Speculation: Armchair GM Thread 2025-26 Part Deux; Post-Raz Edition

[Mobiandi]

Every year it’s the same tired talking points that put down the centers that come through our system. Not just here but throughout the entire fanbase whether it’s twitter, reddit, or CP. It’s gotten really old and why I hope we don’t touch Bjorck with a 20-foot pole. This fanbase will turn on him immediately if he’s not a faceoff god who plays like Kopitar

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

and in 2024-25 he had 241 faceoffs and not a whole 166... he was literally 2nd worst in teh entire NHL for players who took at least the same # of faceoffs as him. That's why his face-ff dropped off and they basically gave up on him being a center, not everything is because of the most recent season.

was he "better", or did they handpick who he faced more often and use him in situations to make him less useless?

I think you are getting a bit dramatic about the whole Zary thing. We all know Dreger is less accurate than a broken clock so lets pump the breaks on trying to run him out of town.

In his season ending presser he made a comment that was pretty clearly backhanded about his own situation, when talking about Zayne. But frankly I think it was pretty justified. Sure injuries played a part, but he should have absolutely gotten more than 30% shared ice time with at least 1 forward this year. If he's still a Flame come September, we should all cheer for him to succeed.

 

[Sparky93]

Pretty indifferent about Zary, he's a classic tweener. Not really good enough for the top 6 but not ideally suited for bottom 6. It's funny because a lot of the guys from that '21 junior team are in the exact same boat. The injuries seem to have really hurt his game, otherwise there really isnt much of a difference between any of them. They just didn't reach their full potential, possibly over hyped to begin with.

 

[Lunatik]

I think you are getting a bit dramatic about the whole Zary thing. We all know Dreger is less accurate than a broken clock so lets pump the breaks on trying to run him out of town.

In his season ending presser he made a comment that was pretty clearly backhanded about his own situation, when talking about Zayne. But frankly I think it was pretty justified. Sure injuries played a part, but he should have absolutely gotten more than 30% shared ice time with at least 1 forward this year. If he's still a Flame come September, we should all cheer for him to succeed.

This is at least the 3rd different person to say something about Zary. This is also the kind of shit that agents leak, so it's usually more accurate than team "X" interested in "Y" player

and didn't he have close to 25% with Kadri? A guy who played only 3/4 of the season with us

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

This is at least the 3rd different person to say something about Zary. This is also the kind of shit that agents leak, so it's usually more accurate than team "X" interested in "Y" player

and didn't he have close to 25% with Kadri? A guy who played only 3/4 of the season with us

I posted it earlier, he played 27.6% of his ice time with Kadri, maybe that exceeds 30% if Kadri stays but that would also mean Zary was spending a lot of that time on the top line.
If you look at every other forward on the Flames roster they spent significantly more of their TOI than that with at least one teammate. Sharangovich and Coronato were the next lowest but still had at least 100 more minutes to build chemistry with at least someone. And they all had two players they played more consistently with than Zary's first except for Coleman, Lomberg, and Klapka.

Based on Zary's 5v5 average ice time, that's about 20-21 games with Kadri, and then ranging from 10-20 games with 6 other players. Yegor played about 28 games with Farabee, which isn't much better but not irrelevant. And Coronato played about 34 games with Frost.

I'm not trying to say Zary is 100% right, he absolutely should have played better at times. But the least we could do for him is provide some level of consistency on a game to game basis for him to build upon.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Apparently the Sabres are shopping the 4th overall pick now too, per their own GM.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Zach Benson re-signs in Buff. 7 years, $7.5M AAV

 

[Lunatik]

I posted it earlier, he played 27.6% of his ice time with Kadri, maybe that exceeds 30% if Kadri stays but that would also mean Zary was spending a lot of that time on the top line.
If you look at every other forward on the Flames roster they spent significantly more of their TOI than that with at least one teammate. Sharangovich and Coronato were the next lowest but still had at least 100 more minutes to build chemistry with at least someone. And they all had two players they played more consistently with than Zary's first except for Coleman, Lomberg, and Klapka.

View attachment 1258907

Based on Zary's 5v5 average ice time, that's about 20-21 games with Kadri, and then ranging from 10-20 games with 6 other players. Yegor played about 28 games with Farabee, which isn't much better but not irrelevant. And Coronato played about 34 games with Frost.

I'm not trying to say Zary is 100% right, he absolutely should have played better at times. But the least we could do for him is provide some level of consistency on a game to game basis for him to build upon.

Yeah those numbers are what happens when you start the season with good linemates, then play your way off those lines.

 

[Lunatik]

Apparently the Sabres are shopping the 4th overall pick now too, per their own GM.

think they can get Mittlestadt back?

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Apparently the Sabres are shopping the 4th overall pick now too, per their own GM.

I presume for help now.

Wonder if the Flames could build a package that doesn't include 6. Doubt it.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Apparently the Sabres are shopping the 4th overall pick now too, per their own GM.

I mentioned earlier that they probably circle back on Robert Thomas. Wouldn't be shocked if #4 is in play for him.

 

[Darth Vladar]

I mentioned earlier that they probably circle back on Robert Thomas. Wouldn't be shocked if #4 is in play for him.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Conroy said they had conversations about other younger Dmen like Nemec before that came together, I wonder if that’s where this came from. Really doesn’t make sense unless Spence is in a package for Whitecloud

I think this is it. Spence was someone Conroy had talks about but things changed after yesterday.

Apparently the Sabres are shopping the 4th overall pick now too, per their own GM.

Yeah, for a center or a top RHD. I am not sold on them picking Bjork if hes there, they have been wanting a Dahlin partner for awhile. With Tuch gone I wonder if they aim for immediate help now up front. They want to be a playoff team now, 4th wont help them for a bit.

Zary needs a change of scenery, his confidence is shot. Hes been garbage since his knee injuries and thats not on the Flames. Huska didnt force feed him ice time, but Zary also didnt earn it.

 

[tmurfin]

 

[Lunatik]

I should start doing translations for tweets.

Conroy does due diligence. Pagnotta has no sources so he states obvious to try and sound relevant

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Yeah those numbers are what happens when you start the season with good linemates, then play your way off those lines.

I'm looking at the early season lines right now, he started the first two games with Backs and Coleman, then shifted to 4C for games 3 and 4, then up to the Kadri line, then back to 4C, then on the wing of Honzek and Frost, then centering Farabee and Yegor for a few games, and then benched. That's all before November lol. Looks like it was more of the same constant shifting in November until Honzek got hurt, then he spent some amount of time with Backs and Coleman again until just after Christmas.

Again I'm not defending him completely. If he wanted a consistent role he should have shown that he deserved it more than Sharangovich, instead those two flipflopping all season long because we had 1-2 too many wingers and no actual 4C. This is why I've been an advocate of trading Yegor for someone like Rasmussen.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Yeah, for a center or a top RHD. I am not sold on them picking Bjork if hes there, they have been wanting a Dahlin partner for awhile. With Tuch gone I wonder if they aim for immediate help now up front. They want to be a playoff team now, 4th wont help them for a bit.

The latest I’ve just heard Is that the Sabres are apparently in trade discussions with the Leafs re: Knies, and that the #4 pick is reportedly being thrown around in talks.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

I’m actually pretty surprised at Zary’s perceived value from other team’s fans. If there is actually some solid interest in him, maybe we should move him. Maybe St. Louis bites on 30+Zary for 16? Pittsburgh for 2nd and conditional 3rd? Nashville for future 2nd and 4th? 51st overall+Zary to Rangers for 26th+late pick?

Another option: would the Islanders be interested in Sharangovich for Pierre Engvall+future 2nd or something? Engvall is pretty much a cap dump with 4 years left at 3 million, could be a solid way to dump Sharangovich and pick up an asset. Or make it a bigger deal: Sharangovich+Zary+2nd for Engvall+13th overall?