[News] Chris Breen on waivers. Upd: Clears and assigned to Heat - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

PeteMoss · 01-01-2014, 02:29 PM

Smith was signed (or claimed off waivers) for nothing. He makes barely anything and can play the odd game. He's a perfect org guy but not a guy you'd want to play regularly if you want to be a good team. Flames has picked up a ton of these types of guys (Billins is the latest, but there's been others) and Smith has been the most successful.

Erick Estrada · 01-01-2014, 02:58 PM

Hartley just isn't a big fan of Breen's game to date. I can't fault him because he see's Breen in practice every day but I would have liked to see him in the lineup instead of Smith who IMO should never suit up for the Flames again.

GreenLantern2814 · 01-01-2014, 03:03 PM

Breen isn't ready. but he made some nice plays in his own zone, uses his stick well, and he's physical. The Smyth goal was a bad read by him, but it hit Smyth in the chest and took a lucky hop.

Theres a useful player in breen. It needs playing time though

AcGold · 01-01-2014, 03:05 PM

Is it that hard to teach someone to skate and be in position? A dude that big you'd think would be worth spending time trying to improve, he must really suck to completely give up on.

cal_guy · 01-01-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Hartley just isn't a big fan of Breen's game to date. I can't fault him because he see's Breen in practice every day but I would have liked to see him in the lineup instead of Smith who IMO should never suit up for the Flames again.

Breen has been a disaster in every game that he was in. At the very least Smith plays a serviceable game for the limited minutes that he plays.

Coach · 01-01-2014, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AcGold

Is it that hard to teach someone to skate and be in position? A dude that big you'd think would be worth spending time trying to improve, he must really suck to completely give up on.

I'm not sure that sending him down counts as completely giving up on him. He's not an NHL player right now. Maybe he can become one but he's got work to do.

TheDebaser · 01-01-2014, 03:43 PM

Just because someone isn't exactly good doesn't mean that literally any other option would be better.

AcGold · 01-01-2014, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattyC

I'm not sure that sending him down counts as completely giving up on him. He's not an NHL player right now. Maybe he can become one but he's got work to do.

putting him on waivers pretty much is. I guess I just don't see how playing Smith over Breen on a losing team does us any good. Shouldn't turning low value players into higher value players something we should be doing?

Enoch Root · 01-01-2014, 04:14 PM

Breen needs to play and he needs to continue to develop. That is only going to happen with the Heat. If he gets claimed, he gets claimed, but they can't keep wasting that roster spot, and it isn't helping Breen either.

So this needed to be done

moon · 01-01-2014, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AcGold

putting him on waivers pretty much is. I guess I just don't see how playing Smith over Breen on a losing team does us any good. Shouldn't turning low value players into higher value players something we should be doing?

Wideman will be playing on Friday so Smith will be eating popcorn in the press box not playing over Breen.

Breen has already shown he can't play in the NHL do not sure what keeping on sending him out there is going to do other than give other teams great chances.

Tinordi · 01-01-2014, 05:07 PM

Breen will not be claimed. Not worth the waiver fees.

puckluck2 · 01-01-2014, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Breen isn't ready. but he made some nice plays in his own zone, uses his stick well, and he's physical. The Smyth goal was a bad read by him, but it hit Smyth in the chest and took a lucky hop.

Theres a useful player in breen. It needs playing time though

Wow I don't think this could possibly be more wrong. Physical? Paul Byron is more physical than Breen.

Calgary4LIfe · 01-01-2014, 07:32 PM

Well, Flames can't keep looking at Breen as 'down the road' for much longer. He needs to play. If he passes, great. He is a very steady presence out there on the Heat, and he plays tough. Definitely an asset for them down there.

At this point, you just have to risk it. He has not been good. Maybe he needs more playing time to just 'settle-in' and get his nevers/rust out of the game before you can really judge him fairly, or maybe his game just doesn't translate to the NHL. Regardless on which side of the fence you sit on, you can't just keep benching him. You have to risk losing him.

If the Flames think there was a reasonable chance of him getting picked off of waivers, they would probably have made a trade with whatever team is interested for a small price. Most waiver-fodder players (outside of the initial mass exodus at the start of every season) are guys that teams feel are either no risk at passing, or they want that player to get claimed. Teams usually have a pretty good read on those chances.

Hopefully he does clear, as he does add to the Heat. Maybe if he clears, plays a lot of games on the Heat, and comes up again for another sniff this season, some of the rust and nerves are worked out.

automaton 3 · 01-01-2014, 07:39 PM

Breen is clearly not ready for the NHL. I'm a bit surprised they kept him up this long.

Hopefully he can help out the Heat if he passes through waivers.

Alberta_Beef · 01-01-2014, 08:12 PM

People are jumping the gun here.

Just because Breen has been waived does not mean he will be demoted. Being waived and being demoted are two complete separate transactions.

I have a gut feeling Breen will be traded if he clears waivers as being able to send him down will increase his value to a team wanting to acquire him (like we did with MacDermid and Hawks did with Karlsson last year)

puckluck2 · 01-01-2014, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

People are jumping the gun here.

Just because Breen has been waived does not mean he will be demoted. Being waived and being demoted are two complete separate transactions.

I have a gut feeling Breen will be traded if he clears waivers as being able to send him down will increase his value to a team wanting to acquire him (like we did with MacDermid and Hawks did with Karlsson last year)

Breen traded? Who on earth would give up an asset for Chris Breen? The kid is awful and always has been. No team will trade for him.

Poe969 · 01-01-2014, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Breen traded? Who on earth would give up an asset for Chris Breen? The kid is awful and always has breen. No team will trade for him.

Sorry, had to

getbak · 01-01-2014, 09:13 PM

He has been the worst d-man on one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. Does anyone honestly think any team will even think about claiming him?

Freeway · 01-01-2014, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbak

He has been the worst d-man on one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. Does anyone honestly think any team will even think about claiming him?

Can't teach size.

GreenLantern2814 · 01-01-2014, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbak

He has been the worst d-man on one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. Does anyone honestly think any team will even think about claiming him?

He's played 5 games over two and a half months. He needs playing time.