Friends, the first half of the Calgary Flames season is almost complete (and it only took an extra fortnight to get here)! The All-Star Break begins on Thursday and the Flames will get a four day breather before returning to practice.
As we barrel towards the midway point of the hockey calendar, let&#8217;s check in with our mailbag!

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Hello R. Pike. It is my belief that the flames need to make some noise in the playoffs in order to keep both 13 and 19 (and 88). Winning is the biggest leverage we have. If you agree, do you think Tre should trade at least a first etc to land a big tuna?
&mdash; flanksweed (@flanksweed) <a href="https://twitter.com/flanksweed/status/1487982090352160770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Well, the Flames simply just need to qualify Matthew Tkachuk (#19) and Andrew Mangiapane (#88) to retain their services for another year. But if they want to cajole those two gentlemen, and pending unrestricted free agent Johnny Gaudreau (#13) to make Calgary their permanent address for the coming years, it would be really helpful if those three players felt that the Flames either are a playoff contender or are on the verge of becoming one. So making playoff noise would be really beneficial to that cause.
I spoke about this topic with Ryan Pinder on Friday on Sportsnet 960 The Fan: this may be the Flames&#8217; clearest path to a Conference Final spot in decades. Vegas is a general powerhouse, but they&#8217;ve sorta hung around the .600 mark this season due to injuries and illnesses, and their cap situation means they need to move a big piece before they activate Jack Eichel &#8211; and who knows how Eichel will jell with their group? Edmonton is all over the place, and their goaltending is terrifying. Given the relative weakness of those two traditional powers, why not shoot your shot this season?
If not now, when?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Can we get a breakdown of why the Flames are mediocre at the Dome…?
&mdash; Reef n&#39; Beef (@ReefnBeef1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReefnBeef1/status/1487950627716026372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Johnny Gaudreau alluded to this last week when chatting with the media, and it roughly matches the eye test from watching a lot of Flames games over the past decade.
When the Flames are on the road, they play a simple, direct, urgent game because they don&#8217;t control match-ups and so they can&#8217;t really afford to get too fancy. (In much the same way that a starving person doesn&#8217;t tend to play with their food.) At home, the Flames feel more secure and more confident, so they sometimes get too fancy and pay the price for it.
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How much my next contract
&mdash; Nikita Zadorov (@v2_brad) <a href="https://twitter.com/v2_brad/status/1487943928951164932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Nikita Zadorov will probably be hoping for a contract in the vicinity of his current $3.75 million deal. Based on the Flames cap situation for 2022-23 and beyond, I strongly doubt he would be able to find that in Calgary.
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Which 3rd pairing defenceman is bound to be a Flame come March?
&mdash; Blair Morgan (@blair14morgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/blair14morgan/status/1487950130535800833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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I&#8217;m a big booster of names like Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman, both of the Montreal Canadiens. But other value names that could provide depth and value on the third pairing include Mark Pysyk (Buffalo) and Justin Braun (Philadelphia).
We&#8217;ll be digging more in-depth to some of these depth targets later in February on the site.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/zSsvpqmjZh">https://t.co/zSsvpqmjZh</a> do we trade for Toffoli?
&mdash; Steve Kaye (@AirdrieSaints) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirdrieSaints/status/1487943599308165120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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For those unfamiliar or forgetful, Tyler Toffoli is a 29-year-old right shot winger who plays for Montreal. He broke into the NHL with the Darryl Sutter-led Los Angeles Kings, and so in theory he knows the coach, knows his systems, and would fit a need that the Flames have in terms of being a middle-six scoring forward who can play a heavy playoff style if needed.
The challenge is two-fold, though:
<ol>
<li>He&#8217;s got two more years left on a contract that pays him $4.25 million, so the Flames would need to send something the other way with a significant cap hit to make the cap math work.</li>
<li>He&#8217;s good and cost-controlled, so in theory you&#8217;d be looking at a price tag that begins with a first round pick and probably also involves a roster player (see Point 1) and a good prospect.</li>
</ol>
It&#8217;s a lot to pay and he&#8217;s a good player, but you&#8217;d be moving out significant pieces to add somebody with a Mikael Backlund/Blake Coleman level of impact in your lineup. Would that be worth it?
<h2>The FlamesNation mailbag is brought to you by Deuce Vodka!</h2>
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&#8220;In life, there are so many moments to celebrate, I don’t want to waste a great moment on a bad drink. That’s why I choose Deuce Vodka.&#8221; – Brett Kissel. <a href="https://deucevodka.com/find-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow external" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://deucevodka.com/find-us/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1624366597485000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGn1EzuRMQb344_jV_hL0rgyjwHYA">Click here to find Deuce Vodka in a store near you.</a>
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Friends, the first half of the Calgary Flames season is almost complete (and it only took an extra fortnight to get here)! The All-Star Break begins on Thursday and the Flames will get a four day breather before returning to practice.

As we barrel towards the midway point of the hockey calendar, let's check in with our mailbag!



https://twitter.com/flanksweed/status/1487982090352160770

Well, the Flames simply just need to qualify Matthew Tkachuk (#19) and Andrew Mangiapane (#88) to retain their services for another year. But if they want to cajole those two gentlemen, and pending unrestricted free agent Johnny Gaudreau (#13) to make Calgary their permanent address for the coming years, it would be really helpful if those three players felt that the Flames either are a playoff contender or are on the verge of becoming one. So making playoff noise would be really beneficial to that cause.

I spoke about this topic with Ryan Pinder on Friday on Sportsnet 960 The Fan: this may be the Flames' clearest path to a Conference Final spot in decades. Vegas is a general powerhouse, but they've sorta hung around the .600 mark this season due to injuries and illnesses, and their cap situation means they need to move a big piece before they activate Jack Eichel - and who knows how Eichel will jell with their group? Edmonton is all over the place, and their goaltending is terrifying. Given the relative weakness of those two traditional powers, why not shoot your shot this season?

If not now, when?

https://twitter.com/ReefnBeef1/status/1487950627716026372

Johnny Gaudreau alluded to this last week when chatting with the media, and it roughly matches the eye test from watching a lot of Flames games over the past decade.

When the Flames are on the road, they play a simple, direct, urgent game because they don't control match-ups and so they can't really afford to get too fancy. (In much the same way that a starving person doesn't tend to play with their food.) At home, the Flames feel more secure and more confident, so they sometimes get too fancy and pay the price for it.

https://twitter.com/v2_brad/status/1487943928951164932

Nikita Zadorov will probably be hoping for a contract in the vicinity of his current $3.75 million deal. Based on the Flames cap situation for 2022-23 and beyond, I strongly doubt he would be able to find that in Calgary.

https://twitter.com/blair14morgan/status/1487950130535800833

I'm a big booster of names like Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman, both of the Montreal Canadiens. But other value names that could provide depth and value on the third pairing include Mark Pysyk (Buffalo) and Justin Braun (Philadelphia).

We'll be digging more in-depth to some of these depth targets later in February on the site.

https://twitter.com/AirdrieSaints/status/1487943599308165120

For those unfamiliar or forgetful, Tyler Toffoli is a 29-year-old right shot winger who plays for Montreal. He broke into the NHL with the Darryl Sutter-led Los Angeles Kings, and so in theory he knows the coach, knows his systems, and would fit a need that the Flames have in terms of being a middle-six scoring forward who can play a heavy playoff style if needed.

The challenge is two-fold, though:
<ol>
 	<li>He's got two more years left on a contract that pays him $4.25 million, so the Flames would need to send something the other way with a significant cap hit to make the cap math work.</li>
 	<li>He's good and cost-controlled, so in theory you'd be looking at a price tag that begins with a first round pick and probably also involves a roster player (see Point 1) and a good prospect.</li>
</ol>
It's a lot to pay and he's a good player, but you'd be moving out significant pieces to add somebody with a Mikael Backlund/Blake Coleman level of impact in your lineup. Would that be worth it?
<h2>The FlamesNation mailbag is brought to you by Deuce Vodka!</h2>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-84132 size-large" src="https://flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/Deuce-1024x548.png" alt="" width="1024" height="548" />

"In life, there are so many moments to celebrate, I don’t want to waste a great moment on a bad drink. That’s why I choose Deuce Vodka." – Brett Kissel. <a href="https://deucevodka.com/find-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow external" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://deucevodka.com/find-us/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1624366597485000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGn1EzuRMQb344_jV_hL0rgyjwHYA">Click here to find Deuce Vodka in a store near you.</a>

<a href="https://flamesnation.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flamesnation.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1643426444783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZoMy36-f05a90iD5z8D6E">More from Flames Nation</a>
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 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/01/30/valimaki-suspended-three-games-abuse-officials/">Valimaki assessed automatic three-game AHL suspension for physical abuse of officials</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/01/29/report-calgary-flames-interested-in-vancouver-canucks-forwards/">Report: Flames interested in Canucks’ Miller, Garland</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/01/29/assessing-calgary-flames-depth-ahead-of-the-2022-trade-deadline/">Assessing the Calgary Flames’ depth ahead of the 2022 trade deadline</a></li>
</ul>

FlamesNation Mailbag: the week before the All-Star Break

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