Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
It will be up to the current staff of course, but I had the sense that the intention was to groom Gillies to be a future #1 goalie and Rittich's future is likely that of a back-up. I imagine that both will see NHL games next season, but if the theory holds true, I expect that for development purposes, Gillies might be better off to be the #1 in the AHL so he can play a lot.
Not that a #1 goalie can't be groomed as a back-up first, but until injury hits, I expect that they will ride with Smith for as much as possible. The pessimist in me totally expects that Smith will go down at some point and Gillies will get the call and be given a chance to be the starting goalie ahead of Rittich.
Obviously it's just guessing and anything can happen. But as much as they imply that everyone is on even ground, the development aspect has to be considered.
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Given their age, their level of experience, and their performance in both the AHL and the NHL I just don’t see much difference between Gillies and Rittich. I can see the point that the Flames have a lot more invested in Gillies to date, but I have to think that this is altogether secondary right now—especially if both goalies continue to look very similar in their continuing development.
I still believe that the best course of action for the Flames is to manage Smith’s starts through the first half. Treliving was on the radio this AM and basically asserted as much. I think the backup—whether Gillies or Rittich—will get a few more starts before January, and this will ultimately be the best thing for everyone involved.
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