Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
This is what a deep team looks like - NHL ready prospects (at least arguably so) being pushed down to the farm.
Just to illustrate for depth, not necessarily line combos:
Gaudreau - Monahan - Neal
Tkachuk - Backlund - Lindholm
Bennett - Jankowski - Frolik
Frolik - Ryan - Lazar
Brouwer
Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone
Andersson
Where does a prospect displace a vet? I think the Flames use Brouwer and Lazar interchangeably - wave Lazar, and he gets picked up. I think he is useful - great speed and physicality, good defensive ability and I am curious to see how Peters utilizes him, and if we see an uptick in his offence. I think he gets claimed, but I would rather see how he looks in a better system. He had spurts where he looked very effective last season.
Brouwer - I would rather him be the 13th forward than a prospect. Flames will play him, and though he is overpriced, I thought defensively he was strong. You don't lose games with Brouwer in the lineup - he just doesn't push the needle far enough given his salary. Curious to see how Peters fits him in.
Forwards that I think could make the squad:
Foo - Looked like a completely different player than the one that showed up at training camp. Assertive out on the ice, physical, but you could see he was a bit nervous at handling the puck. I thought he impressed in his call-up.
Mangiapane - It is hard to tell how offensive you are when you are playing with Brouwer and Stajan, but he showed flashes. I really had my doubts about him, but I see him now as a can't miss NHL'er.
Dube - I still think the easy choice is to get him some seasoning. It won't hurt his development at all, and it isn't like he is going to be a driving force in his rookie year. Let him earn a call-up with strong play in the AHL.
Quine, Robinson and especially Ehliz I am not familiar with enough to have an opinion, but all three seem like solid depth.
Klimchuk could be in the mix. We will have to see. I think this is the cut-off point for me. I don't see an NHL player in Shinkaruk, and the rest are too young.
On defence, I think you will see a bigger fight.
Prout makes sense as a 7th defencemen. Again, you don't want a prospect or a young developing player sitting for long periods of time.
Top 4 are probably set in stone - that leaves the bottom pairing. Kulak and Stone obviously have the inside track, but Andersson is pushing, and I bet that Kylington impresses again. Hogstrom is another guy that is pushing. I think Valimaki will really have to make a tremendous push - his contract will slide in the AHL IIRC, so it isn't like the Flames are in dire need of Valimaki making the push this year. There is a lot of depth on the left side.
I think when you are rebuilding, there is one rule:
If a young guy equals a vet on the team, the vet gets displaced.
However, when you are trying to compete, depth is so important. You want to maintain as much depth as possible. A young player has to make a bigger push to force his team to make room. In a long playoff run, it is nice having depth. Playoffs are often a war of attrition.
With that said, I think Trelving makes a move in the forward core. I don't think he makes a move on defence, as he has made reference to adding further depth. WHo knows.
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