Flames Camp 2014

Originally published on Flames Jambalaya

The Flames are more than halfway through their camp; so how much do we know? Today’s blog is a general summary on how the Camp is going so far. I will go through my observations on the goaltending, defense, and offense. 

Physical Play
The most obvious observation is that the Flames are going to be a much more physical team this year. They really beefed up in the off season.

The newcomers who will work on the physical play; or as I like to say, beat the crud out of the opposition. The signing of Deryk Engelland instantly gives the Flames a bigger presence, which will keep opposing Forwards honest. The acquisition of Brandon Bollig gives the Flames some much-needed physical size in Forwards. Too many times, the opposing Defense took liberties with the Flames’ Forwards with no repercussions. 

Speed Kills
The Flames signed ex-Leaf Mason Raymond on Canada Day. Mason is one of the fastest skaters in the League. He will put the fear of God in opposing Defense. If he can connect with Backlund, who is also very fast, the Flames’ speed will double. He will make Backlund better. Additionally, if Curtis Glencross can stay healthy, he will also be a huge asset to the team’s speed.

Team Leadership
Gio will get major help in the Flames’ dressing room. Monahan will be a year older and will help. He will be a more mature and complete player this season. But the major players will be Engelland and Bollig. First of all, Deryk Engelland: Coach Hartley has been gushing with glee about Engelland. Deryk will voice his opinion if he is unhappy about a player. He will speak up when it is needed. There will be no dilly-dallying in the Flames’ dressing room. Engelland won't allow it. Now Brandon Bollig: he will teach this team how to win. He has two rings. He will bring that knowledge and experience into the dressing room. Matt Stajan will be continue to grow as a player. The Flames will rely on this vet to lead by example.

Goalies
The goalies are going to be a huge upgrade. With the signing of Jonas Hiller, the Flames have a legitimate number-one goalie. He will cut the bad goals down by one goal a game. Plus he brings in another factor; he will make Ramo better. Ramo will have to be better if he wants his chance to play. If he does not play better, he will play much less this season.

Things we do not know or should I say  the concerns the Fans may have
Will the Flames’ Defense be better than last year? The first question: Is Engelland better than Buttler? At the beginning of camp, I would have said ‘not a chance.’ But  since the camp, I have been very impressed with Engelland’s play. He is a solid defensemen who has been a stable influence in the defense zone. He has been building a nice chemistry with Russell. 

The next question: Is Raphael Diaz going to get a contract offer from the Flames? In this blogger’s mind, yes. He fills a great need for a second powerplay captain.  He has been outstanding in the camp so far. His play has really helped fill a lot of holes in the Flames’ line-up. But unfortunately, he is a major risk in the defensive zone. It would help if the Flames can match him with a stable, offensive dman like Smid. He must also improve in consistency. If he can do this, the Flames will hit the motherload with him.

The next question is: Will Sheldon Brookbank get a contract? I am having a problem answering this one. He is a vital asset in the physical play. He is a very good finisher with his hits. He punishes opposition and follows through on his hits. His leadership skills will help the Flames down the stretch. He will be good role model for the young defensemen. The downside is his speed. He will have to make sure he does not take too many chances. It will not help in the offensive game. He would be a good asset as a seventh defensemen.
Gio and Russell will be still there. They are the rocks. Brodie is close behind. I suspect that Engelland is penciled in at the number four on the Roster. 

The major question is: Who is going to win that number seven dman spot? Is it Diaz or Burbank or is it one of the kids.  Mr. Smid needs a defensive partner. Time will tell who it is going to be.

Another question is: Where is the offense coming from? Or I like to say: Who is going make up the loss of Cammy's 26 goals? With this, the Flames will look to their first signing of the off-season. Of course, I am referring to Mason Raymond. His nineteen goal season from last year is reason for optimism. It is vital that he matches, if not passes, that total this season. Mason is capable of being the leading scorer. He has never been given this role, and I think he will flourish with it. 

The second solution to the offense is the low-risk in signing of Devin Setoguchi. He will be motivated to play this season. Devin is coming off his worst season. He surely will clear his eleven goal season. If he doesn’t, he will be spending it on the pine or in the AHL. Not much of a gamble for the Flames with his low cap hit of $750,000.

Gentlemen Joe has to do one thing: forget that he is a gentlemen. He has to start getting in the corners and his hands dirty.  The Flames will expect more input from Colborne. Joe will be given more duties, but where much is given, much is required. Joe has great tools, he just needs to put them to good use.  He must use his size. In other words, he must become a Burke player.

If I am talking offense, I would be an idiot not to mention Curtis Glencross. He must become a less selfish player. By this, I mean he must not take stupid penalties. He has to stay healthy. If he can achieve this, he is capable of scoring twenty goals again.

Sean Monahan will to match his first-year totals. He has to continue his smart playing and continue to be the man. There cannot be any sophomoric hi-jinx. He has to play smart and stay out of the physical play. The Flames have plenty of other players who can do that for him. I cannot emphasize this enough. Monahan is a key part of the Flames’ offense and will be a force this season.

Before I close, I have to mention Johnny Hockey’s goal in the Colorado game Tuesday night. The kid has skill, doesn't he? If Johnny can keep those skills, he will be a Flame for many years to come.

Conclusion
There are a lot more questions yet to be answered this season. Will Backlund get healthy? Will the Offense be able to make up for the loss of Cammy? Flames fans are going to have fun this season.

Randy

Tick Tock, Tick Tock!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. All of the General Managers are tucked in their beds while visions of Vanek, Raymond, or Brad Richards dance in their heads. Or maybe Ehrhoff, as he became a free agent today.  

So my blog today is on the different options the Flames will have during the off-season. The Flames are looking for... let see… oh, that's right... everything. Seriously, they need pretty much everything.  So they first of all have to set their priorities. My  blog will concentrate on goalies, defence, and a center.

Back-up Goalie or 1B Goalie

I think the first need is a back-up goalie. The Flames have a couple of options. 

Free agent  options

Thomas Greiss

Thomas has a history with the GM. He is a solid net-minder who is not outstanding, but he is solid and dependable in his game. He a solid option who is good for 30-35 games. I really like this option. He is exactly what the team needs. The key point here is that the Flames can offer him something. Most of the other teams can't give him an opportunity to play.

Chad Johnson

Chad was outstanding for the Bruins last season.  He simply gives the team a chance to win every night. Another good, cheap option for the Flames. Chad is a goaltender who plays a solid game and rarely gets caught out of position. He is a late bloomer who is capable of being a solid back-up.

Justin Peters

Peters was outstanding  for  Carolina last season. He was battling for head job there on a team with three goalies. The Canes could not find a home for him. He would battle Ramo for a starting job. I am not sure he would be willing to come to Calgary as a back-up.

Defenceman

The next need for the Calgary Flames is a solid defencemen, which the Flames could really have used last season. Especially now that it looks like Butler will not be in a Flames uniform next season. Some of the best options I could see the Flames getting are:

Tom Gilbert 

Tom was a solid offensive dman who fit well for a while in Edmonton, but never really fit in with the Panthers. If he could just get back to where he was as a Oiler. Apparently, it is out there there that the Flames have interest in him. He may well be a asset to the Flames defence.

Matt Niskanen

Niskanen may well be the best dman on the free agency market. I love this guy’s game. He is a great option for the Flames, who need a good powerplay quarterback. I know you are thinking the Flames do not have salary cap problem. I sure do hope they at least talk. Matt could score 10 goals and 50 points and really help a dried-up powerplay. 

Anton Stralman

The main problem is how much Stralman would cost, but I like his game. He is an offensive dman, who would be a solid, top-four dman. He would stabilize our defence, and help our defensive zone coverage. I love his ability to stay calm and not panic. 

Kyle Quincey 

Kyle Quincey may very well be the most gifted defencemen out there. Kyle can pitch in with the odd assist and goal. Kyle should be affordable. The Flames can give him a bigger role, and more ice time. 

Center

I really hope the Flames try to get a second-line center. I prefer a veteran who can help Monahan, and maybe take him under his wing and give him some hints on improving his game.

Paul Stastny

Simply put: the best option out there. Stastny is the best of the bunch. If the Avs cannot sign him, the Flames need to put this man under contract. Give him the money he wants and get it done. He is a solid center with the the skill to add the supportive scoring the Flames so badly need.

Jussi Jokinen

Jussi can play wing or center. Versatility is essential in his game.  He also may take less money to sign. I love his ability to help in the penalty-killing.  His speed his a vital asset to the Flames, who need to get faster.

Brad Richards

I know I am going to get slammed for this, but I really think Brad’s ability could help the Flames. I think he can score 20  goals and get 50 points for the Flames. He could really help Monahan and help him get the experience he needs. 

CONCLUSION

I could mention plenty more, but these are the first options. I know some of you are going to ask about Bolland. I just like Jokinen better. There are plenty of options out there. 

The Flames are going to be busy. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Image: Flickr CC license: Aldaron "Parliament Clock" (modified)

Originally posted on Flames Jambalaya

Flames Mock Draft 2014

Yes, its the annual event known as the NHL draft. For some reason, I volunteer to make a fool out of myself by attempting to predict what the Flames are going to do.  Actually, the name of it is good: a mock draft, which mean all of you can mock my picks. I actually want you to know that I take this seriously, which really embarrasses me even more. I really should not tell you that; but I digress— on to the picks.

FIRST ROUND, PICK  NUMBER 4:

This was a very hard choice for me to make. The main problem I have is that I do not think the player the Flames want will be there. The next problem I had while doing my research is that so many people have them picking different players. Most have us picking Sam Bennett or Leon Draisaitl.  There were a few who had us choosing Sam Reinhart. But that is  bit optimistic; there is no way he is available at number 4. 

LEON DRAISAITL

The lack of depth in this this draft has been highly criticized. Most seem to think after the first 5 picks there is a huge drop off in talent. This makes it vital that the Flames make this pick count. They have to get it right.  My choice more than likely won't be there, but I still chose him: Leon Draisiatl. I have two reasons for this choice of Leon. One is for his size. The Flames' number one priority is to get bigger and more skilled.  Leon is a highly skilled centre who is also highly intelligent.  He is a great stick handler and has the ability to get a shot off quick. Mr Draisaitl is a tank, and he will prove that he is  hard to knock off the puck.  He has some grit and will stick up for himself. Leon may not be the fastest skater, but his speed is good enough. Like I said earlier, the Flames' number one priority is to get bigger and better. Leon fits his criteria. He is a solid, big body who will contribute to this team offensively. More importantly, he will not hurt this team in their own zone.  

THE CHANCE OF TRADING DOWN

With the news that the Leafs are desperately trying to move up, there is a that slight chance of the Flames trading down at the draft. The Flames really like Nick Ritchie of the Peterborough Petes. He is a big, rugged winger who could be a future power forward. What's not to like? The Flames could be enticed by the Leafs to trade down. 

SECOND ROUND, PICK 34:

The second round is almost crap shoot.  There is very little to differentiate between picks 30 and 60.  In this round, there will be plenty of off-the-wall picks. It really depends on the team's needs. Going into the draft, the Flames need to improve on every position in order to compete in the Western Conference.  They need to upgrade their scoring  and their defense .  If they can find a dman who can distribute in the scoring; even better.

With this pick, I am leaning towards getting a defensemen.  Three names came to my  mind: Anthony DeAngelo of the Sarnia Sting,  Julius Honka of the Swift Current Broncos, and Travis Sanheim of the Calgary Hitmen. Anthony is a very skilled playmaking defenseman, but I think his lack of size will scare the Flames off.  Julius is a steady, stay-home defenseman who plays a gritty game. I am just not sure he can contribute enough in the offensive zone. 

TRAVIS SANHEIM

This pick might be a bit of a gamble on my part, but I like this kid’s game. He improved his game, which gave him a bigger role with the Hitmen.  This role added one vital ingredient to the Flames' recipe for success, and that is his power time.  He might not be as skilled as Anthony, but he won’t be making the mistakes as Anthony will.  He has more offensive upside than Jullis, although he is not quite as good defensively.  But there is one thing  he has that the other two don’t: he is far bigger and uses his size to his benefit.

SECOND ROUND, PICK  54:

Remember I mentioned every team will have there wild card? Well, insert that here.  Yes, I might be going off the wall here a little, but I really like this pick.

LUCAS WALLMARK

Lucas Wallmark of the Skelleftea AIK.  Lucas is an average-size centre who is very efficient  at the draw.  He is a very offensively-skilled player who works endlessly trying to score.  Although he may very well be a project, in the end it will be worth it.  He thinks well on the go, always thinking of two plays ahead.  He is a spark plug on wheels; think a Ford Pinto with a souped up engine.  He may very well be another Kenny Linseman.

CONCLUSION

    

The Flames will try  their hardest to find their elite player at this draft. With the chances of not landing Cammy, it makes it that much more vital that they get at least the leg work done on a deal.  The  free agent market is not that great, so the Flames will have to either sign Cammy or do it through a trade.  They know darn well they have to get better. Expect a lot of talk, but I am going to throw out one  name I would go after: Dustin Penner.  Not saying it will happen, just saying that is who I would like them to bring in.  Enjoy mocking my draft picks.

Originally posted at Flames Jambalaya.

Who will the Leafs draft #1?

It is common knowledge that the Maple Leafs would love to move up. The question I have is "at what price?"  With the Oilers and Panthers willing to listen to offers, the possibilities seem endless.  Which leads to the next question: Should the Leafs dangle Dion to get it?  I truly think there is a good chance for the Leafs move up, but I am making my first round pick based on the assumption that they do not get a deal done. 

The Leafs are not in as bad as shape as their record shows. Their number one need is finding that elusive top number one Centre.  They need to find a highly-skilled passing Centre, one that can feed the puck to some guy named Phil.  Their second need is finding a gritty forward  who can help with fixing the silly mistakes all over the zone.   Too many times, forwards were pitching in at the wrong time, forgetting the  defensive zone coverage.  Which begs the question: Can they really afford to let Bolland go?  If they decide to let him go, there will be a huge need to fill.  They will have to address this in the off-season.  That is the main reason I feel the need to pick up a two-way forward in the draft.  

With that, who do I pick in the draft?

FIRST ROUND PICK 

I had a hard time deciding between two young Centres for the first pick: William Nylander or Robbie Fabbri.  Both are highly-skilled playmakers.  One has better offensive skills, the other is better defensively.  

WILLIAM NYLANDER  

Nylander could stick-handle his way in a phone booth.  He  is terrific passer who can thread the needle from anywhere on the ice.  He is fine skater with very good passing skills.  Most importantly, he is always thinking two or three plays ahead.

ROBBY FABBRI

Fabbri is a highly skilled centre with the smarts to go with it.   He has the potential of being a true leader who has tons of heart.  He will not back down from anyone. He has the guts of a champion. Fabbri has wheels to burn and can skate with the best of them in this draft. He is highly skilled offensively and knows how to defend. 

My pick: ROBBY FABBRI

The Leafs have no second round pick, so on with the third round.

THIRD ROUND PICK 

RYAN DONATO 

Donato is not overly skilled, but has the potential of being power forward.  Adequate skating will improve with experience. He has the heart of a lion and will fight for his teammates. He will do everything that is asked of him. A good two-way player.

Peter, you will be missed

My first time meeting Peter Maher 

It was the year after the lockout and the Flames were practicing at the Don Hartman arena. My son really wanted to meet Peter Maher. His favorite saying was YEAH BABY. The moment we saw him, my son went up to him to meet his idol. I introduced us, and my son screams out YEAH BABY. Peter asked him if he wanted his job. I will never forget that moment. My son was 10 feet tall all that afternoon.

My favorite YEAH BABY call

This one was really hard. It is a toss up. 

The biggest is probably May 25th, 1989. Hearing his call announcing the Flames as Stanley Cup champions gave me chills. It brought me to tears. It made me feel like I was there.  

Then there was the Iggy 50th goal call. You could tell that he sincerely loved Iggy. The relationship those two had will always be special.  That YEAH BABY call will always be a special moment for me. I will never forget it. 

What I loved most about Peter Maher

I have so many great memories of Peter. His Flames History on The Fan was a favorite show of mine. I always took time to listen to it. It was perfect timing for me, just when I was picking my wife up from work. Of course I would have to tell my family not to talk during this time.

Another thing I love was the fact you could never tell who scored. His tone did not change when the opposing team scored. I always admired his professionalism. He has integrity and love for the game. Yes Peter, you will be missed.

Originally posted on Flames Jambalaya

Flames hire Brad Treliving as new General Manager

The Positives

Burke went into this process with this process with three basic objectives. The biggest would be to get a great hockey mind. Someone who knows good young talent when sees it. He also had to make sure he got someone from the type of organization the Flames would want to model themselves after. 

No objective could be achieved without the others. In Burke's mind, the Flames are a good young solid team with potential. Something the Coyotes started out to be. We needed a man who specialized in good young talent. The Coyotes are a very good young team, who have gotten that way by developing good young talent. So who better to get than the man who was in charge of that process? 

Brad will be a huge asset in the draft. Remember Burke's complaints about our drafts? We have to hit more homeruns. Our drafts have to be bigger, more skilled players. We have to more diligent in finding the superstars. Brad Treliving specializes in developing young talent. He knows young talent when he sees them and knows what to with them when he sees them. Basically, he relates to the young talent.

Burke is very good at negotiating for developing stars. He knows how to bring in the big names. His hockey savvy is finding ways to make a deal work. What he needs help with is finding diamonds in the rough. Let's put it this way—he can make a diamond into a shinier diamond. What he lacks is getting it to the diamond stage.

The Flames have always had problems developing their own. That is why they have always had other team's prospects. Brad fills the gap here. The Flames drastically need to start developing their talent. The process has reevaluated. They have to clean up the mess in the organization. Mr. Treliving is a good start to get back where we were.

What does this mean in the rebuild?

Basically, it is telling us we are rebuilding, with a hint of retooling. The main reason Burke wanted Treliving is because Burke is really in charge. Brad's job is really closer to Head of Scouting, in charge of the rebuilding. 

Burke will be in charge of the retooling. All transactions will go through Burke. In other words, if Cammy resigns, it will because of Burke. He is a very good salesman. I am sure he could sell me anything he wanted, and make me think I wanted it. So yes, Brad might still be puppet, but we have a very good, devoted GM who has a mind of his own.

Originally posted at Flames Jambalaya

Leafs Memories

I have been a true Leaf fan since I was a young tyke. Since the year 1967, the last year we won the Stanley Cup. Since my early days of childhood watching the Leafs. I have memories of me and my dad sitting down at suppertime watching the Leafs on "Hockey Night In Canada.”

Even though I am old enough to remember the 1960 's my decade as a Leaf’s fan was the 1970's. My first favourite centre was Darryl Sittler. Darryl was the heart of the Leafs for his whole career. He was everything to the Leafs. He spent fifteen seasons with the Leafs, which included one special night the Bruins would never forget. I am talking about his 10-point night:  February 7, 1976. Six goals and four assists in one night. What made it more special was that it was against the Bruins.

Of course, there was also Darryl's performance on April 22. I remember this game; his four-goal performance in the Leaf's 8-5 victory. He was truly at his best, taking the team on his shoulders and showing true leadership skills.

Another one my favourite players was Lanny Macdonald. He was a true sniper, and pretty much Darryl's best friend. His two best years were in 1976-77 and 1977-78. He scored near the 50-goal plateau twice; 46 and 47 respectively. He was one of the best snipers in the game, known for his quick release. His shot was not the hardest, but often Lanny would get set up by his good buddy, Darryl, for one-timers. 



My favorite memory of Lanny Macdonald is April 29, 1978 in Long Island, the overtime goal in game seven. The goal that was heard all over Canada. I am sure my whole neighbourhood could hear me screaming. 
Another memory from my youth was Ian Turnbull's five-goal performance against the Wings in a 9-1 rout February 2, 1977. Ian was a much-underrated puck-moving defenseman.


So yes, I am a very old and dedicated Leaf fan. These are not all of my favorite memories, but they are some of my best ones. I have always had two favorite teams, and only written for one of them. That is going to change.

Image: By Horge (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons