NCAA is now more important to the NHL than ever before. 31% of all NHL'ers have an NCAA background, and Jon Gillies was a nominee for the Mike Richter award, showcasing himself among the best 'tenders to be playing on college right now.
Still, Ortio has more of that "immediate" prospect that fits into the 2-3 year plan of the Flames (Hiller is likely a stop gap until Ortio is fully ready to take the reigns), which indicates to me that the guy is very close to making the team.
Look for Ortio to have a monster season in the AHL, and I'd put money on a Calgary call-up by January.
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