bosn111

Pospisil and Pettersen to my knowledge are both injured and can’t be demoted while injured (I believe is the rule). They may be waiting until last moment to see health of the players, whether they can declare healthy and send down, or place on IR. Could be that the team is trying to determine which D they are willing to risk losing in order to sign Stone. (Mackey or Meloche). Could also be a negotiation thing. Stone likely wants 2+ years after having multiple 1 year deals recently. Likely feels he has proven enough, especially loyalty wise, to deserve multiple years. Just some thoughts on the situation.

They Flames will easily get under the cap and roster with little left to move. CapFriendly currently has the Flames at 28. 16 F, 10 D, 2 G. Subtract Zohorna, Valimaki and Gilbert who were waived and you are left cutting 2 more. Pettersen and Pospisil are still on the roster but listed as injured. Once they get sent down, the Flames are roster and cap compliant even with Kylington. Pospisil won’t get taken with injury history, Pettersen is exempt. If they sign Stone then they waive either Meloche or Mackey..

1. Yes 2. EDM (sadly due to slow start by CGY) CGY VAN VGK LA SEA ANA SJ 3. Lindholm Mangiapane Huberdeau 4. Huberdeau Kadri Lindholm

Just announced, Sutter signed multi-year extension. No details yet.

In presser Sutter basically said he hated all the D pairings and fans agree. Like it or not, Anderfin works as a pairing and has history to support that. Zaddy works best with a solid shutdown D on third pair so either Meloche or Mackey. Tanev is good with pretty well anyone so no real worries there.

Agreed, should have been a great pass, just unlucky result.

At 4-0 it is time to stop watching. Unlucky from Dube for 3-0, bad clear by Hanifin and poor coverage by Zadorov for 4-0.

It looks like Zohorna plays either wing. If Milano doesn’t step up, and Dube moves up into top 6, then that leaves a spot on third line for Ruzicka/Zohorna. Defensive line with Backlund and Coleman. I guess we see what happens moving forward over the next 2 preseason games. League minimum so not a big risk, Maybe Treliving expects to lose a young D to waivers so why not pick up an F?

What are the rules roster and cap wise if a player is missing time due to personal leave? Since they are not IR, is there another list they could be on that is effectively the same? I don’t think this happens extremely often, but for example if a player goes to substance rehab, family illness, or similar. I know players can be suspended by the team for failure to show up, or severely out of shape. Just curious about the ramifications for some such situation.

Bunch of cuts made today. No major surprises. The only 3 who I could have seen getting a longer look were Zary, Schwindt and Duehr, 15 F, 10 D and 3 G left in camp. 3 day to day injuries as well. Huberdeau Lindholm Toffoli Mangiapane Kadri Dube Backlund Coleman Lucic Rooney Lewis Ritchie Ruzicka Milano (PTO) Eakins (PTO) Hanifin Anderson Weegar Tanev Zadorov Meloche Stone (PTO) Valimaki Mackey Poirier Markstrom Vladar Wolf Gilbert Petterssen Pospisil If the Flames go 13/7/2 for 22, leaving a roster spot for Kylington then the Flames will need to drop 2 F, 3 D and 1 G plus the 3 injured players. At this point, I am guessing they release Eakins and Milano from PTOs. Milano hasn’t done anything more than Ruzicka and Eakins is up against Lucic, Rooney, Ritchie and Lewis for bottom line and spare F and he doesn’t really make a big jump compared to them. I’m guessing Stone gets signed as 7th D. Meloche is basically a younger, cheaper Gudbranson. Solid bottom pair. Likely means Valimaki, Mackey and Poirier get cut. Wolf getting more experience but will eventually go down to the Wranglers.

Pelletier has been showing that he has good hands and a good head for the game but he hasn’t shown that he is ready to play with the big boys. He will likely do great in the A again, but he needs to add some lean muscle to his frame to compete in the NHL. I would guess he is a year or 2 away from making the big team. Ruzicka came in this year having added the muscle he needed so he is handling the opponents better. His skills may be affected by this new muscle which he needs to learn to work with it properly. It is similar to Kylington last season. He came in fitter, stronger and was able to benefit from it.

Agreed that chemistry is a big part of it. All I was pointing out was that of the players who are trying out for the top 6 RW have taken the opportunity and run with it in order to force the coaches to really notice them. So far it looks like the intention is to play Huberdeau / Lindholm / Toffoli Mangiapane / Kadri / ?? Dube / Backlund / Coleman Lucic / ?? / Lewis So far, Rooney has the inside track for 4th line C but Schwindt is showing well at face offs and defensively. Eakin is likely playing for a spot as a spare as well on the 4th line or as a spare. So basically the players who are trying to grab that top 6 spot are Milano Phillips Pelletier Ruzicka Zary Pettersen Duehr, Klapka, Sutter and Ritchie are fighting for 4th line / replacement role for injuries. Klapka likely needs time in the A to get more used to North American ice, and will get more of a shot next season.

Interesting listening to Sutter in recent interview. Basic said none of the PTOs or prospects have really stood out during practices or games. At least not enough to put themselves in the lead for the “open” top 9 position. He was impressed with the off season work Ruzicka did over the summer that didn’t exist last year. He now has a “man’s body”. He also likes Klapka with his hockey sense and hands. Likely see Stone get signed unless Mackey or Valimaki absolutely steal a spot over the next couple of preseason games which seems unlikely. I am excited about the season.

My guess is that with the Wranglers now in Calgary, there is little point making official cuts to the AHL squad early. Coaching staffs for both teams likely present at camp evaluating players. Enough players earned the extra NHL preseason time (McLain, Phillips, Klapka, etc) that they get at least 1 more game of mixed team to prove themselves. With Sutter saying he won’t rush Kadri into games in preseason, I expect Ruzicka and Schwindt to get more preseason games. Mangiapane coming back from minor injury means he likely doesn’t get into the next 2 preseason games but will play last 2 for getting up to speed. This leaves space for others to play. Also likely see more vets resting some games to avoid injuries and too much ice time in meaningless games.

Very difficult to compare the Cs you mention with our Cs. Throughout his career, Bergeron has been a steady 2 way C with 20-30 goals. His highest point total was 79 in 65 games in his 16 pro year. Lindholm has been ramping up his offence to his career year last season scoring 42 goals and 82 points in his 9th season. Bergeron has better overall D, and Lindholm better O. So not sure how to compare directly as they accomplish the task in different ways and different team mates. Kadri vs Krejci is a similar situation. Krejci never broke 25 goals in a season and hit 73 points twice though his average is under 60. Kadri broke 30 goals twice, and hit 87 points at highest so far, with an average closer to 50 (prorated). Hard to compare +/- between the D focused Bruins with good goalies and the D challenged Leafs. So the comparisons are difficult to do at best. Don’t know which pair I would lean towards as the styles are different, even if the general idea is similar.

The lines, pairings and groups from today are interesting to see. The groups appear to be split based on positional expectations but flipping between the two. Group one has the expected top and 3rd lines on F, top 4 D and Backup G with remaining Forwards being those competing for 4th line / spare snd top AHL D spots. Group 2 has starting #2 line, possible top 9 line, likely 4th line and a line fighting for jobs at F, likely 3rd and extra D, plus middle AHL D and starting G for both Flames and Wranglers. Interesting no Mackey at practice. During the games Meloche was not flashy but was steady and physical. More impactful than Valimaki. Stone proved again why he is dependable and has a great shot but isn’t high end. A great 7th D. I would have placed him above Valimaki as well. I hope Valimaki can turn it around, but he just isn’t getting it done right now. Phillips getting rewarded for good play, getting a chance with Mangiapane and Kadri. Pelletier, Ruzicka and Klapka playing together either as likely AHL top line or trying to prove they deserve to be on the team. Schwindt with Jones and McLain look like a future 3rd line situation. Reliable defensively, energetic and can chip in on offence.

The news release says Sedoff was released from his ATO which to me means gone from the team. To go to the Wranglers he would need to be signed and demoted, not outright released. I guess they could sign him to AHL contract, but if that’s the case, they would have already done it.

First camp cuts made, no surprises. Junior players sent down and ATOs cut. Having scored in the prospects tourney, I could have seen Sedoff getting a longer look, but the team didn’t see enough from him to keep around.

My point about looking for a more suitable LD to play with Andersson was never a knock against Weegar in the slightest, nor was I forgetting cap. I also realize that I left off Kylington, Valimaki, Zadorov, Meloche and Mackey. 1 of those 5 would be the current “young guy” playing with Tanev, 1 likely a 7th D and Stone may be signed as 8 D meaning the other 4 would be trade fodder or hope they clear waivers which would be unlikely for a few of them at least. Weegar / Andersson Hanifin / Tanev Zadorov / Meloche Kylington / Stone While this appears to be the more likely current scenario (I believe Stone gets signed once a few D get moved), is this actually the best choice? High LD / Andersson Hanifin / Weegar Zadorov / Tanev Kylington / Meloche or Stone would be a deeper D corps as you would have 3 top pair D plus Hanifin who could play top pair but is better as 2nd pair and a third pair which could be a middle pair on a number of teams and a 7th D who is basically a 2nd pair and your 8D would be 3rd pair on many teams. Essentially looking at a current depth of 1st pair Andersson, Weegar 1/2 pair Hanifin 2nd pair Tanev, 2/3 pair Zadorov, Kylington 3rd pair Meloche, 3/7th Stone (if signed), Mackey ?? Valimaki (camp may show where he could be ) Very good competition to have, but it could be better. No knock on any individual, it is simply how I see the depth. No harm in hoping for an improvement if possible.

I wasn’t limiting the choice of LD to Norris contenders, as I said, Weegar and Andersson are both top pair D, just not Norris contenders right now (I think Andersson could get there in the future). I believe the Flames need an LD of their level who fits well with Andersson and can allow him to reach being in discussion for Norris, similar to what Brodie did for Giordano. Whether he wins the Norris or not doesn’t matter, so long as he is being considered. By having that LD, you can play Weegar on RD with Hanifin on second pair (where they can both shine with less pressure) and then put Tanev in the third pair with whatever young player you are trying to teach which should reduce his likelihood of getting injured.

The “excess” D on the Flames comes from the fact that the Flames have 9 waivers eligible, NHL capable D. 10 if they sign Stone. Players like Meloche, Mackey and Valimaki could all play bottom pairing with sheltered minutes and do ok. Some could potentially do better. Some fans think these players would likely clear waivers, but looking at age, experience, salary etc. I am not so sure. Buffalo has 7 listed NHL D, 3 of whom can be sent down without waivers and they have plenty of cap space. Arizona is a gong show all around, they really need a goalie. Chicago only has 5 D (2 on IR) and are going rebuild big time with over 7 mil in cap. Any of Valimaki, Meloche, Kylington or Mackey could fill in for them and be part of the rebuild. So at least Buffalo and Chicago would be threats to make waiver claims. As fans have pointed out, we really have 2 D who should be considered top pair in Weegar and Andersson, both of whom are RS and neither is likely a Norris challenger at this time. We have plenty of middle pair with Hanifin, Kylington, Tanev, Zadorov, 3 of whom are LS and 1 RS. So the biggest issue is that if Weegar plays LD with Andersson, then you reduce the right side. If you put him on the RD then one of the LD (likely Hanifin) needs to play higher than he should. So we do have excess waiver eligible D but are short 1 true top pair LD. How we fix this is TBD.

Taking in this game realizing that it is first game of preseason and first pro game for many players so it may not be an accurate representation, but this is what I saw in the second half of the game. Poirier may have had a good first half game, I didn’t see it, but second half he made multiple mistakes, poor positioning, which ended up in the second goal. Kuznetsov and Schwindt are both steady. Nothing flashy but no significant mistakes that I saw. Kuz was on for the first goal but was left in a bad spot due to a slow change. Wolf doing his thing. Zary looks like Bennett 2.0. Tries to do way too much himself and ends up losing the puck. Not good results for him on the dot. Pelletier had good hands and good vision but not rewarded for good plays. Tended to get knocked off the puck a little too easily at times. Solovyov had a good game. A few nice passes, jumped up in the play and no glaring mistakes on D. Klapka, Ciona, Duehr, added energy and physical play. Impressed with Pettersen and his skill level, but similar to Zary he did not use line mates enough. Sedoff was slow and inconsistent on D. He was one of the bad change D leading to the first goal. Nikolaiev had a few good plays but nothing outstanding. From what I saw, Schwindt likely the closest to be NHL ready. We will see how the other 2 games and camp go, but it looks like Pelletier still needs to add a bit of muscle to compete. Didn’t really see anyone else stand out good or bad. 2 more games for them all to make a statement. Bring on the Oilers prospects next.

Figure we can add this for a little discussion. The list is out on the main page. If someone more knowledgeable wants to link it, go ahead. It looks like the Flames essentially have 4 tryout invites for the tournament. 1 F and 1 D who earned the tryout at the development camp, 1 F and 1 G on a straight out invite. Most of the team appears to be regulars with a few who will return to juniors but most will be pros this season. Who do you expect to standout and how? Who needs to have a good tournament to even have a shot at a longer look? We all know most of these guys will see at least a couple of practices at the main camp but who would you like to see get a bigger look at the main camp when it starts? I expect Wolf to stand out and get a long look at main camp until close to the start of the AHL season. I would like to see Kuznetsov and Poirier get more time at main camp for experience though unlikely with the current log jam. Pelletier, Duehr and Schwindt will hopefully see more camp time as well, forcing difficult decisions to be made by the big club. Of the rest, Huckins, Ciona, Bell, Beck, Whynot and Jordan likely sent back to juniors fairly quickly with info on what to work on. The rest likely stick around long enough to fill out split squad preseason games before switching to Wranglers preseason camp work. Thoughts?

That is unlikely as Meloche and Weegar are the only 2 who haven’t been involved with the system previously. Meloche as likely 7/8 means he likely will get plenty of practice to learn the system before seeing game time. If Tanev is out, Meloche is more of a Gudbranson type anyways so will focus more on just shutting down other teams. So likely would see: Hanifin Andersson Kylington Weegar Zadorov Meloche Valimaki Mackey or Stone With Tanev in the lineup Hanifin Andersson Zadorov Weegar Kylington Tanev Meloche and possibly one of Valimaki, Mackey, Stone I just don’t see Stone as a stop gap for Tanev recovery. Only as a cover for young guys not cutting it. At least my opinion.

With or without Stone, the Flames have issues likely on waivers. If we are being honest, Stone is the perfect #7 D man. Doesn’t need a ton of playing time but can step in and not be a massive liability. Likely not the best option for top 6 with what we already have, but he is a known commodity. Due to a lack of trade to this point, it looks like the Flames are setting up for 2 likely options based on camp. 1. Valimaki, Mackey and one of Meloche or Kylington basically flop in camp so they sign Stone to league minimum as the 7th D. 2. 2 of the above D earn the ability to rotate in and out of the lineup, splitting the ice time and press box. Stone does not get signed in this case as a player. Basically Stone is a backup option if the young guys flop at camp. They may also carry 8 D with Stone as #8 but I find this less likely. Hanifin, Andersson, Weegar, Tanev and Zadorov likely locks for 5 positions. Kylington is the front runner for the 6th with Meloche the lead for 7. If the team chooses to carry 8, Valimaki, Mackey and Stone are competing for the spot. All the above are waiver eligible (if Stone signs). So basically 9 waiver eligible, possibly ready D fighting for max 8 spots. 10 when you include Stone. Curious situation to be in.