On the topic of our need for a top-6 upgrade

[Flashsabre]

“But according to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network, speaking this weekend on the Hello Hockey podcast, he noted that everything is on the table in Cow Town, even potentially a complete teardown:

There are some people in the Flames organization that just want to tear it down and do a proper rebuild, and there are others that understand that's probably the right way to go. 
 

They'd like to get some young NHL caliber players or guys that are just about to make that jump. So if they do go a rebuild route, I get the sense that it's more along the lines of an 'escalated' rebuild where it's not just first round picks and kids that were just drafted... My assumption, based on other teams I'm talking to out there is that they'd be looking for guys just about to make the jump to The Show. 

So whether [they get offers on] Naz(em Kadri), or (MacKenzie) Weegar, or (Jonathan) Huberdeau or (Mikael) Backlund or whoever, they're willing to listen. “

 

Kadri and Weegar or Rasmus Andersen would be just what the doctor ordered.😀

Kulich, Östlund, Johnson, Krebs, Joker, Greenway for money purposes, 2025 1st all on the table.

[Crusader1969]

29 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

“But according to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network, speaking this weekend on the Hello Hockey podcast, he noted that everything is on the table in Cow Town, even potentially a complete teardown:

There are some people in the Flames organization that just want to tear it down and do a proper rebuild, and there are others that understand that's probably the right way to go. 
 

They'd like to get some young NHL caliber players or guys that are just about to make that jump. So if they do go a rebuild route, I get the sense that it's more along the lines of an 'escalated' rebuild where it's not just first round picks and kids that were just drafted... My assumption, based on other teams I'm talking to out there is that they'd be looking for guys just about to make the jump to The Show. 

So whether [they get offers on] Naz(em Kadri), or (MacKenzie) Weegar, or (Jonathan) Huberdeau or (Mikael) Backlund or whoever, they're willing to listen. “

 

Kadri and Weegar or Rasmus Andersen would be just what the doctor ordered.😀

Kulich, Östlund, Johnson, Krebs, Joker, Greenway for money purposes, 2025 1st all on the table.

Not a fan of this trade at all 

[Carmel Corn]

41 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

“But according to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network, speaking this weekend on the Hello Hockey podcast, he noted that everything is on the table in Cow Town, even potentially a complete teardown:

There are some people in the Flames organization that just want to tear it down and do a proper rebuild, and there are others that understand that's probably the right way to go. 
 

They'd like to get some young NHL caliber players or guys that are just about to make that jump. So if they do go a rebuild route, I get the sense that it's more along the lines of an 'escalated' rebuild where it's not just first round picks and kids that were just drafted... My assumption, based on other teams I'm talking to out there is that they'd be looking for guys just about to make the jump to The Show. 

So whether [they get offers on] Naz(em Kadri), or (MacKenzie) Weegar, or (Jonathan) Huberdeau or (Mikael) Backlund or whoever, they're willing to listen. “

 

Kadri and Weegar or Rasmus Andersen would be just what the doctor ordered.😀

Kulich, Östlund, Johnson, Krebs, Joker, Greenway for money purposes, 2025 1st all on the table.

I like Karri, but 5 more years is too long for a player of his age.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I guess it hasn't been mentioned really. What if Tage just doesn't round back into form, let's say we are blaming his past season on injuries, but really, he's a tall over-dangling player that jsut doesn't have another gear. 

We saw teams take him away easily in the past. I'm not 100% sold as of yet that Tage is the man. 

 

[thewookie1]

12 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I guess it hasn't been mentioned really. What if Tage just doesn't round back into form, let's say we are blaming his past season on injuries, but really, he's a tall over-dangling player that jsut doesn't have another gear. 

We saw teams take him away easily in the past. I'm not 100% sold as of yet that Tage is the man. 

 

Well we are pretty much screwed if he can't be at least a 2C so I'd much rather just assume otherwise.

 

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

“But according to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network, speaking this weekend on the Hello Hockey podcast, he noted that everything is on the table in Cow Town, even potentially a complete teardown:

There are some people in the Flames organization that just want to tear it down and do a proper rebuild, and there are others that understand that's probably the right way to go. 
 

They'd like to get some young NHL caliber players or guys that are just about to make that jump. So if they do go a rebuild route, I get the sense that it's more along the lines of an 'escalated' rebuild where it's not just first round picks and kids that were just drafted... My assumption, based on other teams I'm talking to out there is that they'd be looking for guys just about to make the jump to The Show. 

So whether [they get offers on] Naz(em Kadri), or (MacKenzie) Weegar, or (Jonathan) Huberdeau or (Mikael) Backlund or whoever, they're willing to listen. “

 

Kadri and Weegar or Rasmus Andersen would be just what the doctor ordered.😀

Kulich, Östlund, Johnson, Krebs, Joker, Greenway for money purposes, 2025 1st all on the table.

Muel for Weegar in some manner theoretically makes their team younger and solves our handiness issue

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I guess it hasn't been mentioned really. What if Tage just doesn't round back into form, let's say we are blaming his past season on injuries, but really, he's a tall over-dangling player that jsut doesn't have another gear. 

We saw teams take him away easily in the past. I'm not 100% sold as of yet that Tage is the man. 

 

I started checking out skating speed after our shopping spree in free agency.

I was little surprised to discover that Tage ranked in the 74th percentile in speed bursts and his top speed is in the 82nd percentile.

Dude is faster than he looks.

Also:

• 2022 Healthy Thompson: 253 shots, 15.0 shooting percentage, 38 goals
• 2023 Healthy Thompson: 295 shots, 15.9 shooting percentage, 47 goals
• 2024 Thompson hurts his hand: 246 shots, 11.8 shooting percentage 29 goals

@mjd1001 did a nice breakdown a few weeks back of how a hand injury created an outlier season for Austin Matthews due to a loss of shot accuracy, and I'm pretty certain that's exactly what happened to Tage.

For two full years before the hand injury Tage was a pretty consistent 40-goal scorer

After Feb . 1 this year (about  two months after he broke his hand) Thompson played  32 games and scored 17 goals. So hand gets healthy, and he climbs right back to his 40-goal form.

Three years is a pretty lengthy sample for an NHL player.

I'm pretty sure Tage is the man.

Edited July 16 by dudacek

[PerreaultForever]

Long stride gives him more speed than average. Same reason the Dutch win all those speed skating medals. Tall. 

[BullBuchanan]

4 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I guess it hasn't been mentioned really. What if Tage just doesn't round back into form, let's say we are blaming his past season on injuries, but really, he's a tall over-dangling player that jsut doesn't have another gear. 

We saw teams take him away easily in the past. I'm not 100% sold as of yet that Tage is the man. 

 

Statistical analysis of NHL players says their peak is at 26. If that holds true, Tage's best years are already behind him. Add in the injury and it doesn't help. He may certainly bounce back to a better player than we saw in 2023, but it's unlikely he gets close to 47 goals again. Mid 30 goals with high 60s points is probably his ceiling at this point.