10-17-2014, 11:44 AM
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#105
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Calgary
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Hey look, an Eric Francis article everyone can get mad at:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/10/16...rved-in-minors
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Johnny Hockey is skating on thin ice.
And the only thing to prevent him from falling through the cracks is to send him down to the American Hockey League, where he can gain some footing.
It’s just not working with the big club just yet.
Oh, it will eventually.
Johnny Gaudreau is not just NHL material — he’s a future star.
We saw glimpses of his brilliance in the pre-season when he was amongst league-leaders in shots on goal, finding ways to spring his 160-lb. frame out of nowhere to create scoring opportunities with a shot or clever dish.
But that hasn’t happened since the regular season started and the intensity hit a new level — a level Gaudreau’s three years at Boston College hasn’t quite prepared him for.
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The coach clearly doesn’t have the confidence needed to play Gaudreau in such crucial moments, which is counter to the Flames insistence all along Gaudreau would only stay if he was playing a meaningful role and was progressing.
He and the organization are better served with him down on the farm where he will be afforded first-line minutes against full-grown men — something he clearly needs to get used to. Blessed with gifted mitts designed to set up and score goals, there’s no room on the roster for a man his size to play third- or fourth-line minutes.
Make no mistake, sending Gaudreau down is not a punishment of any sort nor should it be considered a setback. The Flames and Johnny G are in for the long haul, and what’s best for him is ice-time and a chance to take yet another step in a career that has seen him excel at every level, until now.
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Let him regain his confidence and scoring touch in the minors before bringing him back up.
Don’t let him become the next Sven Baertschi.
The Flames are working hard at “managing expectations,” and, by any measure, Gaudreau isn’t living up to them yet, no matter how low a bar they’ve set internally.
The biggest surprise of training camp, Josh Jooris, was rewarded with a callup to the Flames on Thursday thanks to injuries to Lance Bouma and David Jones.
When one of them comes back, it’s Gaudreau, not Jooris, who should be Adirondack-bound for a stint most in the front office knew might be necessary.
Let his play in the AHL decide how long he stays there.
Long term, it’s for the best.
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The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. Go Flames Go!
Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever.
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