Calgary Flames 20/21 Roster and Lines

[JTech780]

A couple of things to consider this season:

1. Dube and Valimaki are waiver exempt. I wonder if management will look to use that fact to try and give them as much cap space as possible at the deadline. They would do that by sending those two players to the taxi squad for off days, thus removing their cap for that day. In turn that would allow them to accumulate cap space during the season.

 

2. I wonder if guys like Gawdin and Yelesin being waiver exempt give them a better chance of being on the taxi squad. Seeing as they can be recalled and sent back down without risk of losing them to waivers. 

 

I think we are going to see a lot more movement via waivers than in passed years, just with Covid and an increased chance of injuries due to the compressed schedule.

 

3. In a normal year I would put the odds of Kylington being claimed on waivers at 50% or lower, but this season where depth is going to be king the odds go up significantly. I also think that with all the back to backs and 3 in 4's the 7th defenseman and 13th forwards are going to play a lot.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

On 1/4/2021 at 1:13 AM, JTech780 said:

Just thinking out loud here, but I can see a situation where the team would carry 2 goalies on the taxi squad. In the off chance one of the goalies tests positive for Covid there is a solid chance that both starting goalies could be out of action as they train and practice very closely. So say we lose two goalies to Covid, we would only have 1 goalie left and a goalie from Stockton would take two weeks to get to Calgary.

 

If it were me I would be carrying two goalies on the taxi squad just in case. This is going to be a weird season.

The local TSN guys made a good point in favor of that also.  Two taxi goalies means towards the close of the season when you want your top 2 as fresh as possible you dont need to wear them down during practice with PP, breakout, etc drills that dont really benefit the goalies. You can have Dominigue and Zag in net for those while Marks and BSD worry about getting just their drills in and focusing on rest and/or treatment.  56 games in 16 weeks is alot to handle even for the pros, rest and recovery are going to be a big thing for everyone.

[FlameFan4Life]

I agree that the taxi squad is going to be very instrumental in a teams success this year. While we know and expect the top guns to be playing the more competitive nights which will be most nights in the beginning of the season, the nights where we are playing teams lower in the standings or with injuries we will be able to give playing time and get looks at the taxi squad players. 

 

We know that by the looks of things there are 3 main forward pairs in:

Tkachuk - Lindholm

Johnny - Mony

Mange - Backs

The obvious line mates for these guys are Leivo, Dube, Bennett, Simon,  all of which would be on the right side.

The fourth line is most likely going to be Lucic - Ryan, and a rotation of the others.

 

The top 5 dmen is clear in Gio, Andersen, Tanev, Hannifin, and Valamaki.

The sixth and seventh spots are up in the air. Nestirov, Kylington, and Stone look to be the front runners to me.

 

Goal is obviously Markstrom, Rittich, then Domingue. 

 

Although I love the "idea" that changing things up with the busy schedule allows other to rest, and gives the taxi squad playing time I think it may cause more trouble than it is worth. Changing things up is good if it works out, but if it ends up sacrificing existing chemistry along with leaving top end prospects on a taxi squad which can slow down development. Yes they would get to practice with the big club, but real game minutes are huge in progression.

 

Personally I would like to see Lucic and Ryan spend time on the taxi squad to allow Gawdin, and Nordstrom to get time on the forth line if earned.

[JTech780]

22 minutes ago, FlameFan4Life said:

I agree that the taxi squad is going to be very instrumental in a teams success this year. While we know and expect the top guns to be playing the more competitive nights which will be most nights in the beginning of the season, the nights where we are playing teams lower in the standings or with injuries we will be able to give playing time and get looks at the taxi squad players. 

 

We know that by the looks of things there are 3 main forward pairs in:

Tkachuk - Lindholm

Johnny - Mony

Mange - Backs

The obvious line mates for these guys are Leivo, Dube, Bennett, Simon,  all of which would be on the right side.

The fourth line is most likely going to be Lucic - Ryan, and a rotation of the others.

 

The top 5 dmen is clear in Gio, Andersen, Tanev, Hannifin, and Valamaki.

The sixth and seventh spots are up in the air. Nestirov, Kylington, and Stone look to be the front runners to me.

 

Goal is obviously Markstrom, Rittich, then Domingue. 

 

Although I love the "idea" that changing things up with the busy schedule allows other to rest, and gives the taxi squad playing time I think it may cause more trouble than it is worth. Changing things up is good if it works out, but if it ends up sacrificing existing chemistry along with leaving top end prospects on a taxi squad which can slow down development. Yes they would get to practice with the big club, but real game minutes are huge in progression.

 

Personally I would like to see Lucic and Ryan spend time on the taxi squad to allow Gawdin, and Nordstrom to get time on the forth line if earned.

 

Lucic can't be sent to the taxi squad due to his NMC. Ryan would require waivers to go to the taxi squad, the Flames wouldn't risk losing him on waivers.

 

I really don't think there is going to be any lower end teams in the North Division, all 7 teams are going to be good and it's going to be a battle from beginning to end. The worst team might be Ottawa, but they aren't going to be push overs they have improved a fair amount from last season and are going to be a team on the rise.

 

I think you can make a legit case for all 7 teams to make the playoffs, of course only 4 of them will. 

 

If Calgary doesn't come out of the fate flying they could be in trouble this year, this division is much harder than the Pacific Division they normally would be in.

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, JTech780 said:

A couple of things to consider this season:

1. Dube and Valimaki are waiver exempt. I wonder if management will look to use that fact to try and give them as much cap space as possible at the deadline. They would do that by sending those two players to the taxi squad for off days, thus removing their cap for that day. In turn that would allow them to accumulate cap space during the season.

 

2. I wonder if guys like Gawdin and Yelesin being waiver exempt give them a better chance of being on the taxi squad. Seeing as they can be recalled and sent back down without risk of losing them to waivers. 

 

I think we are going to see a lot more movement via waivers than in passed years, just with Covid and an increased chance of injuries due to the compressed schedule.

 

3. In a normal year I would put the odds of Kylington being claimed on waivers at 50% or lower, but this season where depth is going to be king the odds go up significantly. I also think that with all the back to backs and 3 in 4's the 7th defenseman and 13th forwards are going to play a lot.

 

Well it's an interesting situation for waivers.

You can waive a guy to send him to the taxi squad.

If a team claims him, they have to have a roster spot immediately (most tams have waver exempt guys though).

They can't park him on the taxi aquad without waiving him again.

 

I would go with Kylington as 7th D and waive Stone if we sign him.

Keep up Pelletier on the taxi squad as 6th player.

Zary isn't ready, but they may want him there just to keep him practicing until the AHL camp starts.

Rinaldo, Gawdin, Pelletier, Stone (or Petrovic), Yelesin, Domingue is your taxi squad.

Need at least 2D, plus a bruiser.

I think they run with 13F and 7D.

No need to pay for Rinaldo as a 14th F.

Cap is king.

 

The US teams have an unfair advantage for TDL and waivers.

As well as moving to and from taxi squad.  

 

[JTech780]

58 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Well it's an interesting situation for waivers.

You can waive a guy to send him to the taxi squad.

If a team claims him, they have to have a roster spot immediately (most tams have waver exempt guys though).

They can't park him on the taxi aquad without waiving him again.

 

I would go with Kylington as 7th D and waive Stone if we sign him.

Keep up Pelletier on the taxi squad as 6th player.

Zary isn't ready, but they may want him there just to keep him practicing until the AHL camp starts.

Rinaldo, Gawdin, Pelletier, Stone (or Petrovic), Yelesin, Domingue is your taxi squad.

Need at least 2D, plus a bruiser.

I think they run with 13F and 7D.

No need to pay for Rinaldo as a 14th F.

Cap is king.

 

The US teams have an unfair advantage for TDL and waivers.

As well as moving to and from taxi squad.  

 

 

The Q starts back up on the 22nd so that's where Pelletier will go, not much point in keeping on the sidelines on the taxi squad.

 

There has been talk that junior aged players will be able to play in the AHL till the WHL and OHL are back up and running. I think that is where Zary and Wolf will end up in the short term.

[travel_dude]

5 hours ago, JTech780 said:

 

The Q starts back up on the 22nd so that's where Pelletier will go, not much point in keeping on the sidelines on the taxi squad.

 

There has been talk that junior aged players will be able to play in the AHL till the WHL and OHL are back up and running. I think that is where Zary and Wolf will end up in the short term.

 

I was suggesting they keep Pelletier on the squad so they could play him up to 6 games.

Assuming they feel he is ready.

They get an extended look at him.

Even if they sent him back, I doubt the Memorial Cup will be a thing.

NS teams can't play NB or PEI or QUE teams without quarantine.

Same for NB.

I don't know how they will get it sorted out.

 

Anyway, I realized I had Stone and Yelesin on the taxi squad.

It would really be Mackey for now over the lesser of the other two.

I know some here feel Stone is a good guy to have available.

I'm not one of them.

4 seasons so far.

Never felt that he did eben as good as Hamonic defending.

He's got a hard shot but rarely hits the net.

He's tough but can't seem to clear the netfront.

Time to move on.

Yelesin is not proven by any means, but I would prefer him based on very limited evidence.

If we are playing Stone, then we have bigger problems.

[cross16]

I think Pelletier is close but he needs to play so I would not be in favor of him on the taxi squad, that's a bad move. They need to keep him playing and for me I don't see the point of 6 games other than for fans. He won't factor into the team this year so 6 games is pretty irrelevant to me. 

[robrob74]

1 hour ago, cross16 said:

I think Pelletier is close but he needs to play so I would not be in favor of him on the taxi squad, that's a bad move. They need to keep him playing and for me I don't see the point of 6 games other than for fans. He won't factor into the team this year so 6 games is pretty irrelevant to me. 

 

the only way I see the 6 games as beneficial for him is to allow him to see what it takes to play in the NHL, to give him a taste. The hope would be to work on what he thinks he’d need to afterwards.
 

But I like the idea of young players getting a lot of minutes. play them in their natural positions to develop them. 

[cross16]

12 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

 

the only way I see the 6 games as beneficial for him is to allow him to see what it takes to play in the NHL, to give him a taste. The hope would be to work on what he thinks he’d need to afterwards.
 

But I like the idea of young players getting a lot of minutes. play them in their natural positions to develop them. 

 

I'm not a big believer in the give a taste idea, especially for players who have no shot at being in the NHL or even the AHL. I think today players are so aware and in tune with what they are working on that i don't think a few games in the NHL would change anything. It's also a double edged sword as sometimes you have players, Sven Baertschi for example, who have short term immediate success and it harms them instead of helping. 

 

As I said if players earn it and they are ticketed for the AHL or NHL i'm all for it but for players who are going back to junior I don't like it. 

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, cross16 said:

I think Pelletier is close but he needs to play so I would not be in favor of him on the taxi squad, that's a bad move. They need to keep him playing and for me I don't see the point of 6 games other than for fans. He won't factor into the team this year so 6 games is pretty irrelevant to me. 

 

The taxi squad makes sense if they are going to play all of the 6 games within a couple of weeks, as a method of managing cap.

That is if they feel he can contribute.

I have no idea if he is ready or not, since all we saw was kids playing in the WJC.

Would it be like sending Dube out against VAN in game 1to see him get creamed?

 

All things said and done, do we really need him to play?

I don't think so.

We have enough depth to not use him, as well as fringe NHL'ers and guys like Gawdin that are able to handle the grind.

I would actually put Ruzicka ahead of Pelletier, not from a skill or readiness, but size.

[JTech780]

[The_People1]

Looks like they like Simon with Gaudreau-Monahan.  Hard working player who gets the pucks from the corners.  Complements Gaudreau-Monahan well since they lack in this department.

[JTech780]

What I find interesting, is that Ryan is outside of the top 4 lines going by the scrimmage lines. If him going on waivers today, is only about cap flexibility I would think he would still be in the top 12 forwards. I mean he is 34 so it is possible that age is a factor here.

[Thebrewcrew]

 

I think Kylington being on waivers says a lot about Connor Mackey, if he hadn't impressed, Kylington wouldn't be waived. There's just too big a gap from a Nesterov(#6 D) to Petrovic or Stone to be your 7th D. I think the Flames view Mackey as being as good, or better than Kylington/the 7th D. 

 

It makes things interesting, because you'd love to have Mackey playing games as he has yet to play a game of pro hockey. Issue would be the 2 week quarantine if he is recalled from Stockton. If Kylington is claimed (I think he will be), I think you need to have Mackey on your roster/taxi squad as you are 1 injury or positive test away from Petrovic or Stone being a regular. 

[travel_dude]

7 minutes ago, Thebrewcrew said:

 

I think Kylington being on waivers says a lot about Connor Mackey, if he hadn't impressed, Kylington wouldn't be waived. There's just too big a gap from a Nesterov(#6 D) to Petrovic or Stone to be your 7th D. I think the Flames view Mackey as being as good, or better than Kylington/the 7th D. 

 

It makes things interesting, because you'd love to have Mackey playing games as he has yet to play a game of pro hockey. Issue would be the 2 week quarantine if he is recalled from Stockton. If Kylington is claimed (I think he will be), I think you need to have Mackey on your roster/taxi squad as you are 1 injury or positive test away from Petrovic or Stone being a regular. 

 

I read this a minute ago.  Any team that waived a player can't claim anyone off waivers until their player clears.

I have not gone through the list of team that have not waived players yet.

 

EDIT - 23 teams have waived players (incl CGY).

[JTech780]

Watching the scrimmage last night, it was pretty clear that Kylington needs more reps, before he is game ready. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Stockton.

 

As far as depth defenseman go, the guy I came away most impressed with was Lerby, skates well, moves the puck, looked solid in his own zone. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan is on the taxi squad for tomorrow and called back up on Thursday.

 

 

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, JTech780 said:

Watching the scrimmage last night, it was pretty clear that Kylington needs more reps, before he is game ready. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Stockton.

 

As far as depth defenseman go, the guy I came away most impressed with was Lerby, skates well, moves the puck, looked solid in his own zone. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan is on the taxi squad for tomorrow and called back up on Thursday.

 

 

 

Mangiapane stood out.

Kylington was rusty, so I don't know if the plan was to use him in AHL or keep him up.

Yelesin was good, I thought.

Not quite as good as Lerby, but close.

Mackey was not good.

Nesterov is better than I expected.

Valimaki moves like a dream.

 

I would keep Ryan over Nordstrome, but that a positional thing.

Both were good and bad.

Ryan is on the taxi squad.

May still play a lot, but you never know.

Yelesin or Lerby or Kylington could be the extra D on the taxi squad.

Two max.

I'm not thrilled about holding a taxi spot for RInaldo, but that's because I don't think he is more than a fringe player.

They will probably keep him for EDM games.

Robinson isn't a first choice for me either.

If the reason for having a taxi squad is to have players play alternate games on B2B games, then he doesn;t make sense.

If they are just there due to the quarantine period, then it doesn't matter.

 

I would have Kylington, Lerby, Ryan, Ruzicka, Domingue and Robinson.

If they are not going to play much, then Kylington, Ryan (alternates in), Domingue, and RInaldo.

 

EDIT - forgot about Richie and Stone.  I would prefer Ritchie over Rinaldo.  Stone I don't care about if he suits up again.

[JTech780]

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-announce-2020-21-roster/c-320220428

 

Ryan, Kylington, Mackey, Rinaldo, Robinson and Domingue make up the taxi squad.

[travel_dude]

2 minutes ago, JTech780 said:

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-announce-2020-21-roster/c-320220428

 

Ryan, Kylington, Mackey, Rinaldo, Robinson and Domingue make up the taxi squad.

 

No great surprises there.  I guess they haven't released Stone and Ritchie yet.  I guess they can sign them, but they would need to stay up at least until after game one.

In order to waive them and assign to taxi squad, someone would need to go to the AHL or back to active roster.

Weird times.

[cross16]

If I had to guess, they'll keep Stone until the AHL starts, re assign Mackey so he can play and then sign Stone to the taxi squad. 

 

I'm sure they just want a longer look at Ritchie but i'm with Jtech that i'd rather have him over Rinaldo and I'd probably take him over Robinson too for that matter. 

[travel_dude]

Treliving says the #Flames can keep their AHL players in Calgary, separate from their NHL group, until their leagues are up and running. Dustin Wolf and Connor Zary will stay with the AHL group, while Jakob Pelletier will be going back to QMJHL, to quarantine before restarting.

 

BT made a point of saying that Mackey made the team, regardless of whether he stays on the taxi squad.

Not sure how Rinaldo did, other than being a good teammate.

Buddy is meh for me.

 

I guess they can decide to demote anyone from the taxi squad anytime once the AHL starts up.

If they did it before then, it would not require quarantine, unless they are at the AHL camp.

Technically, I guess they could hold the camp in CGY.

Not sure on that, but it would give them more flexibility to begin with.

[JTech780]

 

[cross16]

I like that Dube was elevated and I like that spot for him. It is still not what I would do and i have my questions about that lineup but based on what seems to be the priorities it's probably the best they can do. 

 

It's game 1 so I'll let the plan play out for Bennett but sure looks to be more of the same which is pretty frustrating after all the organization speak in the off-season. 

[travel_dude]

20 minutes ago, cross16 said:

I like that Dube was elevated and I like that spot for him. It is still not what I would do and i have my questions about that lineup but based on what seems to be the priorities it's probably the best they can do. 

 

It's game 1 so I'll let the plan play out for Bennett but sure looks to be more of the same which is pretty frustrating after all the organization speak in the off-season. 

 

Out of curiosity, what was your suggested lineup based on who we have available?

Is your frustration with Bennett's use because he is still with Lucic or the 4th line?