What are you looking forward to next season?

[Picker of Cherries]

I want to see Hughes join Orr in the 100 assist in a season club. Hughes had 75 assists last season, so there’s a slim chance. Hopefully he can at least add a couple more assists to get into the all time top 10 list, or maybe pass Leetch at 80 and get into the fop five?

Top 10 NHL Assists Seasons by a Defensemen:

Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 102 assists (1970-71)
Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 90 assists (1973-74)
Paul Coffey - Edmonton Oilers - 90 assists (1985-86)
Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 89 assists (1974-75)
Brian Leetch - New York Rangers - 80 assists (1991-92)
Phil Housley - Winnipeg Jets - 79 assists (1992-93)
Sergei Zubov - New York Rangers - 79 assists (1993-94)
Ray Bourque - Boston Bruins - 78 assists (1993-94)
Al MacInnis - Calgary Flames - 77 assists (1988-89)
Paul Coffey - Edmonton Oilers - 77 assists (1987-88)

Blows my mind that Al MacInnis is in the top ten. I always thought of him as a shooter with the hardest shot, not an assist guy, but the stats don’t lie.

[BoS]

I think Hughes can still improve, and look forward to what he brings next year too. His defensive game is definitely under-rated, and should only get better given is crazy high hockey IQ and drive to improve. He also has a full year of Captaincy under his belt, coming off a Norris season, his confidence should be sky high. I would love to see him crack 80 assists.

I forget to mention, but I’m really looking forward to Sid joining the fold too.

[BCExpat]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

[Strangelove]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

How are Flames fans handling the rebuild?

It wrought havoc upon Canuckdom.

[BCExpat]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

How are Flames fans handling the rebuild?

It wrought havoc upon Canuckdom.

I think most Flames fans have been asking for a rebuild. I don't know about any other Flames fans, but I personally can't watch at team that is going to be at the bottom of the league for the foreseeable future. I may check the standings occasionally and watch for news of trades, etc., but that's about it. Not a big loss for me anyway, as it's been a couple of seasons since I watched them on a regular basis. In the mean time, my focus on hockey is going to be following the misfortunes of the Oilers.

Also, I will enjoy the draft lottery and the draft for the next three years or so.

[Strangelove]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

How are Flames fans handling the rebuild?

It wrought havoc upon Canuckdom.

I think most Flames fans have been asking for a rebuild.

Yeah, most Nuck fans were asking for a rebuild.

But apparently there's a big difference between asking... and handling.

In the mean time, my focus on hockey is going to be following the misfortunes of the Oilers.

I can only hate the Oil just so much while the Leaves live.

A man only has so much hate to give.

Hate-watching can be hella fun though!

It sounds like you're in a good place for a rebuild BCE, you'll get through it.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

How are Flames fans handling the rebuild?

It wrought havoc upon Canuckdom.

I think most Flames fans have been asking for a rebuild. I don't know about any other Flames fans, but I personally can't watch at team that is going to be at the bottom of the league for the foreseeable future. I may check the standings occasionally and watch for news of trades, etc., but that's about it. Not a big loss for me anyway, as it's been a couple of seasons since I watched them on a regular basis. In the mean time, my focus on hockey is going to be following the misfortunes of the Oilers.

Also, I will enjoy the draft lottery and the draft for the next three years or so.

Calgary has some decent pieces coming. They need to hit a home run the next year or two and draft a true elite Centre and they are well on their way to having a very competitive team in 2 - 3 years. They have a good, deep prospect pool. And their veterans and placeholders aren't on horrible contracts other than Kadri but they can retain a couple million on him in a year or two if they need to move on. Having useless and lazy players on long term, bloated contracts can really hold a rebuild back and make it lot longer and more painful than it needs to be. Their cap should be in a good position to add a good piece or two when they need to.

[Meds]

I want to see Hughes join Orr in the 100 assist in a season club. Hughes had 75 assists last season, so there’s a slim chance. Hopefully he can at least add a couple more assists to get into the all time top 10 list, or maybe pass Leetch at 80 and get into the fop five?

Top 10 NHL Assists Seasons by a Defensemen:

Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 102 assists (1970-71)
Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 90 assists (1973-74)
Paul Coffey - Edmonton Oilers - 90 assists (1985-86)
Bobby Orr - Boston Bruins - 89 assists (1974-75)
Brian Leetch - New York Rangers - 80 assists (1991-92)
Phil Housley - Winnipeg Jets - 79 assists (1992-93)
Sergei Zubov - New York Rangers - 79 assists (1993-94)
Ray Bourque - Boston Bruins - 78 assists (1993-94)
Al MacInnis - Calgary Flames - 77 assists (1988-89)
Paul Coffey - Edmonton Oilers - 77 assists (1987-88)

Blows my mind that Al MacInnis is in the top ten. I always thought of him as a shooter with the hardest shot, not an assist guy, but the stats don’t lie.

He was a shooter. But he racked up a ton of helpers by unloading his bomb and having the rebound put right back in by a net crashing forward. Few goalies could smother that shot easily back then.

[Chef Boi RD]

The Flames picked a good time to tank. Some beauty high end talent coming over the next 3 draft classes

[Chef Boi RD]

Chef worries we are going to regret drafting Willander instead Zach Benson. He has the makings of being the next Brayden Point.

[Cousin Strawberry]

His ceiling is hoglander tho. Willander's is Forsling

I'm good with Tom

[BCExpat]

Looking forward to the Flames getting a high draft pick next June and then the 1st overall pick the year after

How are Flames fans handling the rebuild?

It wrought havoc upon Canuckdom.

I think most Flames fans have been asking for a rebuild. I don't know about any other Flames fans, but I personally can't watch at team that is going to be at the bottom of the league for the foreseeable future. I may check the standings occasionally and watch for news of trades, etc., but that's about it. Not a big loss for me anyway, as it's been a couple of seasons since I watched them on a regular basis. In the mean time, my focus on hockey is going to be following the misfortunes of the Oilers.

Also, I will enjoy the draft lottery and the draft for the next three years or so.

Calgary has some decent pieces coming. They need to hit a home run the next year or two and draft a true elite Centre and they are well on their way to having a very competitive team in 2 - 3 years. They have a good, deep prospect pool. And their veterans and placeholders aren't on horrible contracts other than Kadri but they can retain a couple million on him in a year or two if they need to move on. Having useless and lazy players on long term, bloated contracts can really hold a rebuild back and make it lot longer and more painful than it needs to be. Their cap should be in a good position to add a good piece or two when they need to.

Besides Kadri, they also have Huberdeau to deal with.

[Topper]

Besides Kadri, they also have Huberdeau to deal with.

One team has a sudden opening for a Huberdeau

[Blob Mckenzie]

Shit.,I forgot about Huberdeau. His contract might be even worse than the deal Elmer gave to Lois Eriksson.

[UWSaint]

Shit.,I forgot about Huberdeau. His contract might be even worse than the deal Elmer gave to Lois Eriksson.

CBJ is now below the salary cap floor, obviously, for reasons beyond its control. Its possible that they will try to seek an exception to the cap floor rule based on circumstances, but I have no idea whether there is a mechanism for such a thing.

They are missing their second round picks that they would need for offer sheets -- top candidate for that sort of thing at this point is probably Cole Perfetti. I can see a justification for a Perfetti offer that is a bit less than Byfield per season, but over 7 years. Like 7 yrs @ 6M -- this would put the Jackets in the 1st and a 3rd range (picks they have) and would put the Jets over the cap if they were to match, and needing to resolve that situation. That deal would be a pretty big risk for CBJ (if I am the Jets, I might be looking at a 2-3 year bridge deal for the kid to keep costs down and make him prove it). The thing is, though, that CBJ's first is not like a first rounder of a good team. The CBJ first is going to be a very good pick, with or without Perfetti this season. And so I can't believe they would go the offer sheet route -- Perfetti still profiles as a middle first round type, and wouldn't be worth something more straight up.

They could look to add dead salary for sweetners. Like Poolman. I'm not sure what the insurance situation is on that contract -- a $2.5M sweetner in real dollars is not insignificant, though its money the Blue Jackets are going to have to pay one way or another to reach the cap floor. There are also easier adds for them in this area that would settle things completely in terms of cap floor and are more likely to have insurance than Poolman's), like a Ryan Ellis's contract.

I wouldn't write off Huberdeau entirely, but I would fully expect CBJ would insist on CGY retaining 50% or something close to the max. Huberdeau's salary is real money to the CBJ ownership; they have no intention to spend up to the cap and dollars saved after hitting the cap floor are dollars in the owners pocket.

Or they might look to add some somewhat overpaid players that can add to their club and who they can flip at the deadline. Most teams have sorted their cap by now, but I am sure that some things will change.