According to Darren Dreger, the Flames are close to re-signing Kris Versteeg to a one-year, $1.75M contract. If true, his new salary would represent a modest raise over his “prove it” contract of just $950k from last year.
Kris Versteeg and the Calgary Flames are putting the finishing touches on a 1 year contract to keep Versteeg with the Flames. $1.75 mil.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 29, 2017
Assuming this gets done [update: it is done], it represents a tremendous value for Calgary. For less than $2M, the team gets to keep one of its most effective even strength scorers from last year, with the added bonus of not having to commit long term. Versteeg’s underlying numbers took a big dip in Flames colours, but it’s safe to assume that was mostly due to the Brouwer effect. Versteeg spent a lot of time with the big right winger which likely tanked his possession rate. Away from him, Versteeg’s outshooting jumped back up above 50%.
More good news: this contract’s low dollar amount gives the Flames the flexibility to go after another scoring winger or a quality depth defender.
Of course, nothing is certain until the deal is confirmed, but if Dreger is in the ballpark with the numbers, it’s a big a win for Brad Treliving.
wouldn’t have minded seeing 2 or 3 years, especially at that money. depth.
Good ol’ Versteeg. Glad he’s back, he’s a useful player and should be a fixture on Bennett’s wing.
Hopefully they put Tkachuk on the other side.
I like Versteeg with Sammy and Ferland. To mitigate the black hole that is Brouwer (you know he’s going to play), I’d put him with Backlund and Tkachuk and move possession and defensive stud Frolik up with Gaudreau and Monahan
… so you want to “mitigate” the blackhole of Brouwer by putting him on a line that plays a ton of minutes against the best the other teams have to offer?… I award you no points and may god have mercy on your soul.
I’ll say it again: based on last season’s numbers, the only way to mitigate Brouwer (while still having him in the lineup of course) is to play him with Gaudreau and Monahan. That line crested 55% in both GF and CF. He was a disaster on literally every other line combination he was a part of.
There’s no way they will split up the 3M line…
Yeah, I approve.
when you realize versteeg makes less than bouma
Can we get a Kris Versteeg Queen Wave in the blog? I think it would be a welcome addition 🙂
Ask and you shall receive!
Versteeg can tell this team is close. He wants to win. He wants to be here. If he can reproduce or improve on last year’s production… He’ll get a 2 yr, perhaps, next season.
Now we await the announcements we’ve moved Brouwer and waived Bouma!!!
This will be Versteegs last year with the Flames.. we will be rolling some from Ahl next year forsure
I hope it’s true, but he’s slippery.
I wouldn’t celebrate until it is a done deal…
WW
I’ll take Kris over an old nutsack free agent any day
Kris is a character player . He can generate points on the 3rd line at this price it would be impossible to do better trying to go after a free agent. I love this move.
Just wish it was 2/3 years
“If true, his new salary would represent a modest raise over his “prove it” contract of just $950k from last year.”
His salary is going to almost double from what he got paid last year. That’s a “modest raise?” In the world of pro sports it is, but not in the real world. I wonder which world Wilson was speaking from.
As for the deal, it’s a great one–under $2M and only for a year. Looks like a true hometown discount.
Versteeg plays pro sports. This is a pro sports blog. Wilson is a pro sports writer…
“As for the deal, it’s a great one–under $2M and only for a year. Looks like a true hometown discount.”… “In the world of pro sports it is, but not in the real world. I wonder which world (BM) was speaking from.”? You argue against yourself, well done.
Compared to a McD it is certainly a ‘modest’ raise!
I believe a certain type of wit, lacking any moisture, may have escaped you.
It would be nice if I could get a “modest” raise of 800K. Even almost double my salary as a raise would be nice.
Glad he’s back, now get Ferland and Bennett done. Stay away from the rest of Free agency.
If this is the Flames going all in for it as Eric Francis believes, then the rest of the West has nothing to worry about!
Shut it maestro!
Wait for it, Knob…er, Snob…er…whatever your name is.
Doing our darnedest not to pull away to far and make things semi-competitive in the division. How’d you guys make out with Foo anyway? Oh yeah, sorry about that…never mind.
Y’all need a course in identifying trolls?
Don’t feed them and eventually they go away.
No they won’t. They just more obnoxious until somebody bites…
(Actually, if they out-obnoxious themselves, they get banned. It happens.)
Gave the Flames tremendous value last year. Even at 1.75M, I don’t expect that to change this coming season. Welcome news.
Rangers are giving Brendan Smith $4.25mill for 4 years. This is what Stone’s agent will want.
So long, Stone. Even if he takes a hometown discount, it won’t be for less than Hamonic.
Sign Folin from the Wild. RHD, he’ll come in at about $1.5mill. Maybe. The only thing is he just had shoulder surgery. That’s always a potential issue.
Stone may very well get > $4mill and term from some team in desperate need of defence.
WELCOME BACK, KRIS VERSTEEG!
I hear the Oilers are looking for expense 3rd line D with big term
‘Expensive’
i thought that was why they just signed Russel (personally i like Russel, just not at that cost maybe 1/2)
BTW : can we focus on flames, rather than turn everything into oil thread or jab at them. Their trolls do enough of that already.
HOPE this rumor is true, like Versteeg a lot, you can tell he does not like to lose.
He will be getting more than 1.75. He deserves to be made up for the loss he took last year. 2.3 to 2.5 my guess.
…plus bonuses?
Including bonuses. Why do you need a bonus for doing your job? Encourages the i in tieam. I guess it’s like a tip eh..
Dreger’s pretty reliable. He’s not just guessing at the number.
Here is a suggested signing for you …. he played injured last year but says he is all ready to go. It is Juri the Hudler
who really played well with Johnny and Monny. I would look at a one year deal for him as a show me contract. I think the boys would be absolutely elated to have him back on right wing. Problem with that line solved!
Johnny and Monny need Ferley to ride shotgun in order to minimize the wrist whacks Johnny endured last year with Chiasson on his wing….
Including bonuses. Why do you need a bonus for doing your job? Encourages the i in tieam. I guess it’s like a tip eh.. Be
You have just defined value.
He has already showed you.
This would be a very good signing if true. Most experts had him looking at a contract in the $2.5M range. At this rate, this would negate the $660g’s bonus overages from last year. Man that TRE is on top of things. Can’t wait for July 1st.
Positive – Nothing but positive. How the hell we get him at that price for just one year? Kris, if you need a new agent call me.
Yup, this is just a good solid move.
Is it weird that the more I think about it, the more I want the Flames to sign Jagr? It’s weird, right?
Yah – No…
I like it. Not like we have a solid option on the right side anyway. He still had a corsi % of 55.4 last season and can still think the game at a high level even if he has lost his speed. He could pair well with Johnny or even Bennett. I’ve wanted Jagr for a while now just for his mentoring abilities. He could have a very positive influence on all our young kids, and perhaps help Bennett like he helped Giroux while he was in Philly. Not that he will come to Calgary, he seems to shy away from Canadian teams for some reason.
Correction – Kris You NEED a new agent, call me!
So glad.So glad.
Great move, great price, great term. He also wants to be a Flame, guys like that bring a positive attitude, especially helpful for the younger guys.
Brouwer makes 2.5 times more than Versteeg!?
WW
Oilers are paying Pouliot not to play almost as much as we are paying Versteeg to play. Love it.
Been on the booze since 5am waiting for a flight from Sydney to Auckland. It’s now 1020, best news all morning! Wally would be proud
Unlike many on this site I am not a big Versteeg fan however even I think this is a good deal for the Flames. This is exactly the kind of deal teams should be signing with 32+ year olds. 1 year low cost. If things don’t work out for the team but he has a good year you can trade him at the deadline. If things go well for both he and the team then you resign him again. Now that this has been done and we have have acquired a back up goalie and a RHD 5-7 that leaves @$11m to get the rest signed. If Bennett/Ferland/Lazar cost S6-7m there is not much left. Let’s see if BT has any other magic left.
I wasn’t expecting a one year deal at this price. My residual concern with signing him was the logjam up front created by the fourth line and the limited apparent room for internal progression.
At this point, we have: Gaudreau, Monahan, ?; Backlund, Frolik, ?; Bennett, Versteeg, ?; Stajan, Brouwer, ?. Ferland and Tkachuk take two of the question marks, of course, which leaves Janko, Lazar, Foo, Hamilton, Hathaway, Lomberg, Bouma, Klimchuk, Hunter, Mange, etc. fighting for two spots, assuming that we don’t bite on a RFA or Chiasson.
If it’s up to me, I try Tkachuk with Monathan, Ferland with Bennett, Janko with Backlund and look at Lazar at centre on the 4th with Stajan shifting to the wing. I then hide Brad’s phone on July 1st.