Season Kick-off pressers Sept 30. Burke @ 11:45 AM. Feaster @ 1 PM

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

The mandate for the coaching staff is that the Flames want their young players to play. If someone in Abby is playing to a level where they can contribute on the big club, room will be made for them. (named Jooris, Horak and Knight as examples of players coming up)

Thats all and well to say to the fans and players, but the reality is that making a trade to send out a veteran without recieving a contract back before December is not that easy.

Feaster has said these same comments since he was first put in as GM.

[sureLoss]

Feaster announces that Domenic Pittis has been hired as "Skills Coach" to work with guys on individual skills and rehab and recovery on ice for injured players.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Dienasty

Yeah because offending Matt Stajan/Stempniak/Hudler is what is important here.

Sven was given PP time in game one last season, he rang one off the post, and set up two other chances. The rest of that game him and Backlund anchored by far the best line on the Flames.

Game 2 he is on the 3rd line, then playing with Jackman/Begin.

Not sure how that helped his development.

He is by far the most talented player on the roster and needs an oppurtunity to show his skills. He had 3 goals in 5 games in his first cup of coffee, and ended last season with a 7 game point streak.

I prefer the Edmonton treatment of Hall/Eberle/Yakupov/Nuge/Schultz let them make mistakes, and learn from it, to this treatment which reminds me of St. Louis/Kobasew/Boyd/Savard and Backlund to certain extent, don't mess up or you get relegated to the 3rd/4th line.

Not saying it is the same thing, I am just saying that the Flames have a track record of not developing talent that is sitting right in front of them because they try and structure all the creativity out of their game

The thought that the Flames are trying to get Sven to "lose" creativity is rediculous. It's pretty simple message they appear to be sending.

Sven, try your best all the time, in each end of the ice, and you'll get the ice time you want to be creative.

End of story.

I'd be shocked if the kid needs to do anything more. I haven't heard one Flames executive or coach complain about "Sven's production", which means they aren't worried about how many points he's putting up, but that's what Sven focuses on when he gives his interviews, how he has or hasn't been able to produce given the line mates or opportunities he's been give. It's clear as day just sitting outside the situation listenting to the types of things coaches and management are saying to him................TRY HARD ALL THE TIME!

[ah123]

Originally Posted by nemanja2306

However, these comments on Sven, did they have to be public? Couldn't they have talked to him privately? Not a fan of this move by Burke.

IMO, the comments serve two purposes; motivate Sven and bring down fan expectations of Baertschi.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by EYE_Overstand

totally different level of prospects/ situations you are comparing

Not that I necessarily agree with the posters stance on how EDM has treated their young guys coming in. I think they should have been delayed (especially RNH, just too frail for the NHL and it shows so far. If they had given him a year or two to get his body in the shape it needed to be into). But I would compare a guy like Eberle and Sven to be similar. Both highly skilled wingers. Both dominant in Junior. Both drafted in similar positions. one would reasonably expect they should be a long a similar development curve.

I also think there is very little that is special about Schultz. He can quarterback a powerplay and that appears to be about it. His defensive zone is hilariously bad and I certainly don't put him above a guy like Brodie (who has forced his way into the top defensive unit on this team, not had it handed to him straight out of Junior/College).

[868904]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Maybe he is not a great player. Maybe he is just a good offensive player who puts up a lot of points. Is that such a terrible thing? I think people need to stop looking at the guy as a franchise saviour, but as just one good piece of the puzzle.

I think Sven is at a critical stage in his development right now.

Flames can either give him some tough love and teach him how to be responsible and compete in all 3 zones and he may develop into a Marian Hossa type player.

Or they can let him do whatever he wants and he can develop into a Christian Huselius type of player.

I know which type of player I want him to develop into.

[browna]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Feaster announces that Domenic Pittis has been hired as "Skills Coach" to work with guys on individual skills and rehab and recovery on ice for injured players.

16 points in 85 NHL games. An ex-Oiler.
Played in Switzerland last 9 years.
Like other offseason pickups, easy sell job, as from Calgary.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Dienasty

I prefer the Edmonton treatment of Hall/Eberle/Yakupov/Nuge/Schultz let them make mistakes, and learn from it, to this treatment which reminds me of St. Louis/Kobasew/Boyd/Savard and Backlund to certain extent, don't mess up or you get relegated to the 3rd/4th line.

Did you see the young guns years? Savard, Stillman, Iginla, Bure, etc all were allowed to make mistakes and the problem is that they just kept making mistakes and coaches kept getting fired until Darrly Sutter came in and gave Iginla some tough love and brought in a lunch bucket team attitude. The Edmonton treatment hasn't yielded anything except top 10 draft picks one after another. That's not team building, that's bad management.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by ClubFlames

Pat Steinberg ‏@Fan960Steinberg 5m Burke answers "I'm not sure" when asked what the #Flames have in Sven Baertschi. Says he needs to compete in all 3 zones.

He has to compete as hard as Kessel did in Boston when Burke traded 2 firsts adn a 2nd and then signed Kessel to a 5 year 27M deal as a 21 year old???

Kessel had 6.... count them 6 hits in 70 games his last year as a Bruin.


Not that Kessel isn't a great talent he sure as heck does not compete in all 3 zones.

[Goodlad]

I think it will be very telling to see how Sven reacts to these comments. I'm glad to see he'll get a chance to start the season in the NHL. I don't think it would have been fair to make those comments and then immediately send him to the AHL. The ball is clearly in Baertschi's corner now, and it's entirely up to him to respond on the ice.

[CaptainCrunch]

This speech to Sven through the media was equivalent to "Now its time to put away your foolish toys and become an adult NHL hockey player".

They're doing this to lower the publics expectation of Sven, and to raise Sven's expectations of himself.

I don't have a problem with this. If this breaks him down mentally. The whole "You have to work harder, prepare like a pro and work on all aspects of your game" then there is a deeper problem that has to be addressed.

Sven has to move into the next stage of his hockey career and realize that the care free hey I'm just a great prospect are coming to a close and now he has to become a great NHL player.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by MattyC

But the argument could be made (and I think this is where management's dissappointent lays) that this was the opportunity for Sven to do that. The space was there for him to show himself above the rest and be slotted into those spots. Not ahead of the other rookies but ahead of guys like Hudler and Stempniak, but he hasn't shown any reason why he should be slotted ahead of those types of guys. He's had a pretty stinky camp. Watching him play in the Dino's game was very uninspiring. If he feels its beneath him he should be he should be dominiating it out of a pure "shove it in their face" attitude. He has taken to being a bit of a whiner thus far this year. I don't like it. Hopefully he can get some mojo back and just go out and play.

Exactly. I was thinking we would see big things from Sven this pre-season. I was sorely disappointed. He mostly played like a 35 year old veteran who looked like he was bored/tired of the game. NOT, what I was expecting, at all.

Just curious, if Sven were to be sent down to Abbotsford, would he have to clear waivers?

[Ashasx]

I can't believe Feaster made that Baertschi comment to the public. What idiocy.

The kid doesn't need anymore constant negativity. The problem is confidence, not skill (or work ethics as a handful believe).

You gotta feel for him.

[Dienasty]

Originally Posted by EYE_Overstand

totally different level of prospects/ situations you are comparing

Schultz went in the second round out of the BCHL and Eberle late 1st, Baertschi early/mid first.

Eberle put up 55/75/74 in his draft year and 106 after his draft year.

Baertschi put up 84 his draft year season and 94 (in 47 games) after being drafted.

Not sure how you can argue that Eberle and Schultz were superior prospects at the time.

Nuge/Hall/Yakupov had a better pedegree which is fair but still Baertschi was the best prospect in the Flames system much like they were in the Oilers at the time. As well I was not suggesting the Flames call him up as an 18 year old, just when he did get here give him some ice time.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I can't believe Feaster made that Baertschi comment to the public. What idiocy.

The kid doesn't need anymore constant negativity. The problem is confidence, not skill (or work ethics as a handful believe).

You gotta feel for him.

LOL poor baby Sven. If he can't take a little criticizm the NHL is not for him.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by ah123

IMO, the comments serve two purposes; motivate Sven and bring down fan expectations of Baertschi.

The expectations will sure be brought down when he lines up next to Jackman on Thursday.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by 868904

I think Sven is at a critical stage in his development right now.

Flames can either give him some tough love and teach him how to be responsible and compete in all 3 zones and he may develop into a Marian Hossa type player.

Or they can let him do whatever he wants and he can develop into a Christian Huselius type of player.

I know which type of player I want him to develop into.

They can first put him in a stretching machine to make him 3 inches taller and then get him on the weights and roids and add 20-30 lbs of muscle.


Crap Iginla with his physical tools and gifts could not become a Hossa type player.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I can't believe Feaster made that Baertschi comment to the public. What idiocy.

The kid doesn't need anymore constant negativity. The problem is confidence, not skill (or work ethics as a handful believe).

You gotta feel for him.

How do we know that they didn't have these discussions with Sven behind the scenes long before this press conference.

This is the NHL, he didn't have a good preseason and if you don't think the coaches and guys like Feaster were on him for what could be generously called a lack luster training camp your fooling yourself.

[PeteLFan]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

He has to compete as hard as Kessel did in Boston when Burke traded 2 firsts adn a 2nd and then signed Kessel to a 5 year 27M deal as a 21 year old???

Kessel had 6.... count them 6 hits in 70 games his last year as a Bruin.


Not that Kessel isn't a great talent he sure as heck does not compete in all 3 zones.

Lol, I hope you know that hitting isn't the only indicator of competing and playing D.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Crap Iginla with his physical tools and gifts could not become a Hossa type player.

That's only because Iginla didn't want to be a Hossa type player.