Lots of trade talk in the mailbag this week, which is not different from last week! I predict that should the Flames not make any trades, it could be a very strong theme for next week too! Let’s dive in.
I don’t think it’s fair to label Mark Jankowski as inept, but he also is not going to blossom into the player Jay Feaster projected him to be. He’s firmly settled into the territory of looking like the player he’s going to be for his career, save for many a Lance Bouma-esque season where he goes off and nets a contract that’ll be great for himself and an immediate burden to the team that signs it.
It would likely be smarter to trade him at this point, because it’s unlikely he factors much into future plans with the Flames (as we know since they already agreed to trade him last summer) and getting back something for him is just good asset management.
Of course they can put together a package that would lure Anthony Mantha out of Detroit (they have lots of talent on their roster as well as a plethora of picks compared to their last few drafts), but the question is why would they want to? I can’t imagine the Flames’ brass is looking for any opportunity to add an RFA forward who is due for quite a large pay raise that would be yet another left-handed forward for the Flames.
Yes, there’s an obvious need for another top six forward, but there are better options out there that fit more of a stopgap role. Anthony Mantha is not the type of player who the Flames should be pursuing.
Let’s say for the sake of argument that this is definitely Gaudreau’s last contract in Calgary. If that’s the case, Calgary would be fools to look at trading him before trade deadline of his last year, unless an absolutely absurd offer comes along. Even then, it’ll depend if the Flames are still firmly in their contention window, which they fully expect on being, but why would they trade a perennial point-per-game player who is cost-controlled for the next few seasons?
Calling Gillies’ work a phase this season feels a little unfair, given that his save percentage (not the greatest goalie stat, but what I have to work with) is in line with most of his seasons in Stockton. That being said, he’s not a legit option for Calgary at this point for the long-term. Perhaps he just needs that patented change of scenery, but with younger goalies coming along with higher ceilings, being a .916% goalie in the American Hockey League isn’t enough to be legit.
I like Patrik Laine – especially when he’s chirping the Vancouver Canucks over Fortnite or other antics – but I’d rather have Matthew Tkachuk at this point. Perhaps I just like what I have, but Tkachuk to me just brings a more complete package at this point in their respective careers. It would be great to have someone who could bury pucks like Laine, but I trust Tkachuk in all situations more AND there’s the bonus of being one of the most engaging interviews in the entire league. He’s great on the ice and from a marketing standpoint.
This answer may not hold up over time, but I stand by it confidently right now.
At this point, probably. It’s hard to see him continuing on with the Flames after his contract expires this season, and I know that his cap hit would love to be offloaded given the cap crunch and the ability to plug in Andrew Mangiapane on the second line for substantially cheaper.
I’ve touched on this in Embers, but I am still a huge fan of Michael Frolik and what he’s brought to the team, and it’s disappointing to how his time is coming to an end in Calgary. Ah well, that’s business I suppose.
And finally, I want to thank Twitter user @LukeCam80109424 for answering a question for me.
