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Originally Posted by Brad Marsh
The organization can do whatever it likes, but I don't see any issue whatsoever with fans calling it out for saying one thing and doing another.
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Sure. But this is not a case of saying one thing and doing another. This is a case of your own faulty assumptions causing upset. The Flames never set arbitrary times on when, where and how they complete their evaluations, even if you have.
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Jooris outplayed Setoguchi by any measure, and yet he's the one clearing out his locker.
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Jooris went from AHL project to a kid knocking on the NHL's door. He's vaulted himself well up the organizational ladder, and as a result, I fully expect he will make his NHL debut this year. That is something that was not remotely guaranteed at the start of camp. It is, however, an example of how meritocracy really works. Jooris has shown the Flames that they can trust him to come into this lineup when the need arises.
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Why don't we let Setoguchi prove his worth in the AHL? Let him earn his way into the lineup. He certainly didn't do it during camp.
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There is nothing he can prove in Adirondack. The Flames signed him with the hope that he can provide a little offence for the NHL team. He has to be on the NHL team to do this. The simple truth is, his history in the NHL is what earned him an extended look. But the play of guys like Jooris also leaves his footing insecure. I'm not going to worry about whether or not Setoguchi should be in the lineup until around game 10. But he has to produce.
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I don't even have a problem with the team keeping Setoguchi over Jooris, and the reasons you've cited in support of that decision are fine by me. But then don't claim that roster spots are always earned and never given. That's the disconnect. The only thing Setoguchi did to earn his ongoing place with the team was to sign the one-way deal.
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No, the disconnect is that you are taking an extremely narrow view of what "earned" and "given" mean and coupled it with an arbitrary deadline. Setoguchi did enough, past and present, to earn a longer look. Jooris did enough to earn a place in the conversation when call-ups become necessary. Baertschi, IMO, has shown that he is much closer to being an NHL regular today than he was at the end of last season.
Looking at these three players, I expect that - good or bad - Setoguchi does not end the year in Calgary, Baertschi does, and Jooris gets at least a few games. All three of these events would be the result of merit. Training camp is only a small part of that process.