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Old 04-15-2012, 06:06 PM   #541
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I'm really excited about the Heat. Hopefully adding guys like Ferland and Reinhart to the lineup will result in a very strong AHL squad that allows our prospects to develop the swagger of athletes who are used to winning.
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Old 04-15-2012, 08:26 PM   #542
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How important are these playoffs (Heat playoffs) for the Flames in determining what they do this summer in terms of changes?

If the Heat play very well during these playoffs, and the young guys who the Flames project as future NHLer's (Irving, Nemisz, Reinhart maybe?, Aliu, Breen,...Ward) are real difference makers, does that encourage the Flames to make an effort in getting younger?

Just a thought...
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Old 04-15-2012, 08:43 PM   #543
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How important are these playoffs (Heat playoffs) for the Flames in determining what they do this summer in terms of changes?

If the Heat play very well during these playoffs, and the young guys who the Flames project as future NHLer's (Irving, Nemisz, Reinhart maybe?, Aliu, Breen,...Ward) are real difference makers, does that encourage the Flames to make an effort in getting younger?

Just a thought...
The Flames are already encouraged to get younger. It will however encourage them to slot more players from within their system into their lineup than they otherwise would.
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Old 04-15-2012, 08:55 PM   #544
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The Flames already really like Reinhart. The big question is how his game transitions to the pros. A few playoff games could be HUGE for evaluating him.
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Old 04-15-2012, 09:07 PM   #545
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The Flames are already encouraged to get younger. It will however encourage them to slot more players from within their system into their lineup than they otherwise would.
I would like to assume that, but part of me is worried that when push comes to shove, the Flames will wring their hands and sign some veteran to fill an apparent need (ie. Anders Erikkson).

But if, as Freeway alludes to, Reinhart has a big playoff, maybe the Flames will be morewilling to give the kids a chance.


( I hope I didn't misrepresent what you wrote, Freeway.)
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Old 04-15-2012, 11:13 PM   #546
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Without further ado...

My 100% Unscientific Assessment of Flames Prospects in Abbotsford

GOALIES:
  • Danny Taylor: 17-10-3, 2.21avg, .927svp - tremendous addition as a guy to spell-off/push Irving. Depending on what happens in off-season, he should (at least) get an AHL deal next season.
  • Leland Irving: 22-13-3, 2.67avg, .902svp - numbers took a bit of a tumble as he bounced from Calgary to Abbotsford to the maternity ward. That said, he was clutch for every team he played for.
  • Joni Ortio: 1-4-0, 2.94avg, .890svp - numbers somewhat reflect that he didn't play very much. Unsure where he fits into Calgary's plans at this point, but he's still very young and has lots of potential.
DEFENDERS:
  • Brian Connelly: 1 goal, 16 points in 28 games - not the best defensive player in the world, but he's got good hands and a good eye. But he's awfully small.
  • Clay Wilson: 16 goals, 43 points in 66 games - really liked Wilson in his pair of call-ups to Calgary. Smart player, not overly flashy, but makes smart plays.
  • Joe Piskula: 3 goals, 18 points in 59 games - Piskula is not an NHL caliber defender. That said, he's a very good vet to have in Abbotsford. Smart defensive player, although not amazingly mobile.
  • Jordan Henry: 2 goals, 9 points in 52 games (now with Chicago) - brought in from the KHL, Henry didn't really keep pace with the other blueline prospects. (I'm trying to be nice.)
  • Brett Carson: 2 goals, 8 points in 34 games - battled injuries all year, and I'm unsure as to how much of his play this year was impacted by that. Still, didn't have a great season by most measures.
  • Chris Breen: 1 goal, 7 points in 70 games - played the most of any Abbotsford defender (due to call-ups). By all accounts, wasn't horrible (plus/minus is okay), but was shielded a bit.
  • James Martin: 2 goals, 3 points in 28 games - very young and raw, but I'm not sure how scared I should be by his -13 and frequent scratches.
  • Brady Lamb: 0 points in 1 game - he played one game and was a plus. Good for him.
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Old 04-15-2012, 11:31 PM   #547
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Forwards
  • Krys Kolanos: 30 goals, 61 points in 47 games - the Piskula of the forwards. Probably not ready for NHL minutes, but he was fine in call-ups to Calgary and is a great asset for the farm club.
  • Ben Walter: 18 goals, 58 points in 75 games - very strong season. A little bit surprised he didn't get recalled.
  • Dustin Sylvester: 15 goals, 35 points in 64 games - AHL deal. Should be converted to an NHL contract. Very strong, particularly once he got used to the style of play in the league. A tad small, though.
  • Jon Rheault: 16 goals, 33 points in 47 games - AHL deal. Still fairly young (26), really clicked this year. Needs to stay healthy, but should get consideration for an NHL deal.
  • Greg Nemisz: 13 goals, 29 points in 51 games - played perfectly well. Learning to use his size. Needs to figure out what kind of player he is, though. (Think of Bouma as a comparison.)
  • Quintin Laing: 11 goals, 22 points in 58 games - AHL deal. Perfectly fine year for the captain. Unlikely to get NHL deal due to his age, but good presence on the team.
  • Paul Byron: 7 goals, 21 points in 39 games - bounced between Calgary and Abby, but played well. Great speed and learning to work around the size of other players.
  • Adam Estoclet: 5 goals, 15 points in 25 games - AHL deal. Likely a candidate for a full-time AHL gig next year. Very surprising addition late in the year, but very useful.
  • Akim "The Dream" Aliu: 10 goals, 14 points in 42 games - If he can stay on track, a potential top-six guy in Abbotsford next year. But in tough for call-ups to Calgary.
  • Guillaume Desbiens: 3 goals, 11 points in 59 games - Heart and soul guy. I'd be fine with him getting re-upped.
  • Carter Bancks: 2 goals, 10 points in 55 games - I'm a fan of his. But he's got to stay healthy. But his style of play makes it very, very hard to do that.
  • Ryan Howse: 6 goals, 9 points in 39 games - Needs to stay in shape (now that he's in shape), but finally seemed to get on track near the end of the year.
  • Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond: 1 goal, 6 points in 50 games - Likely gone at the end of the year (and I think Desbiens was better at the role), but a steady, physical vet.
  • Gaelan Patterson: 1 goal, 6 points in 56 games - I have nothing constructive to say about him. (Nothing positive or negative, as I saw very little of him.)
  • Roman Horak: 2 goals, 4 points in 14 games - I like Horak. Poised and smart with the puck.
  • Max "Power" Reinhart: 2 goals, 2 points in 1 game - One really good game.
  • Justin Dowling: 1 goal, 2 points in 27 games - AHL deal. Point-per-game in the ECHL, but bottom-six guy in the AHL. Unsure as to his upside.
  • David Eddy: 1 goal, 1 point in 4 games - Seemed fine.
  • John Armstrong: 1 goal, 1 point in 17 games - AHL deal. Gone.
  • Logan MacMillan: 1 point in 7 games - Gone.
  • Raitis Ivanans: 2 goals, 5 points in 27 games - Not much upside, but perfectly fine in his role.
  • Turner Elson: 0 points in 1 game - Nothing to say. Needs more games.
  • Mitch Wahl: 0 points in 5 games - Bounced all over the place. Great hands and seemed great in the ECHL, but not sure why that swagger wasn't there in the AHL. Heading into last year of his ELC, needs to take a step forward.
  • Stefan Meyer: 0 points in 6 games - Gone.
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Last edited by Freeway; 04-15-2012 at 11:41 PM.
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Old 04-15-2012, 11:40 PM   #548
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Other Guys
  • F Ryley Grantham - Gwinnett (ECHL) - Gone.
  • F C.J. Severyn (AHL deal) - Utah (ECHL) - Didn't show much in Utah. Likely gone.
  • F Bryan Cameron - Utah (ECHL) - 11 points in 20 games. One year left on ELC, but the memories of his 60-goal fine OHL season are now just that.
IF I WERE FEASTER/WEISBROD:
  • Presuming a place to play can be found for Henrik Karlsson, bring Leland Irving up to Calgary. Danny Taylor signed to one-year NHL deal and Ortio kept in AHL as his apprentice.
  • Jordan Henry not re-signed. Perhaps look at signing Nick Tuzzulino to an AHL deal. He should (at least) get an invite to training camp.
  • Ivanans, PL3, Grantham and Meyer not re-signed. Rheault and Sylvester signed to NHL deals. Estoclet signed to an AHL deal. Laing kept on AHL deal for as long as he wants. Armstrong, Dowling and Severyn AHL deals not re-upped.
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Old 04-16-2012, 01:38 AM   #549
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I know he hasn't been putting up the points in Abbotsford, but I was really impressed with Horak in the games I saw of him. He is so good at controlling and passing the puck. I think he will eventually start putting up points.
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Old 04-16-2012, 03:11 AM   #550
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I didn't get a chance to see much of him when he was with Calgary, and I just read above the 'gone' recommendation by Freeway, but I am curious as to what kind of an enforcer PL3 is.

Personally, I have always been a bit 'old school' and think there is a place for tough guys - even enforcers - on teams. However, I had it in my head that PL3 was a fairly tough guy, but one that was able to play relatively ok.

Can some of the posters elaborate a bit more on his game this past season? I was sort of surprised that he never got called up on the Flames since being demoted, but Ivanans had for 1 game vs Boston.

Is he really slow out there? Uncontrollable? Horrendous defensively? Is he a capable 4th line player in the AHL, and does he seem to appear to be someone that COULD be a capable 4th line player in the NHL - not just an enforcer, but a guy that can take a regular shift on the 4th line - either now or potentially in the future with some work?
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Old 04-16-2012, 09:11 AM   #551
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PL3 is a capable skater, but he's rather limited in his stick-handling, passing and defensive zone coverage. Desbiens seemed much more mobile and, while in Calgary, always seemed to be in the right position. And he also fought a bunch.
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Old 04-16-2012, 01:18 PM   #552
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Freeway, I agree with most of your assessments. There's just a couple I respectfully disagree with.

I don't know that Breen has been sheltered. He's on the top D pairing for the penalty kill and is a significant reason that the Heat have the 2nd best PK in the league.

Regarding Desbiens, he's a bit of a frustrating player. As I've said earlier in the season, the Desbiens that plays in the AHL is nothing like the Desbiens that plays in the NHL. The NHL Desbiens is tenacious, very physical, doesn't quit on any play, and FIGHTS! The AHL Desbiens is barely noticeable out there. He still hits and plays tenaciously, but nowhere near the level he does in the NHL and he doesn't fight! He's only fought 9 times this season in the AHL, but has fought 5 times in only 10 games in the NHL. I just have this feeling that Desbiens looks more comfortable at the NHL level than the AHL. Since I doubt he'll get a spot on the fourth line next season, it wouldn't bother me if he wasn't re-signed, but wouldn't bother me if he was.

I'm a fan of PL3's. I want him to stay in the organization, whether it's with the Flames or with the Heat. By all indications he's a really big "team first" type of guy. He makes no qualms about fighting at any point, but at the same time doesn't hurt his team either. I don't know if this was previously on PL3's resume, but he's a real pest. That may be something he's just adopted this year and he's very good at it. Personally, I hope they keep him just to have a true fighter in the organization.
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Old 04-16-2012, 03:56 PM   #553
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So, Ferland to the Heat. Thought he had a broken finger.

More exciting stuff. That 2010 draft was pretty good for us without a pick in the first two rounds.
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Old 04-16-2012, 04:04 PM   #554
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Thanks for the added perspective, P"M"M. I'm basing my opinion solely on seeing both in Calgary. I know that their teammates in Calgary seemed to really like either guy, but the coaching staff only seemed to have a lot of confidence in Desbiens.

PL3 averaged under 5 minutes when he was up. Desbiens averaged over 7.
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Old 04-16-2012, 05:06 PM   #555
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Quote:
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So, Ferland to the Heat. Thought he had a broken finger.

More exciting stuff. That 2010 draft was pretty good for us without a pick in the first two rounds.
Yeah, it took a while for the transfer to happen. Kind of weird. I guess it was just the injury that kept the movement from happening.

I highly doubt that Ferland will see any AHL playing time for the rest of this year, unless a monumental rash of injuries occur. At this point, I'm pretty sure Ferland is dead last on the depth chart for forwards on the Heat.

What interests me is what happens with Max Power during the playoffs? Does Reinhart force Ward to put some of the "regulars" on a short leash if they aren't performing well? Food for thought.
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Old 04-16-2012, 08:49 PM   #556
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Yeah, it took a while for the transfer to happen. Kind of weird. I guess it was just the injury that kept the movement from happening.

I highly doubt that Ferland will see any AHL playing time for the rest of this year, unless a monumental rash of injuries occur. At this point, I'm pretty sure Ferland is dead last on the depth chart for forwards on the Heat.

What interests me is what happens with Max Power during the playoffs? Does Reinhart force Ward to put some of the "regulars" on a short leash if they aren't performing well? Food for thought.
That'll be (one of the) big storyline(s) during the playoffs. Reinhart is the Flames most coveted prospect not named Sven Baertschi. Everyone in the organization knows it. Ward gets first crack at him, and it'll be interesting to see how he's used.
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Old 04-16-2012, 11:30 PM   #557
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That'll be (one of the) big storyline(s) during the playoffs. Reinhart is the Flames most coveted prospect not named Sven Baertschi. Everyone in the organization knows it. Ward gets first crack at him, and it'll be interesting to see how he's used.
Speaking of storylines. Here's a potential one:

What if Baertschi and the Portland Winterhawks are eliminated in the upcoming game 7 and Sven is sent to Abby? (*knock-on-wood*)

Does Ward go with the guys that have got him this far? Or does he take out a "regular" and put Baertschi in? If he decides to go with the "regulars", does he feel pressure from Flames management to play Baertschi? Also, IF Ward decides to play Baertschi, what should be made of the favouritism to play Baertschi over a guy like, say, Reinhart?

Again, food for thought.
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Old 04-17-2012, 07:38 AM   #558
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Speaking of storylines. Here's a potential one:

What if Baertschi and the Portland Winterhawks are eliminated in the upcoming game 7 and Sven is sent to Abby? (*knock-on-wood*)

Does Ward go with the guys that have got him this far? Or does he take out a "regular" and put Baertschi in? If he decides to go with the "regulars", does he feel pressure from Flames management to play Baertschi? Also, IF Ward decides to play Baertschi, what should be made of the favouritism to play Baertschi over a guy like, say, Reinhart?

Again, food for thought.
I'm going to be surprised if Baertschi isn't playing hurt right now. He might get some time in Abbotsford, but he'll probably get a bit of time off to heal before he plays a game.
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Old 04-19-2012, 04:27 PM   #559
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So realistically what's everyone's expectations of the Heat this year for the playoffs?

I say they make it to the third round and lose in 7. They're a much deeper team this year than they were in their inaugural season and they were able to make it to game 6 of the second round before losing to Hamilton.

Lately they've been scoring in bunches and Kolanos is looking all-AHL. Taylor and Irving are looking unstoppable. And Ward will have these guys prepared for the playoffs big time.

What's everyone's thoughts?
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Old 04-19-2012, 05:07 PM   #560
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Calder Cup.
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