What does Darryl Sutter do now?
Posted 2:56 PM ET | Comments 0
Wow. Darryl made quite the moves this past weekend. Oh, what it'd be like to peer into the mind of Darryl Sutter right now because I have no idea what he was thinking.
Now, I can understand why one would be comfortable in the fact that Sutter moved the Phaneuf and Jokinen contracts. While Jokinen didn't quite bring the offensive boost and chemsitry we'd hoped when he jumped on board last trade deadline, and we all saw Dion's declining numbers and rumours of dressingroom sandpaper presence, but what we don't see is the reasons for Darryl bringing in who whom he did.
Stajan - sure, he's having a career year, but that is a different team and a different system. He's not a Top 3 centerman, and maybe not even a Top 6 centerman.
Mayers - Prust is equal to, if not better than, Mayers. I would have loved to se Mayers and Prust rule a line together.
Hagman - I can't fidn anything wrong with Hagman and how he fits in the Flames lineup, but he is streaky and doesn't play a very physical game. I like having him wing Bourque and Langkow
White - I find White to be teh same kind of player as Giordano, but not as physically punishing. It will be interesting to see him work the powerplay and grow in the Flames jersey.
Higgins - I hear Darryl Sutter has been really hot on Higgins and they hope to find his 25-goal form that he had in Montreal; I don't see where he fits in th lineup, though.
Kotalik - no one knows where this idea came from. Kotalik is not playing the same as he did in Buffalo a few years ago and he will not thrive in Calgary. This pickup is a mystery to me. Eklund had a great point this mornign in saying that since Kotalik did not want to come to CAlgary (didn't want to waive his NTC to come here), that he likely waived it on teh promise that he'd be shipped elsehwhere. I hope so.
So what now? Darryl has 16 forwards (including Lundmark and Backlund from the Heat, and 3 players on IR) and you can't play 16 roster-capable guys in one night. This leads everyone to believe that he has somehting else up this sleeve.
So, what is it? Moreover, whom is it? what is the "bigger picture" prize that is waiting for Flames fans? Though, I have a bad feeling it won't come as soon nor as cleanly as we'd like, I think you'll see Darryl grab a Top 3 forward and another defenceman between now and the trade Deadline.
but who?
a player like Kovalchuk, Lecavalier, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, or Brad Richards. Those are the kind of guys Calgary needs, but is it who he has in mind? Only time will tell... But, if it were me, it'd end up looking somehting like this:
to CAL: Vincent Lecavalier
to TB: Alex Kotalik, David Moss, Matt Stajan, Prospect and/or Pick
to CAL: Toronoto's First Rd Pick
to BOS: Cory Sarich, Chris Higgins, Nigel Dawes, Prospect and/or Pick
to CAL: Andrew Ference
to BOS: Aaron Johnson, Pick
ok, so that's a bit of a fantasy world, but don't these lines looks pretty rad?
Backlund- Lecavalier - Iginla
Hagman - Langkow - Bourque
Nystrom - Boyd - Glencross
Mayers - Conroy - Lundmark/McGratton
Regehr - White
Giordano - Bouwmeester
Ference - Pardy
Now, I can understand why one would be comfortable in the fact that Sutter moved the Phaneuf and Jokinen contracts. While Jokinen didn't quite bring the offensive boost and chemsitry we'd hoped when he jumped on board last trade deadline, and we all saw Dion's declining numbers and rumours of dressingroom sandpaper presence, but what we don't see is the reasons for Darryl bringing in who whom he did.
Stajan - sure, he's having a career year, but that is a different team and a different system. He's not a Top 3 centerman, and maybe not even a Top 6 centerman.
Mayers - Prust is equal to, if not better than, Mayers. I would have loved to se Mayers and Prust rule a line together.
Hagman - I can't fidn anything wrong with Hagman and how he fits in the Flames lineup, but he is streaky and doesn't play a very physical game. I like having him wing Bourque and Langkow
White - I find White to be teh same kind of player as Giordano, but not as physically punishing. It will be interesting to see him work the powerplay and grow in the Flames jersey.
Higgins - I hear Darryl Sutter has been really hot on Higgins and they hope to find his 25-goal form that he had in Montreal; I don't see where he fits in th lineup, though.
Kotalik - no one knows where this idea came from. Kotalik is not playing the same as he did in Buffalo a few years ago and he will not thrive in Calgary. This pickup is a mystery to me. Eklund had a great point this mornign in saying that since Kotalik did not want to come to CAlgary (didn't want to waive his NTC to come here), that he likely waived it on teh promise that he'd be shipped elsehwhere. I hope so.
So what now? Darryl has 16 forwards (including Lundmark and Backlund from the Heat, and 3 players on IR) and you can't play 16 roster-capable guys in one night. This leads everyone to believe that he has somehting else up this sleeve.
So, what is it? Moreover, whom is it? what is the "bigger picture" prize that is waiting for Flames fans? Though, I have a bad feeling it won't come as soon nor as cleanly as we'd like, I think you'll see Darryl grab a Top 3 forward and another defenceman between now and the trade Deadline.
but who?
a player like Kovalchuk, Lecavalier, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, or Brad Richards. Those are the kind of guys Calgary needs, but is it who he has in mind? Only time will tell... But, if it were me, it'd end up looking somehting like this:
to CAL: Vincent Lecavalier
to TB: Alex Kotalik, David Moss, Matt Stajan, Prospect and/or Pick
to CAL: Toronoto's First Rd Pick
to BOS: Cory Sarich, Chris Higgins, Nigel Dawes, Prospect and/or Pick
to CAL: Andrew Ference
to BOS: Aaron Johnson, Pick
ok, so that's a bit of a fantasy world, but don't these lines looks pretty rad?
Backlund- Lecavalier - Iginla
Hagman - Langkow - Bourque
Nystrom - Boyd - Glencross
Mayers - Conroy - Lundmark/McGratton
Regehr - White
Giordano - Bouwmeester
Ference - Pardy