Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
I have trouble with the expected evolution in the NHL camps (Flames not the only team dealing with this). You have NHLers go one night, then prospects the next with PTOs.
Does a guy need to dominate playing with scrubs or like skilled players in order to get to the NHL group? How do you do that when you're the road team that plays against NHLers but not with NHLers?
Seems like a pretty rough hurdle to me.
|
Yeah it doesn’t make sense to me.
People talk about how guys like Rooney, Sutter and McLain impressed…but those guys are playing against the B-Team’s 4th line in soft minutes on home ice.
The Seattle game is a good example to me. Seattle is playing probably 75% of their NHL roster that night.
The Flames forwards that night actually weren’t that bad but the defense they had playing with them had terrible nights IMO. Couldn’t move the puck, couldn’t keep the puck in the zone.
You’re asking these guys to stand out and be offensive creators but you’re putting them in no position to have that success.
Pelletier had a pretty poor camp IMO and is young enough that another year in the AHL is probably good for him (to start at least).
But no reason Phillips couldn’t have been kept here to keep batting it out with Milano and Eakins and get some more ice with our actual top 9 forwards for the next three pre-season games. He’s been the best of the bunch in camp IMO and has earned that with his AHL play.
Eakins and Milano have shown flashes so I’m okay with them being around for 3 more games too. I’ve thought Ruzicka looked lazy and unengaged at times in the games I saw him play, haven’t liked his camp.