Smid thinks he is ready. UPD: Hopes to be cleared for mid October

[sureLoss]

Pretty much confirms the reports from Winsport:

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/26...-training-camp

“From my point of view, I feel pretty much ready,” Smid said after a session with a collection of pros at the WinSport facility at Canada Olympic Park. “I’ve been skating the past almost four weeks, training all summer and don’t feel I’m behind anything. I can base myself against the guys who’ve been here all summer and feel I’m where I want to be, but it depends on what the doctors think.

“I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I’m hoping. I want to be positive and hope the news is going to be good and I’m going to be ready, but if not, you don’t want to play until it’s ready.

“I’ll keep training and go when the doctors give me the green light.”

The next step in his return to action is a visit to doctors in California next week.

[Yamer]

It would be great to see him cleared and able to bolster the already stellar upper tier depth of the Flames defense corps.

It would be even better to know that he can continue his career. Hoping for the best, here.

[jayswin]

Excellent, I hope he can pick up where left off and be a valuable contributor to the team. I was really scared that was it for him.

I also kind of hated Flames fans who were actively hoping he couldn't make it back to get his salary off the books. I get it, we all want cap space so we can sign our best players, but there's lots of ways to gain cap space, and hoping a really good guy with a family and nothing but classy service to his organizations in his career is injured so bad that's he's done in the NHL so we can free up $3mil in space is a terrible line of thinking, imo.

Really glad to hear this, and hopefully he's good to go. If he's back to good health I'd be comfortable with him as the 6th/7th defenseman. I'd like to see Wotherspoon with more time in the AHL anyways.

[chockfullofgoodness]

Sure, his cap hit is pretty high, but if he's 100 percent, he adds nice depth to our blue line.

[GranteedEV]

Imagine if thanks to this surgery he returns to 2011-12 Form on a shutdown pairing with Hamilton!



We would be instant top team in the league.

[Robo]

we were better with a healthy smid in the line up hope he is ok to play

[Gaskal]

He was a possession black hole, but reasonably good defensively.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

He was a possession black hole, but reasonably good defensively.

Whatever the #### that means.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Smid used to be really good.

[Major Major]

This is great news. Not only does he add depth but also could provide lineup flexibility. With the assumed top 6, Gio and Brodie pairing results in a double RD pair. With smid or Witherspoon, we can have 2 Rd/ld.

Also, smid won't be paired with engelland. That was a big part of both of their seasons last year.

[icarus]

Remind me again whose dirty check it was that gave him the concussion?

[AC]

Originally Posted by icarus

Remind me again whose dirty check it was that gave him the concussion?

#### Simon Despres.

[flamesfan55]

Can we afford him on the team? I thought we were getting close to the cap.

[Poe969]

If he's cleared and comes back at 100% then the Flames are in trouble...in a good way though. Having too many NHL defensemen isn't a bad problem to have but you'd hate to have respectable players in the press box every night or to have prospects ready to take the next step being stuck in the minors because there isn't room for them. I think whoever has the best chemistry with Hamilton will get the gig. Wideman and Russell are a lock together and Gio and Brodie are likely a lock together but if Gio has great chemistry with Hamilton, I think Brodie will play with Engelland and Smid will be the odd man out. If Hamilton and Brodie have great chemistry, I think Gio will likely play with Smid. If a rookie steps up and forces his way on the team, I think it'll be even more confusing.

I'd love to have Smid on this team at 100% but I'd also like Engelland or someone like Morrison or Nakladal or another rookie on the team too. All this really means is there is even more competition to make a pretty stacked back end on the Flames and if management is forced to make a deal, it'll likely benefit the Flames a lot too.

[Itse]

I'm not too worried aboud having too many defenseman. There seems to always be buyers for them, especially veterans.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by flamesfan55

Can we afford him on the team? I thought we were getting close to the cap.

Close to the cap, but they don't have to add any more players, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Here's the current cap situation: https://www.hockeyscap.com/teams/flames

If you assume that Ferland will sign for under a million next season, and that Bennett will make the team out of camp, they'll have less than $1 million in cap space ... but that's also a 26 man roster, so three of those salaries can't start the season in Calgary.

[Poe969]

It is a great situation to be in...if there are buyers. I don't know who I'd want to get rid of on the back end though. If Smid is cleared to play, someone will have to go though and that sucks.

[albertGQ]

So that basically ends the Shlemko tenure in Calgary hey?

[lazypucker]

double post

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

So that basically ends the Shlemko tenure in Calgary hey?

I don't think he will be back anyways unless 2 of our top 6 are out long term