It hasn't been a good year for Flames general manager Darryl Sutter.As if the Olli Jokinen trade wasn't already bad enough for Sutter, he had to watch the Phoenix Coyotes -- who made the playoffs, unlike the Flames -- use the first-round pick they got from Calgary in the Jokinen trade from 2009 on NHL-ready defenseman Brandon Gormley last week.
Now, Sutter, who may be under some pressure in Calgary, has little cap room and plenty of work to do to reshape his team. He started that Thursday by signing one-time Flame Alex Tanguay to a one-year deal.
Tanguay played for Tampa Bay last season, but he struggled. He scored ten goals and had 37 points in 80 games for the Lightning.
Oh, and RDS reports Tanguay got a no-move clause built in to his deal with Calgary.
Say what?
Not a no-trade, but a no-move, meaning Calgary can't even release Tanguay if he stinks up the joint. That seems likely. Yes, Tanguay was a point-per-game guy for the Flames in 2006-07, as he had 81 points in 81 games.
Sutter is clearly trying to re-ignite whatever magic Tanguay had working when he played in Calgary before. But the last two seasons would indicate Tanguay, 30, has lost something. Not only that, but the system the Flames played when he was there before isn't exactly the same as it is under Brent Sutter, Darryl's younger brother, who had a fairly mediocre first season as the Flames' head coach.
The signing stinks as being somewhat desperate, and the no-move clause makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The cost is relatively minimal, especially if Tanguay re-establishes himself as a top-six forward. However, Sutter's going to look dumb if Tanguay doesn't work out, and he's stuck with an unhappy and ineffective player on his roster.
