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Old 01-20-2019, 10:33 PM   #7563
Calgary4LIfe
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The only weakness on this team - if everyone is healthy - is that rotation with Czarnik and Magiapane. That's an area for an upgrade.


Other than that, it is just depth. This team needs a bit more depth, that's all. You don't want to mess up the chemistry. However, if the right offer comes along that makes sense, you bet that Treliving will jump at the chance to upgrade the team. I would just bet that he won't sell the farm on a rental.


Hopefully that depth comes with a bit of size and snarl - Flames could potentially use it against some of the bigger and nastier teams out there if they were to run into them in the playoffs.



I don't think Lazar is going anywhere. I am actually quite interested to see how he does when he returns to the lineup at some point. He has a tonne of speed, grit and defensive acumen to help this team from a depth role, and if he has developed his offensive game a bit this season, he can be more than just a depth player.


I really like the depth that the Flames have built on forwards with Lazar, Mangiapane, Czarnik, Rychel, Quine, Robinson, Foo - and of course Dube. They still have Lomberg and Peluso in case a series starts getting nasty and a message has to be sent. These are all guys with some NHL experience at least who could potentially come in and fill a spot in case of injury without hurting the team. That's important.


Defence is where this team is a bit suspect organizationally. I suspect that is where the focus will be on heading towards the trade deadline. Maybe goaltending if a cheap backup becomes available, but even then I doubt it. For as poorly as Smith has been doing, I would have loved Smith during the Kipper era. Flames couldn't find a reliable backup to save their lives, and suffered because of it (IMO) with losing a divisional title or two and having to face a tougher opponent from the get-go. Smith has been winning games for the Flames - maybe some argue in spite of Smith, but I have noticed him making big saves at key times to keep the Flames in it, even if he did let a softie in previously. He is also rumoured to be great in the room.


Still hope the Flames get Stone or Schenn, however. One can dream. Maroon will be cheap, and fills the grit/depth angle, and it shouldn't be difficult finding a depth defencemen somewhere for the left side. I think Treliving just makes two relatively minor moves this trade deadline, barring any significant injury (knock on wood).
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