Darryl Sutter has lost his mind. He has signed a pugilist to make his roster two men and almost 2.5 million over the cap. He clearly lost count of bodies!
Have your attention?
Good.
Now the reality. With the arms race in the west building up; the Coyotes have three tough guys, the Wild have Boogaard, etc – it was clear that Sutter felt he needed a hired gun to mix things up and keep the Flame’s skill from getting chased around.
My call? I see it as a dying breed and would much rather see the team roll four lines with their new found depth and make it a squad tough to play against, not tough to fight against. However, at least scouting reports have Andre Roy as a better skater and puck chipper outer than the last Calgary tough guy Erik Goddard. From what I understand this guy can actually play a fourth line shift without creating a fire drill in the Flames zone.
With the signing the Flames appear to be backed into a corner with 25 bodies, 15 forwards and 2.5 million to shear off their roster. Why would Sutter put himself in a need to deal situation (which he really isn’t in if he pays NHL freight to put two veterans in the AHL) instead of making moves before the signed bodies are added?
I’m guessing the answer is one of two possibilities?
1. Sutter has already agreed in principal to a couple of deals to move some players off the roster but they were contingent on both teams getting other work done first – then the announcement? The Rhett Warrener to Phoenix rumour has been bouncing around for some time, and the L.A. Kings clearly need some veteran bodies at some higher ticket prices.
2. Sutter has decided to go long NHL bodies and try and take advantage of some of the teams that seem to have a brutal balance when it comes to forwards versus defense heading into camp season in a month and change. If he played a hunch that veteran, capable players will be in demand when the chips fall then he could either be shrewd or a bucket of hurt when rosters are finalized.
Either way I’d recommend a program when you attend a game in September at the Saddledome. Besides the usual routine of prospects sprinkled into the roster, you can count on at least a half dozen new faces on the Flames starting 20.
And that’s without the moves the have to be coming in order to pare this beast down to a workable number.
Moves are coming. Where, who and when? It’s Darryl Sutter … nobody knows.
