Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
We trade 3 players and suddenly the organization is atrocious and drafting and development? I argue the complete opposite. I think that the Flames have graduated more than their fair share of players from their drafting/development program. Better than most teams, especially when you factor-in things like pick# and total number of picks.
The sudden 'problem' is the fact that quite a lot of futures went out in trades over the last few years. Are the posters complaining about a lack of prospects pushing through now the same ones that complained - or at least 'raised issues' - about so many futures being traded?
So let's be honest here. This isn't about the Flames suddenly being lousy at development. This is just built-up angst over Phillips not being on the team already.
I think a prospect has 3 'windows of opportunity' to make the NHL.
1) Training camp - Phillips fell on his face there and laid a big fat egg
2) Injury time - Flames have been relatively healthy
3) End of season when the team is either way out of a spot, or very comfortable in one that allows them to rest players
At training camp, I thought Phillips looked terrible outside of a couple of plays. IIRC, he was constantly underwater too from an analytics perspective, no? Zary looked like a guy who was ready. Pettersen I thought looked pretty good until his injury (and I had written him off). I was all-aboard the Phillips train, but he basically went out and showed everyone that he is NOT NHL-ready. So now he has to wait.
Plenty of posters were hoping for Ruzicka to be sent down and assumed that he would pass through waivers. Now he looks like one of the more important players on the team, and is really growing into his role. I don't think that Ruzicka necessarily made the team in training camp, but it would be a completely idiotic idea to simply look at who is the best performers without looking at asset management. If that was the case, Ruzicka would maybe have been Oilers' property now or some other team, and we would all be riled-up about how Treliving is the worst GM in history again.
Phillips had his shot and he blew it. Now he is doing what he needs to do, and that's showing this organization that he deserves another one, and that his name should be at the top of the list for call-ups. However, I disagree that the Flames make room for him. There is a LONG list of players who excelled at the AHL level and did nothing in the NHL, and judging by Phillips' camps thus far, he may be one of those. He simply has to wait for the next opportunity, and I am sure that it will eventually come. What he does with it is up to him, and I really hope that he does well with it and forces the team to give him a permanent spot. Time will tell what happens.
I, however, completely disagree with the notion that the Flames haven't been a strong organization in terms of promoting players into the NHL. Ruzicka is basically a rookie this year after cutting his teeth last year. Valimaki had LOADS of opportunity and failed. Mackey has looked very pedestrian. Ruzicka is turning into a star. What's the problem? We trade 3 drafted/developed players, and suddenly we forget? No, this is all about Phillips. The organization has zero issues when it comes to promoting players. It somehow has a huge issue with Phillips and Phillips alone, and thus far, I really have to put the blame and responsibility on Phillips and Phillips alone.
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