Flames Development Camp July 10th - 16th

[TheGrimm]

Originally Posted by New Era

Nice move of the goal posts. Could Ramo or Berra be the answer? Possibly. Do you think anyone knew Boborovsky was going to become a star goaltender like that? How about Lundqvist? You just never know until you see these guys play. I suspect that Ramo will be a very different player than he was in Tampa. He could turn out to be pretty good if the Flames play some defense in front of him. I think that is the point that matters the most, and not what round the goaltender was drafted in, or whether you want to call him a franchise goaltender or not. If the team plays well in front of the goaltender you can make anyone look good. Even a shlub like Crawford!

The post-Vernon comment made me lol. Mentioned Anderson was a Flames pick. I guess you missed that. I guess you also missed this guy named Kirpusoff that just played for us for the past eight years. Like all teams the Flames had their share of missed opportunities between the pipes and opportunities to pick up guys that could have been good. The thing with goaltenders is they are hit-and-miss regardless of when you draft them and the fit with the team appears to be as important a factor as anything.

Well, that is one aspect I will find interesting this year... It doesn't matter if we have Brodeur/Roy in their primes this year... Our goalies are going to get lit up. There will be some folks on this board screaming for goalie heads on platters. I plan on tempering expectations a lot for this year at least.

That said, I have a friend who plays in the KHL who has told me on more than one occasion that Ramo is the real deal, so I fully expect him to come in here and look like at least a 1a/1b goalie and will be disappointed if I don't see this.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I love the Flames, but I'm not sure I can stomach watching

I can, there are going to be frustrating moments but no more then the last 3 years. With this atleast we'll know it's young kids playing and trying to improve.. not losing because it's vets taking a holiday.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I agree. Fans have to realize that we are now in Oilers fan territory in that the draft is our biggest highlight of the year. Next season is going to be extremely difficult especially as the season gets deep and the team is in the basement and losing is the norm. I hope that fans can stomach this as it will likely be pretty ugly in the immediate future. You just have to grin and bear it and realize that better days are ahead.

As long as the players are working hard, I will watch. Themost excrutiating thing about the last few years was watching talented teams crap the bed because no one had the drive to push themselves beyond what was comfortable. That attitude instantly changed with the call-up of Baertschi. You could see how hard just having a young, talented kid there pushed the vets to actually try a bit, not to be outdone by the 19 year-old junior player. I hope to see this trend continue as vets feel their jobs threatened by younger players. And hopefully, those younger players can force them out regardless.

Although, the fact that the only thing that seems to drive the vets is the possible loss of their jobs is a core problem as well. You would hope winning would be top of the list.

[gargamel]

I think fans will be excited about getting to see the young guys for the first half of the season, but it's hard to maintain much enthusiasm once you're out of it and wins are against the team's best long-term interests. I'd love to see us trade our first round pick in 2014 with Florida for their first round pick so that we could at least really put our hearts into cheering for wins.

[Savvy27]

Management should be able to keep things fresh by giving different guys opportunities at different times. It's certainly going to be a long season, but I am hoping that most of their prospects get looks and when guys starting taking shifts/games off, they are put in the press box or sent down for a bit to keep them hungry.

Do that enough times (within reason, of course) and eventually the majority of the team will be composed of guys who bring it every night because that is what they have to do to stay in an NHL line up (basically the opposite of the last few seasons).

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Zevo

Harrison could be that late round gem every team hopes to find. Love his character and attitude and at 6' 3" with an obvious edge to his game, could be one of those intangibles that good teams need. From the herald.

I like this kid already. Poor man's Clutterbuck! I'll take it!

[Roof-Daddy]

Loved Harrison's game at the camp. At 18, he's already got NHL size, and decent skating too.....he may end up being a candidate to forgo the entire college experience, and turn pro early.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I can, there are going to be frustrating moments but no more then the last 3 years. With this atleast we'll know it's young kids playing and trying to improve.. not losing because it's vets taking a holiday.

Watching the young players at the end of last year was the most exciting Flames hockey in years.

[Prufrock]

Kenny Agostino in the hot seat.

After watching this and seeing his solid play over camp, I'm rooting for the guy. I think he's hilarious in this interview, too funny. The part about the chemical engineering program at Yale was great.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by blankall

Watching the young players at the end of last year was the most exciting Flames hockey in years.

Maybe but you wouldn't know by the crowds in the Dome to end the season. Pretty grim and eerily similar to pre Darryl Sutter Saddledome crowds. I don't think things will ever get as bad as the crowds of some of the Young Guns years as the city is bigger and a better foundation of fans but there will be empty seats.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe but you wouldn't know by the crowds in the Dome to end the season. Pretty grim and eerily similar to pre Darryl Sutter Saddledome crowds. I don't think things will ever get as bad as the crowds of some of the Young Guns years as the city is bigger and a better foundation of fans but there will be empty seats.

Last season was brutal though. Watching the Flames era die a long overdue death. That is not to mention a lockout still fresh in many fans minds.

Now the Flames have fully admitted this is a rebuild. The direction is to go young and continue to play the uptempo style. Being able to sell a team on the rise instead of a team on the decline will keep the dome packed. Hopefully the team plays hard all the time.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Good point FDW, and also on Harrison, I think it is about time the Flames had a player like that.

I can't wait for the first shift of Harrison and Cundari vs. Burrows and Kesler.

I think we know what Burrows and Kesler will do....

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe but you wouldn't know by the crowds in the Dome to end the season. Pretty grim and eerily similar to pre Darryl Sutter Saddledome crowds. I don't think things will ever get as bad as the crowds of some of the Young Guns years as the city is bigger and a better foundation of fans but there will be empty seats.

I suspect that will be different when the fans know there is a commitment to the youth movement and they understand the product they will be seeing on the ice. There are more than enough hockey fans that will enjoy seeing the young guys go out and try their best, learn from their mistakes, and get better every game. The Flames are making a commitment and I believe the fans will as well.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by New Era

I suspect that will be different when the fans know there is a commitment to the youth movement and they understand the product they will be seeing on the ice. There are more than enough hockey fans that will enjoy seeing the young guys go out and try their best, learn from their mistakes, and get better every game. The Flames are making a commitment and I believe the fans will as well.

Maybe but I remember sitting in a 1/3 empty building to see Iginla, Stillman, Savard, Morris, Regehr on the same team go out and try their best. Those guys were all good players that went on to fantastic careers and there wasn't an appetite then to see them go out there and try their best when the team stunk. Like I said I don't think it will ever get that bad again but attendance will drop.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe but I remember sitting in a 1/3 empty building to see Iginla, Stillman, Savard, Morris, Regehr on the same team go out and try their best. Those guys were all good players that went on to fantastic careers and there wasn't an appetite then to see them when the team stunk. Like I said I don't think it will ever get that bad again but attendance will drop.

I'd imagine some games might see less fans in the seats, maybe towards the end of the season, against the crappier teams.. but the official attendance won't drop and we'll continue to see sell outs.

You won't ever see the apathy towards the team that existed in the late 90's though. It's a totally different situation with the league and team.

[Caged Great]

I'm going to be writing a more in depth breakdown of each of

Knight, Horak, Monahan, Klimchuk, Gaudreau, Hanowski, Culkin, Roy, Van Brabrant, Harrison, Berra, Gillies, Ramage, Sieloff, Wotherspoon, Poirier, Reinhart, Granlund, Kulak, Elson, Kanzig, Jankowski, Arnold, Agostino, Brossoit, and Ortio

Over the next week or so. They will all follow the same format.

The first one on the block is Sven Baertschi.

Next up will be Johnny Hockey.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I'd imagine some games might see less fans in the seats, maybe towards the end of the season, against the crappier teams.. but the official attendance won't drop and we'll continue to see sell outs.

You won't ever see the apathy towards the team that existed in the late 90's though. It's a totally different situation with the league and team.

I dunno. I think the idea of the plucky young team that's fun to watch lose is a bit of a fairy tale. No team looks like it is giving a great effort while getting stomped most nights.

If the team is not a little competitive it'll suck, and the dome will go from a library to a morgue. If the flames start "building something special' for 3 years the seats will be empty. As they should be IMO.

I don't think that will happen though. What's different compared to the 90s is the team has resources to not suck, and can do something about it.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

I don't think that will happen though. What's different compared to the 90s is the team has resources to not suck, and can do something about it.

The whole dynamic of the NHL and each "small market Canadian" club has changed quite a bit since the 2004-2005 NHL lockout thus the dynamic of the fans and the Flames have since then too. I can't describe it well but there was a hopelessness, not even due to the on ice product, as to why people didn't show up.

This is so far off topic though, I'd rather keep this about the prospects. So many other threads we can put this in.

[Caged Great]

John Gaudreau is now up. I'll go with Sean Monahan next.

The first 6 or so should be mostly overly positive, but that's mainly because they all look like they are going to be really solid NHLers. When I get to players a little further down the list, I'll be pointing out their flaws just as much as their strengths.

[Stampede2TheCup]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

I dunno. I think the idea of the plucky young team that's fun to watch lose is a bit of a fairy tale. No team looks like it is giving a great effort while getting stomped most nights.

If the team is not a little competitive it'll suck, and the dome will go from a library to a morgue. If the flames start "building something special' for 3 years the seats will be empty. As they should be IMO.

I don't think that will happen though. What's different compared to the 90s is the team has resources to not suck, and can do something about it.

A young team that's fun to watch lose isn't guaranteed or anything but it's far from a fairy tale. Getting stomped most nights is an exaggeration for describing even the worst teams. With the parity the way it is in the NHL right now, the very bottom of the league either wins or goes to OT/SO almost half the time, and then there will will be some number of exciting and/or close games in their loss column. Yes if a team isn't a bit competitive it would suck, but even the sucky teams are somewhat competitive. Even the lowly Oilers were among the top in the west for a couple months before plummeting right to the bottom the season before last.

While a bunch of losses can be hard to watch even if fans know it's in the context of a rebuild, a very hard-working and physical style of game, getting excited for young players, as well as just how many new faces are on the roster can definitely make it much more bearable. As was pointed out, the end of last year with all the young guys up was pretty entertaining. This coming season there's going to be a whole bunch of guys busting their butts to earn their spots and if anybody slacks off there will be a bunch more in the AHL just waiting to bust their butts in the NHL.

The bit about seats being empty if the rebuild falters like the Oilers for three years is also an exaggeration.