FN Mailbag – February 21 2015

Everybody’s favorite mailbag, our Flames mailbag, is back
chock-full of juicy questions demanding to be answered!

Being a (twitter) people pleaser, I shall comply.

The focus today is the Trade Deadline, so let’s dive
straight into it.

Well, that will depend on what is being offered.

If a big fish like Ryan O’Reilly becomes available, I think
the Flames’ stance on including significant assets will soften. A deal with ROR
will almost certainly include a 1st rounder, which isn’t AS big a
deal if it isn’t vulnerable to the lottery. So if management feels they’re
certainly playoff bound with O’Reilly in the ranks, then we could see
blockbuster shake the ‘Dome.

However, I highly doubt the Flames will, a) Go big game
hunting on March 2nd and b) Even have any interest in ROR since
depth at center is at all-time high. So, that means any shiny assets like the 1st
round pick, Sam Bennett and Emile Poirier will be safely locked away in the
teams’ treasure chest.

I think the 2nd rounder will be in play if a good
middle pairing defenseman is available and perhaps a B level prospect, someone
like Ryan Culkin or Drew Shore or perhaps… Sven Baertschi, if the return
tickles managements’ fancy. 

It arose during the Evander Kane rumors in Calgary that Brad
Treliving was not interested in including Mikael Backlund in a deal for the
disgruntled (now ex) Jet. I think management sees and appreciates Backs in a
similar way we, as fans and media, do.

He’s a proficient middle six center that pushes the play up
ice and most importantly: takes a lot of heat off of Sean Monahan. With
Backlund in the line-up, we’ve seen Monahan have considerable more breathing
room to work offensively and do things outside the defensive zone. The only way
Backs is included in a trade in a few Mondays from now is if the return also
includes a quality center. I circle back to the Ryan O’Rielly discussion
because the Avs would probably want a decent inexpensive faceoff taker back in
any trade for ROR and Backlund fits the bill. Throw a 1st round pick
alongside number 11 and do you have a deal?

As for anyone significant, the top prospects will stay put
and important pieces like Monahan, Gaudreau, Gio and Brodie are obviously
non-starters. I’m curious as to whether management sees Sven Baertschi as an
‘A’ prospect or ‘B’ prospect. That will probably determine his availability in
trade talks, and I wouldn’t be so quick as to assume Burke hates him so he’s
labeled ‘B’.

I still think Jiri Hudler could be had for a very good
return – emphasis on very. I’ll
expand on that via the next question.

Realistically, Jiri Hudler fits in the “2nd round pick and decent
prospect” category, but I think the Flames need to be unrealistic when dealing
with him in a trade. His worth to this team goes far beyond the stats sheet. 

He seems to be a locker room favorite and many-a-night is
the Flames’ heartbeat in the offensive zone, even if he doesn’t always collect
points. 

Hudler is one of the Flames’ 3 best offensive players and I
don’t deal him for anything that doesn’t include a 1st round pick. I
realize that may be ridiculous but the Flames aren’t in a fire-sale mindset
anymore and dealing off the roster right now means they need to receive a
quality return. 

If someone comes calling in the summer, however, things may
be a little different. They could address his loss in free agency potentially
and the price tag for trading him can come down. His actual value will depend
on how he plays down the stretch and maybe
in the playoffs, but will more than
likely stay about the same as it is now.

I would certainly look at Mike Green as a Free Agent, I think he’s a quality 3-4 defenseman, but if a bidding war ensues, I don’t think Burke or Treliving feel like tossing 6 years at $5-6 million for Mike Green. But at a hometown discount for the hometown boy? Yeah, I’d certainly dabble. 

As for Kessel, that’s a tough one. Could the Flames use him? For sure. Name one team in the National Hockey League that couldn’t use Phil Kessel. But the problem is, the Leafs will be looking for a king’s ransom – rightfully so – and that could be out of the Flames’ wheelhouse. Bennett and a 1st rounder would be the base of that deal, and that’s just not something I’d personally be willing to do. Nazem Kadri, JVR or even Joffrey Lupul are scorers I’d target in Toronto rather than Phil Kessel. 

Also, if Kessel becomes a Flame, imagine all the insufferable Kessel/Burke jokes and memes!

On Engelland: I’ve actually warmed up to him, he’s been
quite proficient as a third pairing guy of late so I wouldn’t deal him right
now. (*Ducks*)

On Bollig: No one is that stupid to trade FOR Brandon
Bollig. In all seriousness, the perfect scenario with him is letting him be a
great guy in the dressing room, and then an even greater guy in the press box
when the game starts. Ahh, one can dream.

I think Monahan is already this team’s number 1 center, but
obviously isn’t at a Kopitar/Toews level. While he does have the potential at
this point to become that, I think he settles into a Jordan Staal type niche –
with a tad more goal scoring prowess – and fills the Flames’ 2nd
line center spot while being really good at it.

Bennett on the other hand is who I see taking the leap and
becoming a dominant top line center. He has all the tools and appears to have
plenty in the “elite skill” department. We’re still probably 3-4 years out from
seeing him become that next-level force.

Fear not Lambert, it seems the Flames will be one of the
strongest teams in the NHL up the middle in the not so distant future.

 At this point, I wouldn’t directly address that. I think
possession will improve as a whole as this team matures, but targeting specific
players with good underlying numbers or shipping out crappy Corsiers
(copyrighted word as of now) isn’t in the best interests of this team.

I suppose going after a guy like Sean Bergenheim, who is a very
good Coriser, could improve the teams’ overall numbers, but I think they’re a
byproduct of how young the Flames are right now. Free agency is the best time
to address this type of stuff in my opinion, not midseason.

 I think the market varies from year to year. We didn’t see
anything close to the Evander Kane trade last year and log-jam of quality
scorers (Moulson, Vanek, Gaborik, Cammalleri) basically halted everything at
last years deadline, leading to a bunch of rash decisions made by sellers at
the 11th hour.

 So every year, the
market for what’s in demand at that time is uniquely set, and they go from
there. For example, a few years ago we saw Paul Gaustad went to Nashville for a
1st round pick. Paul friggin’ Gaustad. And in 2013, Washington needed
secondary scoring help and threw Filip Forsberg at Nashville for Martin Eart.

Point is, I’d keep Curtis Glencross until the last minute
and if the market mirrors last years and all they walk away with is a mid-round
pick, then so be it.  But there’s always
the chance they can snag a Filip Forsberg.

I can neither confirm nor deny this.