Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
things i'd love to have heard about:
- what is the plan short/long term regarding what position bennet will play?
- do they intend to give any guys in the AHL a look this year up in the big leagues?
- any comment on why the AHL team has struggled to the degree they have this season?
|
Good questions. I don't believe either of the first two were addressed.
On the third, the Flames' view is the AHL is purely a league to develop their younger players for future NHL success. They will not be a team who loads up on 30-year-olds to try and win the Calder Cup, they are all development. That said, winning - the attitude and habits it ingrains, and lessons it teaches - is important to the Flames. Winning matters. Mentioned you can't tell kids it's okay to lose one year (for draft position for example) then turn around the following year and tell them it's unacceptable. They also mentioned the big thing with the current group is lack of physical development, which is why they see the move to the Pacific as a good thing because it gives them less game time but more gym and practice time.
They also touched on the move. Probably everything you would expect. Being closer is good but it's still not ideal. The Leafs, Kings, Ducks, Sharks can all phone a player and he can drive himself to the rink within an hour or two - that's ideal.