Why doesn't the Flames play all preseason games with split squads?

[MarkGio]

There's been a lot of discussion about how the Flames had a poor training camp and were not prepared to start the season, but how come some games had so many scratches when they could've simply played more split squads? When guys get sent down, it's not there's a full AHL squad set up right away when there's still many AHLers in camp playing for a spot.

Why not make one full set of cuts at the end of the preseason and have most, if not all players in every preseason game? I understand other teams would need to cooperate, but what are the downsides? Is there something in the CBA against it?

[BACKCHECK!!!]

The Flames were putzing around right to the final game of the season, with lines like Higgins - Backlund - Korpikoski.

And then after getting a solid look, they picked Grossman over Jokipakka.

No amount of split squad games is going to fix that kind of foolishness.

[PepsiFree]

I'm not sure how this solves the "poorly prepared" issue. You don't build chemistry any faster by mixing lines between two teams than you do just slowly moving people down.

Two of the least prepared guys played no games, but adding games wouldn't have helped that.

I just don't see any reason why it'd be helpful.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Split squad games are typically early before roster cuts are made.

Once cuts are made, there would not be enough players.

And cuts should be made because a lot of guys are there for a look, not serious candidates to make the NHL that year.

[PepsiFree]

According to the CBA the maximum number of games is 9, if 8 games were split squad, the most any ONE player could possibly play is 5.

So, there's that, too.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

The Flames were putzing around right to the final game of the season, with lines like Higgins - Backlund - Korpikoski.

And then after getting a solid look, they picked Grossman over Jokipakka.

No amount of split squad games is going to fix that kind of foolishness.

Right, but they could rock a Higgins - Vey - Korpikoski line on the other squad, which allows them to get a good look at their PTOs and keep Bouma - Backline - Frolik together and gain some chemistry in the preseason

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Split squad games are typically early before roster cuts are made.

Once cuts are made, there would not be enough players.

And cuts should be made because a lot of guys are there for a look, not serious candidates to make the NHL that year.

Right but why make cuts so soon? To me it makes sense to get a bigger sample size and a better look at a given player in preseason games when determining not only how far a player is away from being in the NHL, but what they need to do to get there. Some guys only played like one game, got cut, and were told what to do during the season to get better. But what does one game tell you?

[MarkGio]

I remember a few years back the Flames kept Kanzig around very late in the preseason but eventually cut him. Feaster said it was to scout him since he's so raw in order to evaluate him properly and give him his list of things to improve upon.

Thinking about it, why did they draft him in the 3rd if they didn't have a good look on him? Any who, so if the team's use the preseason for scouting it would make sense for team's to split all 8 games and have a full NHL line-up on one team to gain chemistry and juggle the lines to find what works (ie, Giordano - Wiseman) rather than messing around with experiments like that in the season opener, but also use the other squad to get good looks at all the players pushing for a spot this year or for call-ups or whatever

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Any who, so if the team's use the preseason for scouting it would make sense for team's to split all 8 games and have a full NHL line-up on one team to gain chemistry and juggle the lines to find what works (ie, Giordano - Wiseman)

Every team is required to dress a certain number of NHL veterans in each preseason game; I believe the number is 10. If you put all the NHLers on one team, and all the prospects on the other, you would have…

Wait for it…

An NHL training camp and an AHL training camp.

Which is exactly what they have now, after the early cuts are made.

*mic drop*

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I was going to say "that's what development camp, rookie camp, and the Young Stars tournament is for."