Calgary - Next year goalie outlook

[haze_tech]

What will be the situation in the net for the flames next year ? It seem that they are looking for a new keeper... What's available ? With the rumors of expensions, many teams could be interested to trade for their #2 goalie that they could loose for nothing.

What do we have...

1 - Resign Ramo
2 - Trade for Andersen
3 - Trade for Domingue or Smith
4 - Sign Ward
5 - Trade for Lehtonen or Niemi
6 - Trade to get Howard
7 - Sign Reimer (not a big upgrade of Ramo IMO)
8 - Trade to get Elliott
9 - Trade for Miller / Markstrom
10 - Something else ???

In order, I would way #2, then #5... or stay with Ramo...

What is your ?

[The Bottlenecker]

I think they stay with Ramo, but keep him as a 1B option to James Reimer who they sign to a three year deal. I don't think they will land anyone like Niemi or Lehtonen, and the Ducks are keeping quiet on whether or not they are considering dealing Andersen. Just my thoughts though, and nothing out there to back it up.

[Magicstew]

Trade for Pavelac? I would look at Anderson then Howard as the next option as he may be able to acquire cheap.
Do they have any prospect options coming up in he next couple years, best bet would be to develop within.

[PrairieDog]

Trade for Pavelac? I would look at Anderson then Howard as the next option as he may be able to acquire cheap.
Do they have any prospect options coming up in he next couple years, best bet would be to develop within.

Jon Gillies has been highly touted by many - I don't know a lot about him (though I own him in a couple leagues) but he's probably still 2-3 yrs, so they need to bridge.

Hard to say but I can see them going with Ramo at the start of the year, and when he's sucking through Xmas they'll make a desperate move for a vet.

[Eskimo Brother]

With the way Elliott is playing right now, tough to see St. Louis trading him.
Andersen, or a smaller deal for Pavelec I could see, but most likely it will be signing Reimer/Ramo to be their number 1 for the next year or two until something better comes along.

[Wotan]

Jon Gillies has been highly touted by many - I don't know a lot about him (though I own him in a couple leagues) but he's probably still 2-3 yrs, so they need to bridge..

Unfortunately Gillies has been injured for the biggest part of this season, so his development might have taken a hit. But why not try him as a backup to see what they have in him? He is said to be quite the stud (just stating what I've read and what others have said here, too...)

[Pengwin7]

I think the Flames will sign Chad Johnson to a Talbot-esque contract.
Chad Johnson doesn't get enough chatter... but I believe he is valued pretty highly by NHL GMs (relative to what's out there on the market this off-season).
He's a Calgary guy too.
Last season he was VERY good in Buffalo.
And he was a VERY good spot back-up in Boston three seasons ago.
His season on the Island wasn't great... but one in three bad years may be the anomaly.
Overall, 101 NHL gp, 2.39gaa, .917sv%.
The average #1 NHL goalie usually parks around 2.40gaa, .915sv%... so Chad Johnson has held his own.
Those stats are good enough, IMO, for a team to take a risk on him as their #1 goalie.

Everytime I tuned in for a Buffalo game this year, I was impressed.
He'll be turning 30... and many goalies have matured later... late 20s, even around 30...
Tim Thomas, Niklas Backstrom (IIRC) both late, late bloomers.
http://espn.go.com/nhl/player/stats/...8/chad-johnson

[Dikoi]

I have a feeling they take the easy way out and sign up Cam Ward next year.

[Sulla]

I think it will be Ramo to start as he did have a nice spell before the injury but agreed there will be a Johnson 'like' signing to work as a 1a 1b situation

[olafson1393]

Are Niemi or Lehtonen even going to be available? What does Dal have in the pipe? Would they rest on either one of those guys alone for next year? I think Niemi would be the last thing Calgary needs, and I don't think Lehtonen would be a whole lot better. Reimer would be solid, Andersen would be the best option.

[Rodgort]

What will be the situation in the net for the flames next year ? It seem that they are looking for a new keeper... What's available ? With the rumors of expensions, many teams could be interested to trade for their #2 goalie that they could loose for nothing.

What do we have...

1 - Resign Ramo - Likely scenario and he isn't bad. Decent 1B option
2 - Trade for Andersen - It would require A LOT for Anahiem to trade him within the division
3 - Trade for Domingue or Smith - No one wants Smith's awful contract unless they want first overall next year, highly doubt PHX moves Domingue as he performed pretty well
4 - Sign Ward - LOL, it be a good way to get a top 3 pick
5 - Trade for Lehtonen or Niemi - don't see Dallas moving either for at least one more year
6 - Trade to get Howard - LOL, see Cam Ward
7 - Sign Reimer (not a big upgrade of Ramo IMO) - He'd be a good signing with ramo this would be smart
8 - Trade to get Elliott - Don't see STL moving Elliot or Allen
9 - Trade for Miller / Markstrom - Miller is awful and Van won't give up Markstrom
10 - Something else - see below

I could see CGY trading for Bernier, or doing a Boston / Martin Jones thing. As in TOR trades for Andersen, then flips Andersen to CGY

Chad Johnson could make sense, but he has never had a full season of work aside from this one where he looked good and bad

[rataylor22]

Ramo won't even be ready for the start of the season, so I can't see how this is being mentioned as an option.

[Sulla]

it won't be the first time a team will have done that - if anything I think it makes re signing him easier as they can use that

[Doug Glatt]

If Calgary views Gillies as the G of the future, it makes a lot of sense for them to sign Reimer as a free agent. He could be solid for 2-3 years and buy the time needed until Gillies is ready. Reimer isnt half bad, he will win some games for them. I also agree with P7 about Chad Johnson. Has been very solid yet under the radar. A lot of organizations would like to have a guy like Johnson in their system. Imagine how Montreal's season would have gone differently if there had been a lunchpail guy like Johnson to call on when Price went down. Johnson would be a decent fallback for a team that missed out on Reimer.

I like Andersen, I own him. I hope he ends up starting somewhere else next season. But he is a RFA so his fate will be determined by the Anaheim brass. I cant imagine he will be let go cheaply, or to a team in the Western Conference if it can be avoided. Perhaps he will end up in Calgary, perhaps flipped like Jones was.

[Eazy BZ]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ortio. Ortio is an RFA and could be had for very cheap. I think Ortio will be given at least a 1 year contract, maybe 2 worth around 1-2 million a season. Flames are going to need to save some money somewhere, Ortio will be a very cheap option and should spend the entire year in the NHL, most likely as the backup.