They get 2 Prospects from American Colleges and a First Round Pick

Let the Rebuild begin.

Trade Jay Bo to Detroit for a 1st Round Pick.

Trade Kippy to St Lois for a 2nd Round Pick.

Trade Corey Sarich to a playoff team for two 3rd round picks.

Finish close to last and get one of the top three Draft Picks.

I love Iggy, he is one of my favorite Flames of all time.

But a 35 year old Power Forward doesn't have a lot left in the NHL.
Especially one that isn't very big at 6'1" and 205 lbs.
The kids coming into the league these days are so big and so fast.
Iggy's best days were over.

He was a great power forward in his time.
But I don't think he was a great leader.
The Flames have missed the playoffs for the past three years.
This year will be the fourth,
and they have spent close to the Salary Cap for at least 3 years.

This team has under performed and the Captain has not
been able to do anything to stop it.

As a leader, Iggy was no Messier.
Not even close.


Good luck in Pittsburgh Iggy.
Go win the Cup.

I've always liked Iginla.

I couldn't be more shocked, and excited, that he's coming to Pittsburgh.

I hope we can get him his Cup.

Big news to be sure!

The Bruins/Pens high lows in the past 24 are crazy.

I'm in Ottawa so I have to look around a bit to find out about teams that aren't the Sens/Habs/Leafs..............and oh dang do I have to work on not seeing Leafs info......but does this mean that the Pens will be able to topple the unstoppable Leafs?

On a serious not though......I think it's good that the Flames are going to look to build up again (whatever term people want to use). I cringe a bit when I look at what they got (as of now) for Iggy but I guess those players can be good players for them.

I thought the future was going to be rough for the Flames when they started to slip each year with the Oilers having a team that would be heading in the opposite direction (much slower than I would have though).

For the Pens, good on them for getting it done...........certainly puts them as the team to watch out for this year!

Does this mean that the offseason for the Pens will need some salary shaving as we saw the Hawks go through a few years back?

A number of guys will be UFAs after this season, but I think we are pretty far under the cap this year (dumped some salary in Michalek, etc in the hopes of winning the Parise/Suter sweepstakes in the offseason) and even though the cap is going down, it could be possible that the roster will mostly stay the same, give or take some 3rd or 4th liners, and Pascal Dupuis (plus of course Iginla and Brenden Morrow).

The year AFTER, though, is going to be interesting. Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, Malkin, Brooks Orpik...some really big names will be UFA and some might not be able to stick around.

Penguins have got three players in the last week that will really help
them in this years playoffs.

And they didn't have to give up any pieces that they were going to use
in these playoffs either.

They are the Eastern favorites now.
What the heck is Boston going to do to try and 'keep up'?

If these 2 Prospects make the NHL I am thinking their role
will be on the third line.
If they both become regular NHLers for the Flames,
I will be pleased.

I believe for them that the very best case scenario will a place on the 2nd line.
( but how often do prospects drafted in 3rd/4th make it to the top two lines? )

The biggest thing the Flames have to do is start drafting smart.
This is the single biggest way they can start building their team.
Feaster, their GM, and his assistant have talked a lot about smart drafting.
Time will tell whether they can get it done.
This first rounder ( very late first rounder ) will help them try to draft skill players.


Iggy is old now, and just a UFA rent-a-player,
what did people expect to get for him in a trade?

I think getting these two ( lower ranked ) Prospects and a 1st Pick
is not too bad of a return.

( but I hear the offer from Boston had better ranked Prospects,
and that their 1st Pick was not conditional on him signing )

But Iggy had the 'No Trade Clause' and I heard he prefered Pittsburgh.
( if he had the final say between the two teams might never be known )

I forgot to mention this very interesting tidbit:

The Flames are the only team ( out of the current 30 ) in the NHL
that has NEVER drafted in the top 5 picks in any Draft.

In 33 years, they have never had one of those 'golden picks'
that teams need to help them try to get a 'star'.

They drafted 6th a couple times , but those two picks messed the bed.
( like I said - as of late the Flames aren't known for their smart drafting )

I am excited to see who they can draft this year.

They will probably wreck everything, and go on a winning streak.


. . .

. . . groan

I went to Capgeek to take a look and, as of right now, the Pens have $53,698,333 on the books (with a CAP of $64,300,000) for only 16 players........not impossible to fill the roster but there might be some interesting decisions on the way.

But having those issues later seems fair to greatly increase your chances to win right now.


It was a tough situation........and I know jack about the 2 players (who knows maybe they'll be studs)..............but I would have thought the standard roster player/1st pick/prospect for a big player (Iggy is still a reliable 30 goal guy, on top of stuff) would have been where the discussion should have started.

Maybe it did and the 2 kids are just fine.........I also don't know much about the Flames farm system and their needs.

I'm pretty fortunate, I'm a Sens fan and long time Wings supporter (pre-Sens, and I haven't stopped cheering for them) and I'm so glad that Bryan Murray started to look at the Wings system(as he was part of that system at one point) as one to emulate for scouting drafting developing (and getting Coach MacLean has be outstanding....more poaching from the Wings!).

The last time they had a top 5 pick was 1990 (3rd overall, Keith Primeau) and have only had 1 top 10 pick since (10th overall the next year for Martin Lapoint).............but despite that they've been able to have an elite team year in year out for almost all of that time.

Apparently they develop and scout and have players drafted in the 9th round playing quality mins for them.

Dang it Detroit! You're doing it wrong! 1st -3rd Round picks are how you build your team to win......what is this 6th-9th round ridiculous-ness! Those players are worthless!

In Ottawa, when Murray stepped off the bench and into the GM position the cupbaord was bare......there was very little coming up now the Sens have on of the better respected prospect pools (although I would like to not see as many of them playing every night! :shakes fist at the heavens: ). He's done a good job of stocking the prospects and the organisation has done a good job making them NHL potentials (and the staff and Richardson in Bingo.....ect).

Hoping for good things for the Flames. Great fanbase, hope the team grows strong.

Now the Flames are going for last overall.

And Pittsburgh can't win after their huge winning streak.
And Crosby breaks his jaw.

The curse of Iginla.

Maybe, just maybe

About 5 years ago, just before the season was set to start, I awoke one morning from the most vivid dream. I was at a Canucks practice, and Iginla was on the ice with the Canucks. He'd been traded to Vancouver!!!!! I woke up that morning, and was like 'Holy crap!!! We got Iginla!! We are gonna win the cup!!!!' Then I realized it was only a dream

Ah well, such is life