Transcribed by
Nichols on Hockey
Quote:
Darren Dreger was on TSN 1050 Friday morning.
On if it’s possible the Calgary Flames could do some damage this year:
“Well, if they do, I think it’s a mistake. This is a team that should be in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes – or Jack Eichel. Pick your poison there. It is a very good draft. High skilled players available near the top of the draft at the top of the draft. Why wouldn’t you want to get in that if you’re embracing full on renovation, rebuild, call it whatever you will.
“They have drafted well. Sam Bennett is going to be a very good NHL player. The jury is still out on Johnny Gaudreau. Man, he makes sensational, creative plays right now, but is he ready to jump? At some point the expectation is he’ll be ready to be a good NHL player. You’ve got Sean Monahan, who is readying for his second season.
“Like, stay in that theme. I don’t know. I’m confused by the direction of the Calgary Flames. They keep talking about adding a defenceman to improve their blueline. I don’t know if that’s just a sales pitch to keep the market hungry or not, but – to your point Mike – I think they might surprise some teams who take them lightly this year, but they shouldn’t if they want to stay on the path of adding players through the draft and getting better long term.”
But it’s a tough line, isn’t it?
“Yeah, real tough.”
On it being a difficult and fine line to walk, with tanking being unacceptable to some people and this also being the same franchise that didn’t have a lot of draft picks when they stuck with their core group of veteran players:
“Really difficult, but for me there’s a difference between getting better and staying competitive. The Calgary Flames need to stay competitive. You do that by making sure you’ve got the right players on that team. They’re going to score by committee. Scoring is going to be an issue for the Calgary Flames. When Cammalleri was in the lineup last year, they still had trouble scoring.
“So hey, if Sean Monahan takes off, if Mason Raymond is a good fit, if Setoguchi all of the sudden puts the puck in the net like he didn’t in Winnipeg, or Minnesota, San Jose, go down the list – those are the things you don’t control and you celebrate them because that’s good for the fan base. But don’t go out and make trades and do things that are going to help you immediately. If there’s a trade that makes you better in the long run, that’s a different approach and there would be nothing wrong with that. But this team should struggle to get better.”
|
Apparently Treliving is looking to improve his team.
FOR SHAME! Why would you do that?!?
This attitude really makes me angry. We aren't Edmonton & we don't Tank. Look how much good it's done them up North, instilling a doormat culture and more-or-less spoiling top prospects.
I see no harm in adding a good young defenceman that is part of the youth movement here.
Dreger grinds my gears when he talks about the Flames. I don't give a
about getting McDavid now. I hope we play good, exciting hockey and show the league how quickly this rebuild is coming along.