Sorry that Scorchstack is late today, we were a little distracted [lowers sunglasses] accepting the Pulitzer Prize For Best Calgary Flames Newsletter.
What’s inside?
Seattle Kraken captain [record scratch] Mark Giordano?!?? Running you through the expansion draft qualms raised by leaving the captain exposed.
You can travel to Europe again, and who knows, you might see these Flames when you’re there too.
Local politics! We cover that now.
Since last issue
No Scorchstack last week as there was more important things going on
Scorchstack #43 dissected all the Matthew Tkachuk rumours. Okay, just the one Matthew Tkachuk rumour.
Giordano and the expansion draft
The Flames are sending their old captain to a nice couple who lives on a farm. Maybe.
by Mike (@mikeFAIL)
With the Seattle expansion draft looming in two weeks — seriously it’s two weeks away and I had plum forgot because the NBA Playoffs have been electrifying — now I have to think about the quandary of who gets sacrificed to the oceanic beast that will crawl onto land and hopefully replicate similar first-year successes as those Vegas Golden Knights. The dilemma of Mark Giordano, specifically exposing him or protecting him is the subject of multiple Twitter straw polls and discussions.
For anyone waking up from a coma or are coming out of a 2012 doomsday bunker where you had no connectivity to the outside world, only subsisting on beans here are the key facts:
Giordano is now 37, which in hockey years means he is quickly approaching death and if offered, would have taken the boat to the Undying Lands of Valinor with Frodo.
The 2020-21 season was widely regarded as one of his worst seasons however, I don’t think it was that egregiously awful in hindsight.
He’s in the final year of his contract, with a cap hit of $6.75M this season, and has a modified no-trade clause (19 teams, which likely prevents him from a number of failed markets).
Bald
One of the most critical pieces of discussion around Giordano is how the 2020-21 season went. There are components to his game that have dropped off relative to past years of performance and coupled with the eye test, there were elements of this past season when paired with Rasmus Andersson that were difficult to sit through.
When we look at the results specifically through modeled value and impact courtesy of Evolving Hockey, there is a significantly assertive declaration that Mark Giordano is still a valuable hockey player for this team.
More importantly: he is still providing value well above expectations given he was 37 at season's end. Other models of measuring performance, like Dom L’s Game Score, still reflect nicely on Giordano too. For the 2020-21 season preview, Dom’s model had Giordano at 2.5 wins-added which was top-10. Reflecting back on his performance this season, I’ve publicly stated a desire to dump him to Seattle for the expansion draft to help speed up a proper rebuild for this team. In the end, this is a flawed and poorly constructed team that is not destined to be a strong competitor right now.
The main thing to consider is whether or not we’ll get a more human-level of performance out of Giordano come the start of the 2021-22 season. If paired with Chris Tanev again, perhaps not and we are able to see and measure near-elite levels of performance. If he’s paired with Rasmus Andersson again - with Andersson looking more like his 2019-20 self - then again it could be a recipe for success.
Anything contrary to that can and will be a problem if he’s still a part of the roster to start the season. Here are four key scenarios we’ve crafted which might occur.
Scenario #1 - The Flames give the Kraken an asset (for example, a 2021 third-round pick) to ensure an unprotected Giordano is not selected.
Who wins? The Kraken because they got an easy asset for simply forcing Treliving to believe Giordano was their selection.
Who loses? The Flames, you dingus. The problem with losing an asset in this scenario is that there is a belief that the Flames can recoup the lost asset by flipping Giordano at the deadline which can or might not happen. If anything, the Flames should be utilizing assets to move out players under contract who create a longer-term impact on their salary cap structure. See: Milan Lucic (who for all things considered really grew on me this past year).
Scenario #2 - The Flames leave Giordano exposed in the expansion draft, he is not claimed by Seattle.
Who wins? The Flames primarily because they get to keep a guy who can potentially give them above-average value in terms of wins created. It also allows for the exploration of a trade later, if permitted.
Who loses? Everyone who wants to see Giordano gone at any cost just to usher in a new era. We’re all forced to endure hours and hours of people harassing poor Pat Steinberg on Overtime, after games about how the team’s inability to move on from Giordano is the real problem. Pat, in a fit of rage, takes up eating the paint off the walls of the Saddledome.
Scenario #3 - The Flames leave Giordano exposed in the expansion draft and Seattle claims him.
Who wins? Both teams, with caveats:
Seattle takes a one-year gamble on the former Norris Trophy winner and hopes he can help make their first season as successful as possible.
If he continues some semblance of form from the latter half of the 20-21 season, this is a quantifiably valuable player who can help a newly formed team in what might be the worst division in hockey.
Helps Seattle hit the cap floor and spend towards the upper limit (which was reported to have been greenlit by ownership).
If Giordano plays well, while the Kraken struggle, they can then flip him for picks.
Flames see $6.75M in cap relief, which means they can be somewhat more aggressive in free agency.
Who loses? The Flames more than anything, perhaps because they always find a way to defeat themselves.
The optics of exposing your captain, seeing him claimed, and the fallout might yield some drama. They might not, but at this point, I can’t not believe that there would be some residual negative chatter about how things went down.
The Flames, with a penchant for making mistakes in free agency have another $6.75M in cap space to make mistakes with. Even if Jacob Markstrom was a logical bet and year one of Chris Tanev overachieved, there is enough of a history of ineptitude here with unrestricted free agents to consider seeking a hex to be placed on the Flames’ front office.
Someone needs to step up and play those minutes for the Flames. Can Juuso Valimaki do it? Can Andersson rebound after his worst pro season? Is Noah Hanifin capable of replicating his 2020-21 successes? Connor Mackey?
Scenario #4 - Mark Giordano is exposed, isn’t claimed, but subsequently traded after the fact
Who wins? If it were the catalyst for a complete dismantling and rebuild of this franchise, then folks who want to see that.
Who loses? The Flames for failing to assemble a roster through his entire tenure that could go the distance and reward him, along with many others a Cup ring.
Of the four scenarios posed here, my preference is option four with option two being a close second. The ideal circumstance is to avoid sacrificing assets to haphazardly protect Giordano, while simultaneously looking for an avenue to move him to a contender for picks in return. It’s improbable to ever see a return in a hypothetical to what his peak value likely could have been, but at the same time, that’s okay too.
Fans on Twitter and through avenues want to see the Flames move on from Giordano but the fact remains that he is the most valuable player this team has had since Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff were in their primes. It’s not impossible, but it’s an incredibly challenging mental exercise to separate a sentimental love and admiration for Giordano, from his quantitative impacts which anyone can attest to, to his decline and desire to move on from him.
This stage of watching heroes and greats of your favourite team venture through their twilight years as a pro isn’t black and white arguments, easily settled by simply saying “yes, get rid of him” or “no, keep him so he can retire as a Flame”, or even pontificating about the blending of the two sides.
Deep down having Giordano retire a Flame is a beautiful thought, but it’s important to consider the objectivity of hoping the team can make the right decisions moving forward so long as they aren’t sacrificing resources regardless of value to handcuff themselves from making the best moves possible.
Other Teams In Europe I Would Like To See Flames Free Agents Sign With
You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here
by Floob (@itlooksreal)
In recent weeks, several bottom-tier free agents for the Calgary Flames have been very proactive in ensuring General Manager Brad Treliving doesn’t make a fool out of himself trying to bring any of them back. Defensemen Nikita Nesterov and Alexander Yelesin, alongside forward Joakim Nordstrom have done fans of the Flaming C a real solid by taking their talents over to Russia, preventing the Flames from tripping over themselves finding justifiable reasons to bring these liabilities back into the fold in 2022.
Personally, I couldn’t be more thrilled about this trend and would love to see the boat to Europe load up a few more passengers along the way. There are several Flames players without a contract for next season, and I would like them to chase their dreams overseas on a European vacation. Let’s find these strays some forever homes!
Brett Ritchie
Brett Ritchie found a niche in Calgary as an almost-effective 4th liner, and a guy the team incorrectly assumed could slot into a top-six role when necessary. I actually kind of enjoyed having him around - when he was being utilized properly - but I fear his time with the Flames has (rightfully) come to an end. There is a home out there for Ritchie, as his physicality and determination make him a real Energy Player. I mean that literally. Brett Ritchie should go ply his trade with the Esbjerg Energy in Esbjerg, Denmark. Perfect fit, right? The Energy are a powerhouse in the top tier of Danish hockey, the Metal Ligaen, which is the dopest name for a hockey league of all time. I don’t even want to expand on this any further.
Michael Stone
I know by now we’re all conditioned to assume we’re going to see Michael Stone on the Flames blueline for as long as we’re all alive, but I pose this simple question to you: What if he wasn’t?
What if Stone took an excursion overseas, traveling the world in search of adventure and a place to stand there and shoot pucks real hard? Do you think he would touch base in Estonia, and make the admittedly tenuous connection that the name of the country has the word Stone in it, kinda? Would that be enough for him to reach out to management for Narva PSK of the Coolbet Hokiliiga and inquire about a role on the team?
I think it would. That is my Coolbet.
Connor Mackey
I see veteran blueliner Connor Mackey heading over to Ukraine, down ol’ South America way. Sokil Kyiv, based out of the country’s capital, is a team that was only re-established in the Ukranian Professional Hockey League in 2020, and they have a young team looking for a grizzled veteran to lead them back to the promised land. Who better than Mackey, who is 25 fucking years old, and fits that bill to a tee, because he is 25 years old, which is not young at all by hockey standards.
Louis Domingue
While only 29 years old, Domingue’s NHL career is dwindling to a close, and he clearly knows it, as he already seems to be transitioning his professional life over to his other love. Of course, I do not mean his children, I am talking about baking pastries. While trading in the pads for a tall white chef’s hat, a fuzzy mustache, and a Swedish accent feels inevitable for the former Flames goaltender, there is probably still some juice to be squeezed out of that lemon, and Domingue will be looking for a fresh opportunity tending the cage next year. The problem is, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to do that in North America, so the next logical step is to travel overseas to a place where he can still play hockey, but also accelerate his new career as a pastry chef.
The destination is obvious. Say it with me now: Bulgaria.
Domingue would be a great fit with the Irbis Skate Sofia, a Bulgarian Hockey League mainstay, and former champion. What I love about the fit between Louis and Sofia is how far away he would have to move, all but ensuring I never have to see him play ever again.
Alex Petrovic
HK Medvjedi Sarajevo of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League is the ideal home for the Flames UFA blueliner. Check out a sampling of their current roster:
-Dino Pasovic
-Aldin Bakovic
-Niko Gakovic
-Ermin Hasovic
-Ensar Ismailovic
-Bekir Ismailovic
-Anes Kokorovic
-Eldar Musovic
Noticing a trend? That’s right: like Petrovic, these players are not very good.
Zac Rinaldo
Finally, Flames UFA forward Zac Rinaldo. I think you’ll all agree with me that the best place for this feared enforcer is in Pamplona, Spain. Thank you for your consent in this matter, as I am now signing Rinaldo up to participate in the famed Running of the Bulls, a local tradition where idiots get gored by livestock for fun and bragging rights. Let’s see him fight his way out of this one.
This is almost exactly what it would look like, I don’t even need an artistic impression.
Buddy Robinson
Graz99ers. This team plays out of Graz in the Austrian Hockey League. Make of this whatever you will.
Calgary Arena debacle quietly rages on behind the scenes
It's only to get uglier as literal billionaires don't want to pay for their new toys
by Nathan (@hanoten)
It’s no secret that the Calgary Flames would love to have a new arena to play hockey in, as they played this last season in the second-oldest arena in the National Hockey League. It’s also no secret that the Calgary Flames would love the city of Calgary to pay for as much of the arena as possible while still collecting all the revenue it would generate.
Otherwise, the entire arena deal has been shrouded in secrecy. Thanks to a partially open discussion at City Hall this past week, new details have emerged that are continuing to add turbulence to what has already been an extremely rocky journey. It’s enough to have the common Calgarian ask: what’s (Calgary)next?
Well, this week we learned that the arena, which hasn’t even begun construction yet, is potentially up to $60 million over budget already, explaining why the whole thing got paused back in April. Back then, it was rumoured that CSEC had asked the city for $70 million more, along with other conditions like removing Calgary Municipal Land Corporation as the project manager and further concessions for land and traffic control. That’s not a great sign!
The reason all of this is “alleged” and “rumoured” is because, as has been the process with nearly everything surrounding plan B of Calgary’s next arena, everything has been negotiated in secret. Just as it was when mayoral candidate Jeff Davison presented the plan and borderline threatened (with relocation) the city on behalf of CSEC to take the deal and then public consultation was extremely rushed and ultimately ignored.
It’s gotten so bad that perpetual pissbaby and also mayoral candidate Jeromy Farkas asked publicly why council is barely trusted with anything on the project because everyone is sick of the secrecy. It is likely that Farkas knows why, but his specialty tactic is grandstanding questions from closed-door sessions into a play about how he’s the people’s champion, so this tracks. He was publicly chided by yet another candidate-turned-mayoral-hopeful Jyoti Gondek, which just reinforces that yet again CSEC is trying to play a civic election to work in their favour.
You have to imagine that Davison is their guy, and will make things as nice as possible for them if he wins. Davison has been doing a lot of their alleged dirty work in rushing things through with secrecy, and it’s been effective. Earlier this week, he was endorsed by Steve Allan, who is famously not done with the Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns despite multiple extensions and an increased budget to $3.5 million. So if anyone can recognize a skill at wasting time and public funds, it’s Allan.
Publicly, all sides are pretending to play nice, with the city saying they’re working on a design to meet the requirements of both sides, and that CSEC are involved but nothing has been agreed upon in terms of budget or design. That’s bad. Like, that’s really, really bad. And we don’t know how much worse it is, given that everything is behind closed doors.
Now features that were used to sell Calgarians on using public funds are evaporating before our eyes, like the potential secondary, community-oriented rink that apparently wasn’t part of the initial arena deal. Thankfully, Mayor Naheed Nenshi has stated again this week that the second arena would have to be built entirely by CSEC. Which is great in that it won’t jack up the contributions of the city, but also that means it has nearly no chance of actually existing.
Many have been quick to point out that agreeing to $550 million in 2019 when the agreement was first settled was never going to be the true cost, as capital projects often inflate over time and that was before COVID-19 and a global supply shortage made everything worse. You would think that this would be a great reason for the city to instead demand that no public funds be used for a billionaire’s pet project, but alas, we’re here now.
All of this is to say that there is still no resolution on the arena negotiations, and it’s unlikely that the project is able to start (and finish) on the original deadline without an un-paused plan in place. At some point, either the city or CSEC will truly have to blink first. It probably happens after the election, unless CSEC wants to try and make the arena issue relevant for a third election in 2025 when the Calgary Flames have to take tv timeouts to shovel falling ceiling tiles off the ice. Either way, it is Calgarians who will be on the losing end.
Up Next Week
The 2021 season will come to a close and the offseason will begin, hopefully giving us more and more content that we’ll run out of in two weeks before returning to shitposting.