Flames Development Camp July 10th - 16th

[sureLoss]

Scott Cruickshank ‏@CruickshankCH 13s #Flames GM Jay Feaster was impressed by the under-the-radar likes of C Markus Granlund, RW Tim Harrison, LW Turner Elson.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

It would kind of surprise me if any of them got an NHL contract.

Penner wasn't very good outside of the 1st scrimage. I would let him go back and tryout for Everett.

Padakin didn't stick out to me at all.

Lewis was pretty physical but I don't think he deserves an NHL contract perhaps an AHL contract at most.


Anyways even if those 3 were up for consideration for a contract it would be better to wait to make a decision to sign them or not after the Pentiction tournament and the main camp.

But personally I think it would be a waste of one of the 50 contracts to give any of these guys a NHL contract at this point.

Sorry, I really did mean contracts for Abbotsford. I do not think they'd be getting NHL contracts but these are the kind of guys you try to develop in the AHL.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I think the only two that might be possibilities of the walk ons were Jooris and Van Brabrant. I don't expect either to be NHLers, but they but they could be serviceable AHLers like Eddy and Ben Street

I agree with you on Jooris, but I am not quite sure to make of Van Brabant.

He looked really good on a line with Monahan and Gaudreau. I am tempted to say that he was a product of being on their line but he looked good in drills too with different partners.

Looking at his stats last season he was 13th in points on his team, so I am not sure if what we saw at camp is a true representation of what his game is like. Maybe he is a late bloomer or misused in Quinnipac. He is definitely someone to keep tabs on next season

[_Q_]

I think Sven, Horak and Berra make the team right away. 2014/2015, however, will be the début of the Sean and Johnny show

[Fire]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

As for centers, I see Horak, Monahan and Knight all playing over 9 games. But one of Horak/Monahan will convert to RW. The Fan was suggesting Horak to be the most likely, as he's played wing up here a lot already. (plus we might want to keep the natural center playing his position if he's going to be a top guy for us in the future)

No chance the Flames move Monahan to RW, they want to develop him into a #1 center. Horak moving to the wing makes sense.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by _Q_

I think Sven, Horak and Berra make the team right away. 2014/2015, however, will be the début of the Sean and Johnny show

There's no way that Monohan doesn't at least get 9 games at the start of the regular season unless he shows up at camp weighing 260 lbs with cocaine dripping out of his nose.

[lanny9]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

There's no way that Monohan doesn't at least get 9 games at the start of the regular season unless he shows up at camp weighing 260 lbs with cocaine dripping out of his nose.

An old man Messier you mean?

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

There's no way that Monohan doesn't at least get 9 games at the start of the regular season unless he shows up at camp weighing 260 lbs with cocaine dripping out of his nose.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

There's no way that Monohan doesn't at least get 9 games at the start of the regular season unless he shows up at camp weighing 260 lbs with cocaine dripping out of his nose.

Possibly.

I just can't see him sticking on this team past those 9 games though. We might not have that #1 centre on this team, but we do have a decent amount of 2nd-4th line centres. Barring Monahan coming in and looking like the second coming of Crosby during his 9 game try out, I think it would be best for him to go back and dominate the OHL and World Juniors this upcoming season.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

almost as annoying as Seiloff.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Possibly.

I just can't see him sticking on this team past those 9 games though. We might not have that #1 centre on this team, but we do have a decent amount of 2nd-4th line centres. Barring Monahan coming in and looking like the second coming of Crosby during his 9 game try out, I think it would be best for him to go back and dominate the OHL and World Juniors this upcoming season.

I think Monahan will stick unless he looks completely lost out there. He has played 3 seasons in the OHL and the Flames have a huge need for centers. We have Backlund and Stajan. Guys like Knight, Horak, Reinhart will be competeing with Monahan but at the end of the day I think Monahan is as ready as a guy like Knight is. Blair Jones will not be making the team over a guy like Monahan either.

[_Q_]

The way I see things is next season, our centres are as follows:

1. Stajan
2. Backlund
3. Knight
4. Reinhart/Horak - I do think Horak will be converted into a 3rd line winger, though, so this spot is most likely Reinhart's

Monahan goes back to the minors for one more season and guys like Granlund can be used as emergency call-ups.

2014/2015, with Stajan's contract coming off the books, our centre depth looks like this:

1. Backlund
2. Monahan/Knight
3. Monahan/Knight
4. Reinhart

Beyond 2014/15, you hope that Jankowski can develop enough to play in the top 9, Monahan can become a top line centre and you can trade Backlund away for a very decent return.

This is all, however, best case scenario and getting way ahead of ourselves.

[Robbob]

No point wasting a year of Monahan's ELC. Give him the nine games and then send him down.

[Enoch Root]

Galiardi is likely in the mix for C this year as well

[Falclore]

Originally Posted by Robbob

No point wasting a year of Monahan's ELC. Give him the nine games and then send him down.

Agreed, save the ELC and let him play World Juniors and OHL Playoffs.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Robbob

No point wasting a year of Monahan's ELC. Give him the nine games and then send him down.

Why would it be a waste? Monahan was a late birthday for his draft year, he's only a month younger then Jankowski for comparison. He'll be 19 when the NHL season starts and I have no problem with him playing if he's ready. It would be more of a waste sending a guy own to lower competition if he's ready to play in the NHL.

[djsFlames]

Agreed, Monahan is here 9+ games, absolutely.

I know it sounds like stupid reasoning to some of you maybe.. But even if he comes in and looks alright, but not like a world-beater, and guys are there that could replace him (vets), I think they'll keep him anyways. Beyond the 9 game mark. And that's because they'll want to sell this new movement with the team to the public, by having future faces like Monahan on there right away. They'll want to put some new sources of excitement on the ice to draw fans and ratings, cause let's face it, ownership and management are at least intellectually honest enough to know that the team won't be very good, despite their "expectations", and will need to draw fans with something, cause winning may not be a frequent thing. Which is okay by me, cause he can be put on a depth role and won't be as exposed as the Edmonton kids were. Can't forget the business side of the organization. And in this case, I think it'll affect the hockey side of things, in that they might put a few guys in that might be slightly premature in doing so. But Monahan is physically in form to handle the rigors of the league I think, at least more so than other options. I get no sense from interviews etc, that they have any different plans for the kid. He'll be here unless he craps the bed entirely.

Not like there's much more he could do at the OHL level anyways. He began to dominate in that league at a young age, and looks as progressed as our prospects 2-3 years older than him, so there's not much concern in the decision from my end.

[Joker]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Agreed, Monahan is here 9+ games, absolutely.

I know it sounds like stupid reasoning to some of you maybe.. But even if he comes in and looks alright, but not like a world-beater, and guys are there that could replace him (vets), I think they'll keep him anyways. Beyond the 9 game mark. And that's because they'll want to sell this new movement with the team to the public, by having future faces like Monahan on there right away. They'll want to put some new sources of excitement on the ice to draw fans and ratings, cause let's face it, ownership and management are at least intellectually honest enough to know that the team won't be very good, despite their "expectations", and will need to draw fans with something, cause winning may not be a frequent thing. Which is okay by me, cause he can be put on a depth role and won't be as exposed as the Edmonton kids were. Can't forget the business side of the organization. And in this case, I think it'll affect the hockey side of things, in that they might put a few guys in that might be slightly premature in doing so. But Monahan is physically in form to handle the rigors of the league I think, at least more so than other options. I get no sense from interviews etc, that they have any different plans for the kid. He'll be here unless he craps the bed entirely.

Not like there's much more he could do at the OHL level anyways. He began to dominate in that league at a young age, and looks as progressed as our prospects 2-3 years older than him, so there's not much concern in the decision from my end.

My problem with this is the 'Nugent-Hopkins' issue. I believe the Oilers actually rushed him into the league and the results were injuries. I saw Monahan at the dev camp, and he still looks a little raw. I would give him the 9, then send him back. No use risking him getting hurt.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Joker

My problem with this is the 'Nugent-Hopkins' issue. I believe the Oilers actually rushed him into the league and the results were injuries. I saw Monahan at the dev camp, and he still looks a little raw. I would give him the 9, then send him back. No use risking him getting hurt.

Nugent-Hopkins just wasn't ready physically.

We'll find out if Monahan is in October but at 6'2 he's a big dude already.

[Joker]

Ya, bad comparisson, but he's still a kid, albeit a big kid. Thickness is the issue. Whats his weight?