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Dynasty · 12-17-2011, 06:25 AM

Flames report:

Hello and welcome everyone, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie.

Of late the Calgary flames (read about the past four years) have been one of those enigmas of the NHL. As time passed the organization as a whole have made poor choices compounded by bad contracts sprinkled with under whelming free agents mixed with a one sided blockbuster trade which resulted in the firing of what seemed to be a confused GM, all happening while your team is struggling to capture a playoff berth.

All of this goes without even mentioning the hiring and firing of coaches and the return of players whom the hockey world at large would have unanimously agreed would never again lace up skates for the Calgary flames......ever.

One would think that all of these factors included with the lack of a prospect pool any deeper than your average household bathtub would indicate a team that needed to put the present on the back burner and take a good hard look at a future that if nothing is done, and done soon will be very bleak indeed.
Yet again Calgary has surprised in that for loyalty sake perhaps they have refused to acknowledge their corner stone players are aging and can't carry the same workload and expectations as they did in the days of yore.

Yes I am talking about Jarome Iginla and Mikka Kiprusoff.

There has been a trend in Calgary of late and it reads as such:
Stumble out of the gate in a similar fashion of what one would expect if drunken horse racing became a sport, get questioned if THIS is the year you start what most believe (fans included) a badly needed rebuild. Have management fiercely defend another slow start by the club and stars alike, sit back and watch the team claw back up the standings and hover either just inside or just outside the playoff bubble until everyone finally runs out of gas then begin the cycle again next year.

As the doors swung wide to the opening of another season in the NHL there was the ever present hope not just of playoff contention but consistency. The plan was good and the future was bright, opening the 2011/2012 season with three straight wins, the fans seemed to relax back a little.
It was a good three games but unfortunately that would be the best stretch for a team doomed for failure, we now sits at the fifty five game mark and holding a record of 20-30-5 while sitting 28th in the national hockey league has left a fan base disgruntled and very near complete explosion.

Daily have been the cries for change, for rebuild, for the plain and simple acknowledgment that this system had failed, it was a cry that was answered this morning by the chairman of the Calgary Flames, Murray Edwards.
Edwards held a brief press conference in which he detailed the firing of Flames GM Jay Feaster and head coach Brent Sutter. Edwards then went on to offer an apology to the dedicated and loyal Flames fans and promised swift action that would result in the beginning of a much needed rebuilding phase in Calgary.

Edwards explained that the Flames have hired former Carolina bench boss Paul Maurice to take over as head coach and also announced after receiving permission from the Edmonton Oilers to speak to Pat Quinn, He and Quinn agreed to a two year deal that sees the veteran coach and GM take over the reins in Calgary.

It is ironic in a way that Maurice and Quinn were once paired as they are now back in Toronto when many believed Maurice was being told what to do and how to do it, but as Edwards had detailed, he expects a new sense of direction and Philosophy from his head coach and GM.
With a near clean sweep of the front office completed and a new direction laid out it is clear the winds of change are blowing mightily in Calgary now the question that begs to be asked is, so what's next?

I placed a call before writing this article to Iginla, and while Jarome did take time to speak with me, he would not comment on if he has asked for a trade out of Calgary or if newly named GM Pat Quinn or former GM Jay Feaster have asked him to waive his no trade clause or asked for a list of teams he would accept a trade to.

The silence as it were, speaks volumes in my mind and while I can't say for certain I believe that Iginla is being shopped heavily around the NHL and I can think of about 16 teams that would beat each other with clubs in a duel to the death just to get a chance at Iginla for a playoff push.

While I take the time to reflect on the whole situation, the plan if there was one is a master piece of timing and delivery. While Calgary's descent into the basement was well documented and left many in awe that fifty five games had been let slip by with little to no corrective action taken, it all makes sense now.

Once again if this was planned, it would have been set into motion when the downward spiral into the bottom of the standings was at critical velocity and in fact may aide in Calgary's effort to rebuild.

If Calgary, with only three months to go before the regular season ends and less then a month to trade deadline hits, continue their loosing ways and perhaps move some high demand contracts (Ie: iginla/Kiprusoff) they may enter draft day with a top five selection, if not better plus any assets brought in via trades.

Now viewing the Calgary Flames from the vantage point of moveable assets we can see the following:

Jarome Iginla makes 7m per season and is signed for one more year after this one, he also has a no movement clause. It is widely believed if asked Jarome would waive the clause for the betterment of the team.

Jay Bouwmeester makes 6.6m per season with two more years under contract after this year. Bouwmeester has a no trade clause meaning he would also have to waive it before being traded. It is hard to assign a value to Bouwmeester but he is being paid a lot of money and has been a disappointment since signing in Calgary, it is also unclear if he would waive his NTC.

Mikka Kiprusoff makes 5.833m per season for two more years after this one and retains a no movement clause that is only active during this season (2011-2012) it is believed Mikka would waive his NMC if asked to but with high value and his NMC falling off next season Calgary could hold Kiprusoff if they can't find the deal that suits them right now.

Mark Giordano makes 4.020m per season for four years after this one; he also has a no movement clause during 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 seasons and a no trade clause that covers the 2014-2015 season. I believe it would make more sense for Calgary to hold onto Giordano until next season (2012-2013) when there is a window to trade him more freely, but he will still have four years on contract with no movement/no trade clauses on the horizon.
Cory Sarich is making 3.6m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent; Sarich could be moved as a rental to a team with playoff aspirations but would only do so with his blessings as he also has a no movement clause.
Alex Tanguay makes 3.5m per season for the next four after this one, while Tanguay does have a no movement clause on his contract it would be hard to believe many teams would be willing to retain Tanguay for 3.5M until he is 37 years old.

Matt Stajan makes 3.5m for the next two seasons after this one and also has a no trade clause, I'm not quite sure what then GM Darryl Sutter seen in Stajan to make him offer this type of contract but I doubt many other teams would be willing to trade valuable assets for it. At best I could see Stajan going to a team desperate to meet the salary cap floor.

Rene Borque makes 3.3m per season for the next four years after this one and also retains a no trade clause. While I believe there would be enough interest to move Borque there may be more value in hanging onto him to help lessen the growing pains of an eventual youthful rebuild.

Olli Jokinen makes 3m for the remainder of this season then falls to free agency, while Jokinen does have the same no movement clause that seemed to be given to anyone wearing a Flames jersey, he just might be one of the easiest pieces to move out of Calgary.

Curtis Glencross makes 2.55m for the next three years after this one and also has a no movement clause, if Quinn could convince Glencross it was in his best interest to leave, I believe interest would be high for a still young enough effective player with a modest cap hit.

Blake Comeau makes 2.5m for the remainder of this season and is one of the few Flames without trade or movement restrictions, I believe Comeau could be moved at will to a team seeking depth for a modest price.

Anton Babchuk makes 2.5m for the next two seasons after this one, while Babchuk does have a no trade clause I don't believe he will be asked to waive it, at least no this year. Babchuk could factor in nicely in a rebuild if he could be motivated to help teach the kids how to be an NHL pro.

Lee Stempniak makes 1.9m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent. I could see Stempniak going to a playoff bound team looking for scoring help and willing to take a chance on a notoriously streaky scorer, though it's hard to gauge Stempniak's value at this time he could make a nice addition to a package deal.

David Moss makes 1.3m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent, while Moss may at best garner a second or third round pick I could see interest from a playoff team looking for depth in the case of, or due to injury.

Brendan Morrison makes 1.25m for the remainder of this season and while many teams snickered at Calgary for signing the 36 year old vet when most thought he was heading for retirement, Morrison silenced critics while putting up solid numbers (55 GP 10G 23A +1) on a slumping team which may boost his trade value, for a playoff bound team Morrison is depth at best so don't expect too much return.

Scott Hannan makes 1m for the remainder of this season, Hannan has struggled on a struggling team and while I could see him moving before the deadline at best the return would be a late round pick.

For more on the Calgary situation continue to keep an eye on us here, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie.

Dynasty · 12-17-2011, 12:46 PM

Okay guys I simmed the first 55 games to simulate the team sucking badly and give reason for the out right firing of Feaster and Sutter.

This also facilitates entering rebuild mode I haven't chosen which sliders etc I will use but it will be 10 min periods and I will be playing all games from now on, since Quinn was selected as GM I will be playing his role obviously.

Hope you guys like it! More to come in the following days!

Oh, BTW I updated the first teaser post, enjoy.

Tazer19 · 12-17-2011, 02:12 PM

Oh, I see what you did there, "Re-Igniting" because they are the Flames! Nice start.

Dynasty · 12-17-2011, 02:43 PM

Flames report:

Hello and welcome fans and readers for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie.

With a week past since my last report and just under three weeks until trade deadline, newly appointed Flames GM Pat Quinn has been nigh unreachable. During this time the Flames have gone 0-3 finishing up a five game road trip by losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 5-1.

It wasn't until earlier this afternoon I was able to get a moment with Pat Quinn via telephone where he admitted that the same day he was hired as GM of the Flames, he sat with Jarome Iginla over dinner and requested the veteran power forward waive his no trade clause.

He never did say what, if any answer he got from Iginla but my sources around the league and those close to the Flames themselves have indicated that the intensity and possible trade talks with the flames have reached fever pitch and show no signs of relenting.

Those same sources have also indicated that the players being asked about include, but are not limited to Jarome Iginla and there is a substantial chance the pieces will begin to domino in a very short amount of time, now it's very difficult to pin down exact players or names but for the most part this is Pat Quinn's game to play and his price to pick.

As I had said earlier this week if this is indeed the year Iginla leaves the Flames the parade of offers that will stack upon Quinn should be unrelenting. If the rumors are correct some of the guys being sought after have multi year deals or deals that have a year beyond this one remaining, which in the end means if Quinn doesn't get his asking price or better or he perhaps believe more could be attained simply by waiting, possibly until next year then that option is there to be used.

Since word is definatly out amount the other 29 NHL general managers and all but a gigantic neon sign hangs above the saddle dome that reads FOR SALE, there is also many rumors surrounding the Flames with only the remainder of this year left on contract, namely:

Cory Sarich
Olli Jokinen
Blake Comeau
Lee Stempniak
Brendan Morrison
Scott Hannan

Multiple sources are saying any combination of these guys leading to playoff teams or those pushing for a spot including the Washington Capitols, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Chicago Black hawks, Carolina Hurricanes really the list goes on and on.

At least if anything Quinn has generated interest, though with three weeks until deadline day neither side is in a rush and both are jockeying for position, with the commotion being stirred up I believe some player(s) will be moved soon but this will go to the wire and possibly extend into the up coming draft.

For more on the fire sale in Calgary keep an eye on us here, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie.

bpete07 · 12-17-2011, 02:44 PM

Looking forward to this, nice write up, there needs to be major over haul there and you have some assets to get some nice prospects

Dynasty · 12-17-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tazer19


	Oh, I see what you did there, "Re-Igniting" because they are the Flames! Nice start.

Thanks tazer.

Tazer19 · 12-17-2011, 02:59 PM

Iginla is gone, he is the key to a re-build in Calgary, he's had a good run, but him leaving is what would signal the changing of the guard which is something the Flames need.

Dynasty · 12-17-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpete07


	Looking forward to this, nice write up, there needs to be major over haul there and you have some assets to get some nice prospects

Thanks Pete, I am excited about the chance to build this team up again, though I am still planning out my strategies to do so.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

12-17-2011, 06:25 AM	#1
Dynasty Pro OVR: 2 Join Date: Oct 2010	Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Flames report: Hello and welcome everyone, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie. Of late the Calgary flames (read about the past four years) have been one of those enigmas of the NHL. As time passed the organization as a whole have made poor choices compounded by bad contracts sprinkled with under whelming free agents mixed with a one sided blockbuster trade which resulted in the firing of what seemed to be a confused GM, all happening while your team is struggling to capture a playoff berth. All of this goes without even mentioning the hiring and firing of coaches and the return of players whom the hockey world at large would have unanimously agreed would never again lace up skates for the Calgary flames......ever. One would think that all of these factors included with the lack of a prospect pool any deeper than your average household bathtub would indicate a team that needed to put the present on the back burner and take a good hard look at a future that if nothing is done, and done soon will be very bleak indeed. Yet again Calgary has surprised in that for loyalty sake perhaps they have refused to acknowledge their corner stone players are aging and can't carry the same workload and expectations as they did in the days of yore. Yes I am talking about Jarome Iginla and Mikka Kiprusoff. There has been a trend in Calgary of late and it reads as such: Stumble out of the gate in a similar fashion of what one would expect if drunken horse racing became a sport, get questioned if THIS is the year you start what most believe (fans included) a badly needed rebuild. Have management fiercely defend another slow start by the club and stars alike, sit back and watch the team claw back up the standings and hover either just inside or just outside the playoff bubble until everyone finally runs out of gas then begin the cycle again next year. As the doors swung wide to the opening of another season in the NHL there was the ever present hope not just of playoff contention but consistency. The plan was good and the future was bright, opening the 2011/2012 season with three straight wins, the fans seemed to relax back a little. It was a good three games but unfortunately that would be the best stretch for a team doomed for failure, we now sits at the fifty five game mark and holding a record of 20-30-5 while sitting 28th in the national hockey league has left a fan base disgruntled and very near complete explosion. Daily have been the cries for change, for rebuild, for the plain and simple acknowledgment that this system had failed, it was a cry that was answered this morning by the chairman of the Calgary Flames, Murray Edwards. Edwards held a brief press conference in which he detailed the firing of Flames GM Jay Feaster and head coach Brent Sutter. Edwards then went on to offer an apology to the dedicated and loyal Flames fans and promised swift action that would result in the beginning of a much needed rebuilding phase in Calgary. Edwards explained that the Flames have hired former Carolina bench boss Paul Maurice to take over as head coach and also announced after receiving permission from the Edmonton Oilers to speak to Pat Quinn, He and Quinn agreed to a two year deal that sees the veteran coach and GM take over the reins in Calgary. It is ironic in a way that Maurice and Quinn were once paired as they are now back in Toronto when many believed Maurice was being told what to do and how to do it, but as Edwards had detailed, he expects a new sense of direction and Philosophy from his head coach and GM. With a near clean sweep of the front office completed and a new direction laid out it is clear the winds of change are blowing mightily in Calgary now the question that begs to be asked is, so what's next? I placed a call before writing this article to Iginla, and while Jarome did take time to speak with me, he would not comment on if he has asked for a trade out of Calgary or if newly named GM Pat Quinn or former GM Jay Feaster have asked him to waive his no trade clause or asked for a list of teams he would accept a trade to. The silence as it were, speaks volumes in my mind and while I can't say for certain I believe that Iginla is being shopped heavily around the NHL and I can think of about 16 teams that would beat each other with clubs in a duel to the death just to get a chance at Iginla for a playoff push. While I take the time to reflect on the whole situation, the plan if there was one is a master piece of timing and delivery. While Calgary's descent into the basement was well documented and left many in awe that fifty five games had been let slip by with little to no corrective action taken, it all makes sense now. Once again if this was planned, it would have been set into motion when the downward spiral into the bottom of the standings was at critical velocity and in fact may aide in Calgary's effort to rebuild. If Calgary, with only three months to go before the regular season ends and less then a month to trade deadline hits, continue their loosing ways and perhaps move some high demand contracts (Ie: iginla/Kiprusoff) they may enter draft day with a top five selection, if not better plus any assets brought in via trades. Now viewing the Calgary Flames from the vantage point of moveable assets we can see the following: Jarome Iginla makes 7m per season and is signed for one more year after this one, he also has a no movement clause. It is widely believed if asked Jarome would waive the clause for the betterment of the team. Jay Bouwmeester makes 6.6m per season with two more years under contract after this year. Bouwmeester has a no trade clause meaning he would also have to waive it before being traded. It is hard to assign a value to Bouwmeester but he is being paid a lot of money and has been a disappointment since signing in Calgary, it is also unclear if he would waive his NTC. Mikka Kiprusoff makes 5.833m per season for two more years after this one and retains a no movement clause that is only active during this season (2011-2012) it is believed Mikka would waive his NMC if asked to but with high value and his NMC falling off next season Calgary could hold Kiprusoff if they can't find the deal that suits them right now. Mark Giordano makes 4.020m per season for four years after this one; he also has a no movement clause during 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 seasons and a no trade clause that covers the 2014-2015 season. I believe it would make more sense for Calgary to hold onto Giordano until next season (2012-2013) when there is a window to trade him more freely, but he will still have four years on contract with no movement/no trade clauses on the horizon. Cory Sarich is making 3.6m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent; Sarich could be moved as a rental to a team with playoff aspirations but would only do so with his blessings as he also has a no movement clause. Alex Tanguay makes 3.5m per season for the next four after this one, while Tanguay does have a no movement clause on his contract it would be hard to believe many teams would be willing to retain Tanguay for 3.5M until he is 37 years old. Matt Stajan makes 3.5m for the next two seasons after this one and also has a no trade clause, I'm not quite sure what then GM Darryl Sutter seen in Stajan to make him offer this type of contract but I doubt many other teams would be willing to trade valuable assets for it. At best I could see Stajan going to a team desperate to meet the salary cap floor. Rene Borque makes 3.3m per season for the next four years after this one and also retains a no trade clause. While I believe there would be enough interest to move Borque there may be more value in hanging onto him to help lessen the growing pains of an eventual youthful rebuild. Olli Jokinen makes 3m for the remainder of this season then falls to free agency, while Jokinen does have the same no movement clause that seemed to be given to anyone wearing a Flames jersey, he just might be one of the easiest pieces to move out of Calgary. Curtis Glencross makes 2.55m for the next three years after this one and also has a no movement clause, if Quinn could convince Glencross it was in his best interest to leave, I believe interest would be high for a still young enough effective player with a modest cap hit. Blake Comeau makes 2.5m for the remainder of this season and is one of the few Flames without trade or movement restrictions, I believe Comeau could be moved at will to a team seeking depth for a modest price. Anton Babchuk makes 2.5m for the next two seasons after this one, while Babchuk does have a no trade clause I don't believe he will be asked to waive it, at least no this year. Babchuk could factor in nicely in a rebuild if he could be motivated to help teach the kids how to be an NHL pro. Lee Stempniak makes 1.9m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent. I could see Stempniak going to a playoff bound team looking for scoring help and willing to take a chance on a notoriously streaky scorer, though it's hard to gauge Stempniak's value at this time he could make a nice addition to a package deal. David Moss makes 1.3m for the remainder of this season then becomes a free agent, while Moss may at best garner a second or third round pick I could see interest from a playoff team looking for depth in the case of, or due to injury. Brendan Morrison makes 1.25m for the remainder of this season and while many teams snickered at Calgary for signing the 36 year old vet when most thought he was heading for retirement, Morrison silenced critics while putting up solid numbers (55 GP 10G 23A +1) on a slumping team which may boost his trade value, for a playoff bound team Morrison is depth at best so don't expect too much return. Scott Hannan makes 1m for the remainder of this season, Hannan has struggled on a struggling team and while I could see him moving before the deadline at best the return would be a late round pick. For more on the Calgary situation continue to keep an eye on us here, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie. johnnyrocks likes this. Last edited by Dynasty; 12-18-2011 at 05:16 PM.

12-17-2011, 12:46 PM	#2
Dynasty Pro OVR: 2 Join Date: Oct 2010	Re: Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Okay guys I simmed the first 55 games to simulate the team sucking badly and give reason for the out right firing of Feaster and Sutter. This also facilitates entering rebuild mode I haven't chosen which sliders etc I will use but it will be 10 min periods and I will be playing all games from now on, since Quinn was selected as GM I will be playing his role obviously. Hope you guys like it! More to come in the following days! Oh, BTW I updated the first teaser post, enjoy.

12-17-2011, 02:12 PM	#3
Tazer19 MVP OVR: 17 Join Date: Sep 2008 Blog Entries: 397	Re: Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Oh, I see what you did there, "Re-Igniting" because they are the Flames! Nice start.

12-17-2011, 02:43 PM	#4
Dynasty Pro OVR: 2 Join Date: Oct 2010	Re: Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Flames report: Hello and welcome fans and readers for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie. With a week past since my last report and just under three weeks until trade deadline, newly appointed Flames GM Pat Quinn has been nigh unreachable. During this time the Flames have gone 0-3 finishing up a five game road trip by losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 5-1. It wasn't until earlier this afternoon I was able to get a moment with Pat Quinn via telephone where he admitted that the same day he was hired as GM of the Flames, he sat with Jarome Iginla over dinner and requested the veteran power forward waive his no trade clause. He never did say what, if any answer he got from Iginla but my sources around the league and those close to the Flames themselves have indicated that the intensity and possible trade talks with the flames have reached fever pitch and show no signs of relenting. Those same sources have also indicated that the players being asked about include, but are not limited to Jarome Iginla and there is a substantial chance the pieces will begin to domino in a very short amount of time, now it's very difficult to pin down exact players or names but for the most part this is Pat Quinn's game to play and his price to pick. As I had said earlier this week if this is indeed the year Iginla leaves the Flames the parade of offers that will stack upon Quinn should be unrelenting. If the rumors are correct some of the guys being sought after have multi year deals or deals that have a year beyond this one remaining, which in the end means if Quinn doesn't get his asking price or better or he perhaps believe more could be attained simply by waiting, possibly until next year then that option is there to be used. Since word is definatly out amount the other 29 NHL general managers and all but a gigantic neon sign hangs above the saddle dome that reads FOR SALE, there is also many rumors surrounding the Flames with only the remainder of this year left on contract, namely: Cory Sarich Olli Jokinen Blake Comeau Lee Stempniak Brendan Morrison Scott Hannan Multiple sources are saying any combination of these guys leading to playoff teams or those pushing for a spot including the Washington Capitols, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Chicago Black hawks, Carolina Hurricanes really the list goes on and on. At least if anything Quinn has generated interest, though with three weeks until deadline day neither side is in a rush and both are jockeying for position, with the commotion being stirred up I believe some player(s) will be moved soon but this will go to the wire and possibly extend into the up coming draft. For more on the fire sale in Calgary keep an eye on us here, for TSN I am hockey insider Bob McKenzie. Last edited by Dynasty; 12-18-2011 at 05:04 PM.

12-17-2011, 02:44 PM	#5
bpete07 Pro OVR: 6 Join Date: Feb 2010	Re: Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Looking forward to this, nice write up, there needs to be major over haul there and you have some assets to get some nice prospects

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12-17-2011, 02:59 PM	#7
Tazer19 MVP OVR: 17 Join Date: Sep 2008 Blog Entries: 397	Re: Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM. Iginla is gone, he is the key to a re-build in Calgary, he's had a good run, but him leaving is what would signal the changing of the guard which is something the Flames need.

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Re igniting a franchise. An NHL 12 Flames be a GM.