Players:
Carsen Germyn: Germyn is a great role model for the young Heat players. He's a workhorse on the ice, and like most of the Heat forwards, he's a great grinder. He's strong and can knock over even the biggest players (quite a feat for being only 5'10"). However, I think he's on the decline. Last season he had 60 points, but this season he only has 15 (so far). Unfortunately, I think he'll be one of the first players cut from the team to make room for new players.
J.D. Watt: Brian McGrattan, *ahem*, I mean J.D. Watt, should be the next enforcer for the Flames - at least ideally. However, even Brian McGrattan has more offensive talent than Watt. He's not a great skater, he isn't a great shooter, and he's not a great passer. If fact, he's not really good at anything - other than fighting, sometimes. Maybe the only thing he's okay at is being a sh*t disturber. Someone on another thread recently asked about Watt and his chances at making the Flames. His chances at making the Flames is slim to none. By the way, there are some people making a comparison between Watt and Prust... please don't insult Prust like that.
Riley Armstrong: This is another player that I haven't paid much attention to. If anyone can expand on Armstrong, it'd be a great help.
Jamie Lundmark: I don't think I need to say anything about Lundmark. We've all seen what he can do on the Flames roster. He is virtually the same type of player when plays with the Heat. If you need further info, see what I wrote about Kris Chucko and apply it to Lundmark.
John Armstrong: He has only played 11 games so far this season. He acts more as a reserve player in the Heat lineup, unlike last season when he played 68 games. He doesn't stand out on the ice as, but he doesn't slack off when he gets the chance. He skates hard and hits hard. Also, he's pretty good at setting up plays. However, I think he'll get his chance next year after Sutter gets rid of some of the Heat players who are expendable and who won't hurt the Heat by leaving the team.
Colin Stuart: If you truly want to see how well Stuart is doing this season, all you need to do is look at his stats from previous years compared to this season (
http://theahl.com/stats/player.php?id=453). He is often on the first line, if not the second line. He has great chemistry with Jaffray. He's not the most defensively talented, but he sure can pass and shoot with the best players on the team. He's very Langkow-esque is his skating and shooting abilities - except for he's much taller. Stuart can also dig and grind for the puck fairly well. He doesn't make very many mistakes on offense. Overall, he's very well-rounded as a player.
Brett Sutter: Simply put, he's a Sutter. His greatest abilities come on the defensive end of being a forward. He is very similar in his style of play to Eric Nystrom, who we all know works his ass off every game. Sutter is slowly becoming a fan favourite here in Abbotsford because of his energy. However, the only Heat jersey I've seen with Sutter's name on the back was his little brother's. There will be more. He doesn't take stupid penalties, but he won't back down from anyone either. He's a hell of a hitter too.
David VDG: At the beginning of the season he started out as a fan favourite, primarily because he's an Abby boy. However, since his point scoring burst at the start of the season, he hasn't been as offensively productive as he should be. However, he is much like Boyd in his style of play. He works extremely hard when he gets ice time. To the home games I've been to he doesn't get a top 6 forward spot, but he certainly gives the his team and the crowd a ton of energy when he's on the ice. And, for a small player, he'll grind and hit better than anyone on the team. Not a bad shot either, but he needs to practice more on his accuracy.
Pete Vandermeer: Pete is clearly the fan favourite here in Abbotsford. Hearing people talk about Vandermeer is hilarious. They can't believe how old he is (even though he's not that old) and how much energy he gives the team. He'll fight anyone if it'll get the team motivated. He's one of the special players for the Heat that they'd miss if he were gone. Similar to Conroy, he seems to be the heart of this team. However, something tells me he won't be with the club next year. He's at the bottom of the pecking order, so he'll be the first to go to make room for Nemisz and Brodie.
Notes:
All in all, this video sums up the Abbotsford Heat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzNfIdqqEpI
My opinion on the Heat so far (Forwards edition) Part II
