FLAMES EXTRA
Each and every week during the season we dig deeper into Flames storylines with our long-read features. This week Your Flames Authority George Johnson talks to Flames assistant coach and video guru Jamie Pringle about his role and the importance video plays in today's NHL
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the Calgary Flames' financial situation "continues to deteriorate" as the team continues to operate out of the aging Scotiabank Saddledome but maintained his position that he doesn't foresee the situation changing soon.
Bettman spoke to reporters in Calgary on Friday as part of his Western Canadian tour. He said he wasn't there to make threats, yet he painted a bleak picture of the Flames' financial future if it continues to operate out of the NHL's oldest building.
Bettman said the Flames used to contribute to the NHL's revenue-sharing program, but have become increasingly reliant on it of late.
He said if the current situation continues it could affect the Flames' competitiveness and financial stability.
"This used to be a top-10 team, Calgary is one of our great markets, but again the building's the issue," Bettman said.
The Calgary Saddledome opened in 1983, making it one of the oldest arenas in the NHL. The only older facility is New York's Madison Square Garden, built in 1968. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has said the Flames' proposal for a $500-million arena places a heavy tax burden on the city, but the Flames say the city's plan would ultimately see the team foot the entire cost of construction.
"There's nothing else I can tell you, this building is the oldest building in the league and there's no prospect of it being replaced," Bettman said.
To no one’s surprise, Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving chose to avoid the pricey rental market at the trade deadline.
His lack of draft picks and his team’s wildly inconsistent play this year made it an easy decision.
He used a more frugal, creative approach to try adding depth, plucking Chris Stewart off waivers and signing Canadian Olympic team loaner Cody Goloubef to a two-way deal upon his return to their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, from Pyeongchang.
The lone trade he made saw him send a seventh round draft pick in 2019 to Ottawa for 25-year-old centre Nick Shore.
In short, the Flames’ prospect pool was untouched.
The Next Ones Join Jeff Marek and Sam Cosentino for all the CHL and NHL prospect talk you can handle.
Although he contemplated the possibility of trading for a veteran goaltender to cover for the injured Mike Smith, Treliving felt the options weren’t better than the two AHL call-ups he’s employing now, David Rittich and Jon Gillies.
In doing so, Treliving preserved his four coveted blue line prospects: Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington (both in Stockton), Jusso Valimaki (Tri-City) and Adam Fox (Harvard).
While Gillies has been largely speculated as a solid trade chip because of Tyler Parsons, he’s needed in Calgary where he is an emergency call up for Smith.
PROSPECTS IN
Cody Goloubef: At 28 years of age and with 129 NHL games on his resume, he’s hardly a prospect, although he does bolster the list of serviceable farmhands available down the road.
While he was already in the Flames system, he was elevated from an AHL contract to a two-way deal after his stint at the Olympics.
PROSPECTS OUT
None.
DRAFT PICK SITUATION
2018: Round 3 (conditional), Round 4, Round 4 (FLA), Round 6, Round 7, Round 7 (conditional via Det).
2019: Round 1, Round 4, Round 4 (conditional via NYI), Round 5, Round 7 (CAR).
DRAFT PICK OUTLOOK
The acquisition of Travis Hamonic cost the Flames a first and second-rounder in 2018, as well as a conditional second-rounder in 2019, depleting the Flames’ cupboard of draft picks.
The conditions of the second-rounder revolve around the Flames’ tenuous playoff fate this year. If they fail to reach the postseason, the second-rounder goes to the Islanders in 2018. If they make the playoffs, the second rounder goes to the Isles in 2020 instead.
It gets worse for the Flames if they don’t make the playoffs as they’ll also surrender their third rounder this year thanks to the Mike Smith deal.
In that case they wouldn’t pick until the fourth round this spring, leaving them with the fewest picks in the league this year.
In 2019, the Flames are without a second- and third-rounder, which would make replenishing their draft stock a priority if the Flames weren’t theoretically poised to start challenging for the Stanley Cup next year.
The trade that landed the Flames Mike Smith last summer cost them a conditional third-rounder in 2020 that gets upgraded to a second-rounder if the Flames make the playoffs this year.
The Flames had done a nice job under Treliving the past four years, stockpiling draft picks and building a solid base of prospects that allowed the club to use picks to grab Hamonic.
It puts even more pressure on players like Dillon Dube, Andrew Mangiapane and others to continue climbing the organizational ladder so the absence of high draft picks don’t hamper team growth.
REASON FOR OPTIMISM
The depth on the Flames blue line is matched by the number of top prospects in the system, which is nice for a team that believes in building from the back end.
By all accounts Rasmus Andersson should be playing in the NHL, and would be, if not for the deep and healthy corps of the Flames.
Valimaki could very well push for a spot in training camp next year and Fox is the most asked-about prospect in the Flames’ system by other GMs.
It’s the blue line depth that might also be able to help land the Flames some much-needed scoring depth up front this off-season.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the Calgary Flames‘ financial situation “continues to deteriorate” as the team continues to operate out of the aging Scotiabank Saddledome, but maintained his position that he doesn’t foresee the situation changing soon.
Bettman spoke to reporters in Calgary as part of his Western Canadian tour.
READ MORE: Commissioner Gary Bettman thrilled with Ice District progress; teases major NHL event in Edmonton
He said he wasn’t there to make threats, yet he painted a bleak picture of the Flames’ financial future if it continues to operate out of the NHL’s oldest building.
Bettman said the Flames used to contribute to the NHL’s revenue-sharing program, but have become increasingly reliant on it of late.
WATCH: ‘The situation financially continues to deteriorate’: Gary Bettman on aging Saddledome.
He said if the current situation continues it could affect the Flames’ competitiveness and financial stability.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has said the Flames’ proposal for a $500-million arena places a heavy tax burden on the city, but the Flames say the city’s plan would ultimately see the team foot the entire cost of construction.
