Quote:
Originally Posted by stormchaser
This had better not be the case! We need to stick with these guys and let them figure it out. Baertschi has had a rough go but he is still a pretty great prospect to have in the system. Sometimes a young player just needs a couple years to figure out how to be a pro and put it all together.
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I do believe there is some merit to call this his make or break year.
To end the 2012-13 season, Baertschi was demoted due to confidence issues and needing to find his game. He was 20 and pushed into a game a little higher then where he was ready. He got a pass for that. Rightfully so.
He then had what could almost be described as a catastrophic 2013-14. Poor development camp, average to poor training camp, struggled with the Flames, struggled with the Heat, showed about a month of brilliance in the AHL before disappearing again, left off the Swiss Olympic team and then goes to the World's and gets injured the first or second game. He was 21, he's still learning and he's still young. He got a pass for that, still learning.
I think if he doesn't come into this season and show that he's matured in his game and a consistent player, whether it's in the AHL or NHL (more likely AHL which is where he does belong right now), we do have to look at the possibility that this is a pattern and that he's not maturing, he's not going forward in his career and something is causing a stall in his development. He does need to show some sort of growth is his game because at times, it looked like he regressed. Should he come into 2014-15 and have a season similar to last year, the Flames would be foolish to look the other way. Perhaps that shows Baertschi isn't suited to the system the Flames like to play and we can trade him to a team where he would have success and get a prospect/player back that fits our system.
I do believe that last year was the Flames Management granting him a "free pass" for what happened and expectations for him are higher. Should he not meet them, they will need to re-evaluate what his best use for us is.
As for players making it:
Granlund, Reinhart and Wotherspoon should based on their play, however I have a feeling Wolf will as I can't see him coming over just to play in the AHL and I think Hanowski will get a possibly less earned spot as he has the one year bridge contract and the Flames took a good long look last season and re-signed him.