Quote:
Originally Posted by FanIn80
"A game three years ago." Didn't get a regular spot until the middle of last season.
Also, let's not forget about the plethora of roster spots created by the mass exodus of all our talented players wanting out. Johnny, Chucky, Hanifin, Lindholm, Tanev. Even our beloved captain was done with this team until we offered him the C.
I would have thought all those open spots would lead to a whole bunch of rookies in the lineup, but we still sent them all back down and filled those spots with Rooney and the gang of free agent 4th liners.
Yeah Zary and Pospisil eventually got called back up and stuck with the team, but that was because of injuries. It's not like we actively decided to play rookies. We signed aging 4th liners, and then called up rookies when they got hurt (we had no cap space to sign more vets).
Every single roster decision that resulted in us getting younger and/or better has been forced upon us against our will. Conroy's done an admirable job getting what he can in return, but with an owner mandate of "two home playoff games a season" there's only so much he can do.
|
I see where you're coming from, and injuries are a part of the NHL. So, I think it's a smart decision on the management's part to have players in the AHL that they plan to give games to, but not a whole season. "Always earned, never given" has been the moto of this organization. Were you upset by Honzek and Klapka having a great camp and starting the year with the NHL club over Coronato and Pelletier? Were Coronato's 2 AHL games this season such a detriment, or the motivation he needed to take another step? Or are you upset over losing Schwindt to VGK on waivers instead of Rooney?
I thought the Flames did a great job at developing Zary, Coronato, Wolf, and Pospisil. All of them were given bigger and bigger roles as they grew as players. I even thought the Flames did well at managing the Pelletier and Zary injury set backs. The biggest misses with player development in my recent memory were with Bennett, Valimaki, and maybe Lomberg and Kulak.
I'm excited about the prospects, and Parekh in particular as much as the next guy, but I don't mind being patient either. Playing prospects too early is a double edged sword. What if he's not physically ready yet, at 19, and he takes a hit that results in a significant injury? What if his confidence gets derailed like what happened with Baertschi?
Also which aging 4th liners do you have a problem with? Lomberg was a good add for a rebuild. Mantha a savvy top 9, deadline flip candidate, claiming Greer of waivers was solid work. Hunt getting called up after Kirkland, Duehr, Pelletier, and Klapka as the 4th line options got slimmer and slimmer?