Scale I've used:
- A exceeds expectations by good margin
- B exceeds expectations
- C meets expectations
- D is below expectations
- F is well below expectations
Backlund: B-. I started the year thinking Backlund's career in Calgary was over. He has made a mini-resurgence with that excellent streak during Monahan's injury. Might be worth a look and see.
Baertschi: C-. Not really a terrible surprise for Baertschi's vanishing from the NHL. He's still young, still learning the game. He plays hard, but isn't confident enough in his skill or able to wield his size too play larger than he is...the two things he needs to make the NHL in my opinion. Hopefully some time in Abbotsford will let him develop again.
Bouma: C-. Maybe I saw too much into his highlight games, but he really doesn't seem as dynamic as last year.
Byron: B+. Who else had him as "remnants of the Regehr trade"? Byron seems like a replacement for Horak trading in some own end play for excellent puck skills. Could be quite a story if he develops into a top 6 player.
Cammalleri: D-. Cammalleri had a decent streak at one point, but he tries to play the game at a level he just can't play. The last 15-20 games or so, he's been forcing little dekes, passes, or shots that he can't make. Really frustrating to watch for a player who has little to offer defensively.
Colborne: C. When you get a player for a 4th round pick, you can't expect much. Colborne provides a little and it's obvious he has the skill to be much better (his breakaways and plays when unpressured are testament to that), but hasn't achieved it yet. C is where he's at now, but he provides something the 4th was unlikely to provide: 1st round skill. Good pick up by the Flames.
Galiardi: D. Ugh. I had so much hope for him early. It feels like a Comeau replacement. Except Comeau had the skill to get into shooting positions to shoot at the other team's feet.
Glencross: D/Incomplete. A season of "coulda, woulda, shoulda" so far. Started off terrible and was injured as soon as he was entering anything resembling competent. Then came back terrible.
Hudler: B+. He's been a great asset to developing Monahan. Good on the ice so far (though he's too small and too niche a player to break the game on his own) and acquired extra points through Monahan's hot streak, I love the confidence he's pumping into the Flames' prospect.
David Jones: C-. Flames acquired him and SOB for a sulking Tanguay and thought to be washed up Sarich. What exactly was expected of him? Plays a pretty mediocre game on large cap. When he's playing well, he can protect the puck better than anyone on the team...though that's not saying much. Most of the time, he is as visible as Stempniak. And not in a good way.
McGrattan: C+. Flames have asked him this year to be physical and an enforcer as needed. McGrattan, compared to other years, has certainly responded positively, checking harder than I remember him doing before. Not stepping in the ring as much as before, but he hasn't had a need to so far.
Monahan: A-. Hard to fault Monahan at all. I went in this year with 25-30 points all year as a really successful season. Adjusting for a more "normal" shooting rate, he'd have around 27 points for full season play without injury. Defensively, he's learning, which is to be expected. Good all around player though and a successful pick by the Flames so far.
Stajan: C. I sometimes see him playing well, sometimes frustrating to watch with his forced passes and shots. About what the Flames need right now though: a stop gap player who can play on most lines...he'll never be the player Sutter signed him to be, but will not completely embarrass himself.
Stempniak: F. Sorry Stempniak, but one hot streak doesn't make the season. It must suck to be Stempniak at this point too though.
Breen: D. It's too bad he hasn't been the player PMM saw him as in Abbotsford. Maybe his game doesn't translate.
Brodie: C. Brodie scares me when he plays his own end. There have been a myriad of giveaways, weird passes, and overall inability to guard his own player that make me wonder if he just looked better on isolated minutes.
Butler: D. I try to defend Butler. I really do. But the games I've been to, he's been a nightmare. That game against Phily in particular, he looked worse live than he did on TV. About 4 times he randomly gave up the puck and about half of them led to odd man chances (where all of them could have if Philly connected a short pass or skated instead of dumping the puck). He's a bottom pairing/7th swap in defence so far, but gets extra minutes on the injured defence...and it shows.
Giordano: B+. A comeback year for Giordano. Last couple years, I ragged on him because he seemed to play physically similar to his size (where he used to play above that defensively). This year has been a different story. Being named captain seems to have done wonders to his confidence. One of the few bright spots on a terrible defence squad.
O'Brien: D. I was expected for bad. I wasn't expected for "Butler + O'Brien is one of the worst pairings you've seen live" bad. Too aggressive, almost no offensive aspects, low defensive instinct...you might be able to convert him to forward to make a crash and bang line of O'Brien-McGrattan-Westgarth for giggles (and a collective -90 by the end of the season), but that's about it.
Russell: B-. Is this him playing above his 3rd pairing billing or just a sign of how terrible the Flames are? Either way, he's been better than what I expected (a slightly better Butler).
Smid: C. Pretty much what I expected...he plays a mean, tough game that hasn't been seen in Calgary all that often.
Wideman: C. Started the year great and has a great number of highlight reel hip checks. Not enough information since his return, but he seems to be back to missing the net and being invisible defensively.
Ramo: C. Ramo is slower and scrambles a lot, but plays the more traditional style compared to Berra and is much less hit and miss. Neither are great goalies so far, but are getting better through the season. Kind of eager to see how good they get once they fully adjust to the NHL (well, for Ramo - NHL again).
Berra: C. On and off. That aggressive style scares me to no end. Sometimes it works, sometimes it bites Berra. At any rate, he's learning to control it better after that odd start to the year in terms of 3rd period collapses. Needs to reel in the occasional softy.
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