Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
I agree that the playoff failure was an organizational disappointment and couldn't have helped him with his new bosses.
But to suggest they had a much stronger roster is just flat out wrong. Grand Rapids have a deep team, the experience of winning it all last year, a great goalie (actually 2 of them), and got a bunch of players back when Detroit got eliminated.
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Players on the Heat that played in the NHL:
Street 13 games
Breen 9 games
Rienhart 8 games
Granlund 7 games
Knight 7 games
Hankowski 11 games
Billings 10 games
Baertschi 26 games
Ortio 9 games
Plus proven NHLer O'Brien (45 games with the Flames), Blair Jones (14) and Derek Smith (14)..
So out of the Heat's roster 12 players on the edge of being NHLers.
all had a good look at the NHL level and did not look out of place and would not be a 3 alarm surprise if they played 20 or more games in the NHL next year
Grand rapids
Near NHL list
Emmerton (18 games)
Ferraro (4)
Almquist (2)
Sproul (1)
Pulkkinen (3)
Mzarek (9)
Old NHL list:
Paetsch ( last was a NHLer in 2008-09)
Tootoo (11 games with Detroit)
The best (offensive-wise d-man on Grand rapids in their Calder cup run was Billings who was playing for the Heat).
Either the Flames have good players playing for the Heat (better than what Detroit has for Grand rapids) or the Flames are still in a heap of trouble and are at the very begging of the rebuild.