Quick Note: The Flames and Bruins roster swapped, so I'm talking about the Flames in S31, but when I talk about last season I'm talking about the S30 Boston Bruins. Lead-Up to S31 The Flames (formerly the Boston Bruins in S30) were predicted to be a bottom team, but ended up being a bubble team for a good portion of the season. They attempted to retool a couple times, but couldn't make up much ground and were sellers at the deadline. Their AHL in S30, the Providence Bruins, had an absolutely prolific season winning the President's trophy and having several individuals win awards (plus a 63-16-3 record). Unfortunately, it led to a bracket-buster series in the first-round when the Bruins were swept by the Hartford Wolfpack in a 1st seed versus 2nd wildcard upset. The offseason was interesting in that the former owner @Baby Shark Fin (formerly A Salty Sailor) stepped down and allowed the Bruins to get a better free contract in @Brisan66 who would hopefully win him back in bidding. Something that has backfired a bit on previous management groups ended up working out here with @Baby Shark Fin going for the minimum 500k. @Brisan66 was able to attract @Tayyyzzzz who shouldn't be a stranger to most people. So, the Flames keep @Baby Shark Fin on as management to help build the team and get the S30 Eddie Shore winner (among other accomplishments for @Brisan66 ) and @Tayyyzzzz which gave them a better foundation going into bidding compared to the previous season. Bidding The Flames had just two holdovers from last season: a starting goalie in @DeIosh and a 3rd line LW in @lVlaT . A lot of work needed to be done in bidding to acquire the other 13 players to fill out the roster. There are a bunch of guys listed as centers on this team, so some guys will change positions. They grabbed some big names for good contracts with @x S m ii R k Y and @mayweddaa for a combined 10.25 million which gives them a good one-two punch down the middle. @B00YA likely slots in as first-line LW on a 4.5 million contract which is well under his 7 mil he goes in S29 bidding. The Flames also get some guys they are somewhat familiar with. @Bureee was on last season's Bruins as the GM and scored 65 points. @l Miller 16 l was on the AHL squad that took down the Providence Bruins in the first round; he put up 69 points with the S29 Coyotes and 89 points with last season's Rangers' AHL affiliate. Rounding out the forward group is what would seem to be two pretty solid 500k contracts on guys that haven't been in LG for awhile. @Shid was on a couple 6 mil contracts in NHL 17, but took a break from LG during NHL 18. @o WjD O has only played a single season in LG in the past 5 seasons, but people have said he's on a steal of a contract, so I'll just trust them. The d-corps has an extra LD, so either a trade or someone plays out of position. They get two players from the S30 Blackhawks in @TurboYuri and @Merle for 10.75 combined. They pick up long-time AHLer finally making the jump in @Hammy x 27 for just 500k which might have been a bit of a surprise for some. The last D won in bidding was @Bonez024 for 500k who's not too flashy but is reliable defensively; he should fit in well on one of the lower two lines. The Flames just needed a backup and won @Tatar l21l in bidding for 750k. He looks solid with very good numbers and two ASG appearances in the last two seasons in the AHL. Several goalies have come up and been less than good; however, @Tatar l21l has been put in a good situation to succeed, so I'd expect a level of play similar to his AHL performances. Current Roster Forwards: @B00YA @x S m ii R k Y @Tayyyzzzz @Shid @mayweddaa @Bureee @lVlaT @o WjD O @l Miller 16 l Defense: @TurboYuri @Merle @Brisan66 @Bonez024 @Baby Shark Fin @Hammy x 27 Goalies: @DeIosh @Tatar l21l Summary The Flames may have a few question marks in how a couple guys, including @o WjD O and @Shid , will adjust to NHL 19, but they look to have good cheap contracts to go along with their big contracts which will likely lead to a well-rounded roster that will be crucial in a tough Pacific Division. They got their big signings out of the way early, and it didn't really lead to any awful contracts. If they did overpay, it seemed like it was because they had the extra space. They don't have any glaring holes in their roster or a clear weakness, but every line is going to need to pull their weight if the Flames have hopes of finishing top 3 in their division. Key Additions: @x S m ii R k Y , @mayweddaa , @TurboYuri , @Brisan66 (as owner) , @Tayyyzzzz (as GM) Key Departures: @Kev_F88 , @xJLucas
