AHL- Apolyton Hockey League 09/10 (II): We're very perverse

[notyoueither]

Did Burke give more than Kessel was asking for and give Boston more than they would have got from an offer sheet?

[notyoueither]

Things we were sure we would never see.

Rexall is chanting Comrie's name.

He has 3 or 4 points and a fight.

[Cavalcadeus]

I think an offer sheet in that price range would have been a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder. So Burke gave more, and I think the Bruins last offer was in the Krejci range, so 3.75ish a year, which he turned down.
Would have like to see a trade with atlanta or min which would have given some higher picks and maybe an nhl quality player today, though it had to be taken care of soon and toronto was willing to pay

[Flubber]

give Boston more than they would have got from an offer sheet?

Thats not unusual if you know the other team will simply match your offer sheet. Boston could informally let it be known they would match so then tendering one

1. Doesn't get you the player and
2. Might tick off the GM you want to make a deal with

[Asher]

I'll be interested to see what Kessel can do without Savard.

[Asher]

Theo Fleury just got a point.

Edit: And a goal too! On Vokoun even.

Jokinen is having another 3 pt night. Should've drafted him.

[Flubber]

Theo Fleury just got a point.

Edit: And a goal too! On Vokoun even.

THats nice for Theo but unless his overall play had improved markedly since Thursday he is probably bound for Abbottsford. Its a nice story and I hope he makes it back but from what I saw he needs some work.

Impossibole to deny though that the man always had good hands-- and thats something the Flames might need

[Flubber]

Theo Fleury just got a point.

Edit: And a goal too! On Vokoun even.

Jokinen is having another 3 pt night. Should've drafted him.

He could be great BUT-- this is the pre-season. I wouldn't get too worked up yet

[snoopy369]

Jokinen

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, ESPN's fantasy rankings didn't steer me wrong then .

They had Jokinnen ranked higher than anywhere else I saw, hence, why I ended up taking him.

[Asher]

He's just very, very streaky.

[Flubber]

He's just very, very streaky.

Yup-- Last year in his first few games as a Flame he made Sutter look like a genius for acquiring him-- then he went cold and had just a few streaky stretches after.

In the playoffs he disappeared a fair bit although he did have one game in particular where he was amazing-- I don't recall his point totals but he was hitting EVERYBODY and generally playing with commendable vigour

[Asher]

Fleury got another point. Jokinen looking good again, too.

[Flubber]

Fleury got another point. Jokinen looking good again, too.

On Fleury-- I didn't see this game but the media seems unanimous in that Fleury was very much improved compared to his first game. I wish I could have been there since what I witnessed in the first pre-season game was a guy that very much wasn't ready. tentative, slow etc etc. BUt perhaps it was all just some nerves

[Flubber]

Bob Mackenzie at tsn is doing the 6 Canadian cities in fairly superficial profiles (made for tv). Here's what he had to say. I tend to agree with everything said -- actually most of it was pretty obvious stuff

The Calgary Flames should send a thank you card to the underachieving San Jose Sharks, who have become the poster boys and focal point for playoff failure in the Western Conference.

But as any Calgary fan worth his salt knows, the Flames have a richly deserved reputation as massive underachievers and have four straight First Round playoff exits as proof.

Will it be any different this year? Good question.

New coach Brent Sutter's challenges are many. He needs to get Vezina-calibre goalie Miikka Kiprusoff enough rest during the regular season that the Finnish stopper can revert to his 2004 Cup Final form in the playoffs.

He needs to get more defensive consistency and structure from a blueline nucleus that with the addition of Jay Bouwmeester to Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf and Cory Sarich, should be one of the most formidable units in the league. Although, how many times have we said that only to be disappointed with their play.

He needs to get Jarome Iginla back on top of his goal-scoring game because as deep as the Flames are with solid, hard-working, physical NHL-calibre forwards, there is perhaps a scarcity of high-end skill and natural offence, which is why a journeyman sniper like Nigel Dawes could be a key player in the Calgary scheme.

It's hard to imagine that 41-year-old Theo Fleury is the missing piece of the puzzle but the little fella certainly has intangibles that the Flames could use so this trial will be fascinating to watch on so many levels.

The Flames, with or without Theo, are deeper and better balanced up front and on the blueline than they have been in years but consistency and success of any kind has been elusive and Jim Playfair and Mike Keenan have the pink slips to prove it.

This coaching carousel has to come to an end and the onus should be on this group of players -- with Iginla, Phaneuf and Kiprusoff leading the way -- to prove they're not the NHL's biggest underachievers, a team that has continually failed to be greater than the sum of its parts.

It's time to fish or cut bait with this nucleus in Calgary. The Flames should be a cut above division rivals Edmonton, Minnesota and Colorado, but will have to demonstrate they have what it takes to upend the Vancouver Canucks.

Be sure to follow TSN NHL Insider Bob McKenzie on Twitter at twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie.