categories last year so if Desmith can spell him regularly it would be very helpful as the team pushes for the playoffs in the challenging Pacific division. The rest of the signings were depth signings to put it nicely but the Flames clearly targeted players with a useful attribute or two. Whether those attributes are defense, offense, or experience these players all have something to offer. They all clearly have their flaws which is why they came cheaply.
The Flames remain very top heavy on the forward ranks where the top lines are extremely strong and the bottom lines are not very good with the exception of Osie. The theory is that it is your best players that get you to the best places but we will have to wait for the season to start to see if that is a good theory. The backbone of the team continues to be the defensive unit which provides a lot of offense and can make decent goalies look good. The Flames are built to win and now and into the future with one of the younger rosters in the league (except for Cogs and Oshie) but with the team at the cap there could be changes in Flames country. (Ominous music plays).
Calgary was very active in free agency and were in on a number of big names before prices became astronomical but they still managed to improve their squad....on paper anyway. Here is a look at the signings made.
1. TJ Oshie - the Flames welcome back TJ Oshie on a contract with a $6.25AAV. This is a relatively high number for a 36 year old but this was intentional. A) The player is expected to retire in the next year or two when the Flames key RFAs are needing new contracts and, B) The higher value offset a very minimal bonus as the Flames did not want to depelte the bank account for a guy that could be gone next season. Oshie is expected to start the season centering the 3rd line to provide a boost to a line that was inept last season but he could shuffle into the top 6 depending on line chemistry.
2. Casey Desmith - the Flames were destroyed by the play of Bobrovsky early in the season before they found an adequate tandem for Kuemper. They did not want to start this season the same way so they targeted a 1b goalie as the top end guys were going for too much for a franchise that does not want to sink to much cap into the net. The team currently spends $7M total on its netminders.
3. Troy Terry - the speedy winger is a decent passer and is decent defensively. He is likely to suit up on the 3rd line and get some PK time.
4. Andrew Cogliano - the aging veteran has forgotten how to skate but he can still dish the biscuit and his veteran leadership is expected to help on the 4th line or could be an asset in the minors for some of the younger players. He makes league minimum and may retire soon as he is pretty fucking old.
5. Kevin Roy - another player that can't skate, Roy has oddly highish passing (75) and scoring (70) skills. He could get some time on the 3rd line because of this but his defensive short comings could see him stapled to the 4th line or even in the AHL.
6. Andrew Poturalski - the man known as the Ukrainian Assassin likely got a little too much money at a shade over $1.8M but his passing (76) and scoring (70) are hopefully going to provide some scoring depth which was lacking last year or to help develop the likes of Texier and Zadina in the minors.
7. Kevin Connaughton - the veteran defender was brought in to mentor some of the teams younger defenders on the farm. He's another signing that can't skate.
Overall, it was a successful free agency period. The Flames paid for Oshie but de-risked the contract a bit and there is hope that their goaltending will be a top 10 unit. Kuemper was a a top 10 tendy in most categories last year so if Desmith can spell him regularly it would be very helpful as the team pushes for the playoffs in the challenging Pacific division. The rest of the signings were depth signings to put it nicely but the Flames clearly targeted players with a useful attribute or two. Whether those attributes are defense, offense, or experience these players all have something to offer. They all clearly have their flaws which is why they came cheaply.
The Flames remain very top heavy on the forward ranks where the top lines are extremely strong and the bottom lines are not very good with the exception of Osie. The theory is that it is your best players that get you to the best places but we will have to wait for the season to start to see if that is a good theory. The backbone of the team continues to be the defensive unit which provides a lot of offense and can make decent goalies look good. The Flames are built to win and now and into the future with one of the younger rosters in the league (except for Cogs and Oshie) but with the team at the cap there could be changes in Flames country. (Ominous music plays).