[mile]

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/01/24...next-young-gun

“He’s got an NHL shot today. He has a tremendous shot, a tremendous release,” said Flames GM Brad Treliving. “And he can skate at the NHL level. The funny thing with Emile, if you watch him skate, it’s not an oil painting. Maybe ‘unorthodox’ is the right word. But he wins races. He gets to places fast. He beats people with his feet. He’s explosive. He’s got an explosive stride.

“Those are great assets for him.”

So what’s the hold-up?

Perhaps a better question is, what’s the rush?

“He’s learning the game away from the puck. He’s learning to become more responsible in his own end. He’s learning the defensive details. Those things have taken, I think, a big step forward since the start of the year,” Treliving said. “I really like his offensive instincts. He knows where to go on the offensive side. He plays with pace, and there’s some edge to him. He’s a determined player and he’s not shy about going into contested areas. He’ll go to places that are uncomfortable to score, and he has some bite to him.

“We don’t want to mute any of his offence, but it’s incorporating that defensive conscience and learning to make sure he’s conscious on both sides of the puck. That takes time. That’s just maturation. That’s just playing what I call a ‘pro game’ and graduating your game to a pro game.

“It’s nothing alarming. To me, that’s just part of the development process.”

It’s no secret to the Montreal-raised speedster that shoring up his defensive play is the top item on the to-do list.

Asked what he’s most proud of so far in his first season in the pro ranks, Poirier pinpointed his status as a plus-player. He owns a plus-nine rating, the top mark among forwards in Adirondack.

“I want to work to be a complete player, not just offensively,” Poirier said. “That’s an area I’m proud about, for sure. I just want to do my job in both ends.”

“Pro hockey, I like it. It’s a good life,” Poirier said. “This is a great league. We have great guys here, great coaching staff, and I think it’s been good so far for me.

“I enjoy every moment here and I’m learning a lot, so it’s very good for me.”

One day, and probably not too far down the road, the Flames expect Poirier will be very good for them.

“We’re not necessarily focused on a date that he is going to be in Calgary,” Treliving cautioned. “We think he’s going to be a really good player for a long time, but he’s a developing player.

“We just want to continue to round out his game, continue to do what he’s doing there, and his time will come.”

Love this guy's attitude and drive.