[News] Chris Breen on waivers. Upd: Clears and assigned to Heat

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

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

If he can't get it in Calgary, which NHL team is going to give it to him? Remember, if you claim a guy off waivers, you have to keep him on your NHL roster.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Can't teach size.

Who cares if he's big if he can't skate and has terrible hockey iq.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Who cares if he's big if he can't skate and has terrible hockey iq.

Sure.

BUT WHAT IF HE COULD?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by cal_guy

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.

Smith is a below average defenseman and he's almost 30 years old. Why give this spot to a guy that's not part of the future and isn't very good? I would rather see Breen tough it out than watch Smith tough it out. It's not like the playoffs are on the line this season.

My god you people that still cling to Smith's first stint with the Flames before he got injured are silly. He's never played remotely close to that good since coming back from that injury and it clearly looks like an aberration now.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Smith is a below average defenseman and he's almost 30 years old. Why give this spot to a guy that's not part of the future and isn't very good? I would rather see Breen tough it out than watch Smith tough it out. It's not like the playoffs are on the line this season.

My god you people that still cling to Smith's first stint with the Flames before he got injured are silly. He's never played remotely close to that good since coming back from that injury and it clearly looks like an aberration now.

The only reason that I do it is that Breen isn't close to being ready for the NHL and I am not sure that giving him more time up here is going to be good for his development or make him better.

Send him back down to the AHL and see if he can somehow work on his game there.

Smith is just an easy fill in to take some lumps while we try to get a young guy that can at least hold their head above water in the NHL to replace him.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by getbak

If he can't get it in Calgary, which NHL team is going to give it to him? Remember, if you claim a guy off waivers, you have to keep him on your NHL roster.

You could demote him, but that would require placing him on waivers again, and Calgary would have first crack.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Why give this spot to a guy that's not part of the future and isn't very good?

So that the guys who are part of the future can play meaningful minutes in their respective developmental leagues and not 5-8 low-leverage minutes here? I have no problem with with guys like Smith eating the short minutes on the team while the upcoming talent reaches maturation.

With regards to Breen... he doesn't look good in the NHL. If he has any upside left he'll need to go somewhere where he can put in the time to reach it at it's not going to happen in Calgary right now. If he can't crack our roster on at least a semi-nightly basis I doubt he's gonna crack anyone eles. He'll clear and go to Abbotsford where hopefully he can put it together and if he doesn't oh well.

[PeteMoss]

Nothing against Breen, but he was not good in juniors. You have to be relatively terrible to be 6'7 (or whatever he is) and not get drafted. I read the reports from Abbotsford about him being great with surprise, but he's the same guy as ever in the few games he's played with Calgary. He just doesn't have the talent to play at this level.

If we need/want a younger guy up here instead of Smith, there's much better options in Abbotsford.

[sureLoss]

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
Waivers: CGY, C.Breen clears Waivers. PIT claims T.Pyatt off waivers from NYR. MN places Z.Konopka on Waivers.

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Z.Konopka on Waivers.

Hopefully Burke doesn't think we need even MORE truculence.

[moon]

Konopka is the kind of truculence the Flames could use as he can play a legit shift in the NHL.

He is great on FO's if I remember right as well.

[EYE_Overstand]

Originally Posted by moon

Konopka is the kind of truculence the Flames could use as he can play a legit shift in the NHL.

He is great on FO's if I remember right as well.

Agreed

[PeteMoss]

Well that was a waste of 3 months of development for Breen being stuck up here for fear of a waiver claim.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

Hopefully Burke doesn't think we need even MORE truculence.

Westgarth - Konopka - McGrattan would be a modern day broad street bullies. I would love it. Make it so.

[InBurkeWeTrust]

hmmm zenon

[SuperMatt18]

Yup Konopka would be a much better fit than Westgarth.

Bouma-Konopka-McGrattan is actually a 4th line that is truculent and can play a shift.

[Wolfman]

Breen clearing just shows how much he's overrated by the fans. 29 other teams pass. Lol

Konopka would be a good addition to the bottom six.

I see Edmonton claiming him though. No way he goes unclaimed.

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
#Flames assign Breen to Abbotsford. Had to happen, as he just isn't ready for the NHL but he also needs to play.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Breen clearing just shows how much he's overrated by the fans. 29 other teams pass. Lol

Konopka would be a good addition to the bottom six.

I see Edmonton claiming him though. No way he goes unclaimed.

don't think other fans were overrating him... best argument you can make is that Feaster was overrating him by not putting him on waivers sooner

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Well that was a waste of 3 months of development for Breen being stuck up here for fear of a waiver claim.

I'm not sure being injured and then practising with NHLers is a complete waste. Plus now he knows what he needs to improve on.