Coming into the summer of 2009, one wouldn’t expect a whole lot of change from the Calgary Flames.
They had one of the most spread out cores locked down on multi-year, largely no movement contracts. They seemed to be set in almost all positions after some simple house keeping.
They had a coach on the last year of his contract, and a few budding prospects looking to make the jump and fill in the holes.
Yeah right.
The talk little, deliver big mantra of Darryl Sutter added another chapter however since the Penguins hoisted the Stanley Cup and the dust settled on another hockey season.
He captured the attention of the hockey world – and the ire of many an Eastern writer – by adding his brother to the coaching role after letting go Mike Keenan after two years of duty. The hiring set off alarm bells of tampering, and Viking ranch scheming, though no proof came to bare that an inappropriate activity occurred.
That in-itself was a big off season manoeuvre, one that left the Flames a very different team heading into the 2009-10 season.
But he wasn’t done.
At the draft the Flames, as we all know, added Jay Bouwmeester by acquiring his rights from the Florida Panthers. That same day Sutter moved Jim Vandermeer to Phoenix and repatriated Brandon Prust, a Sutter favourite that was moved out in the Jokinen trade. The transaction set up the cap space to sign Bouwmeester a couple of days later and massively boost the Flames blueline.
With Brent Sutter in the fold the Flames then went East to grab former Hitmen forward and New York Ranger Fred Sjostrom. The move had coach Sutter’s finger prints all over it having faced the Rangers numerous times with the Devils.
Mid July brought tough guy Brian McGrattan and defensive depth in Staffan Kronwall, and then later that week a surprise waiver wire acquisition in Nigel Dawes. A few days later Dawes signed, and the long rumoured Flame could finally make travel plans to Calgary.
Yesterday Sutter added another summer transaction, moving Wayne Primeau to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with a 2nd round pick, for forward Colin Stuart, defenseman Anton Stralman and a 7th. The move sheds more salary, and picks up an intriguing prospect in Stralman, a player in the mix for spots 5-7 in Camp this year.
Speaking of camps; was this deal done as part of a master plan summer to do list? Or with the summer rookie camp just completed in Calgary, does Sutter see one or more players ready to make the jump and he’s now clearing space?
Interesting to ponder.
It’s certainly possible that a move like this would clear the decks for Mikael Backlund to either player third line center (with Craig Conroy moving down), or the left side on the second line now that the team could fit his first round pick salary into the books.
They say that 20% of each roster will be pushed out each and every off season in the salary capped NHL. Twenty-seven players suited up for at least ten games for the Flames last season, and out of the 27 only 17 look to be back (18 if you see Jamie Lundmark in Flames’ silks). Clearly off season change in Calgary is closer to the 35% range setting up a whole new season.
The Flames on paper have been a very good hockey team the past two years. It’s when they hopped on the ice that the results became mixed. On paper, the team is very different than it was when the Hawks ended their season at the Saddledome in April, it will be interesting to see if a busy off season of change results in better results on the cold stuff.
Exodus
Mike Cammalleri
Adrian Aucoin
Todd Bertuzzi
Matthew Lombardi
Jim Vandermeer
Andre Roy
Wayne Primeau
Jordan Leopold
Warren Peters
Welcome
Nigel Dawes
Jason Jaffray
Brian McGrattan
Garth Murray
Fred Sjostrom
Brandon Prust*
Colin Stuart
Jay Bouwmeester
Staffan Kronwall
Anton Stralman
