The ELC Crew - Who makes the NHL team out of 2014 camp?

[Ped]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Gaudrea will likely get the 9 games then get sent down. We all love him but we can't rush him either. He has a total of 1 pro game. He needs AHL time.

What are the 9 games? He's not going to junior.

[ComixZone]

Treliving takes the long road approach. He prioritizes proper development, and building a winning culture in the AHL. Baertschi and Knight end up on the roster full-time after the Trade Deadline.

Kenny Agostino - AHL
Bill Arnold - AHL
Sven Baertschi - AHL
Ryan Culkin - AHL
Turner Elson - AHL
Michael Ferland - AHL
Johnny Gaudreau - AHL
Markus Granlund - AHL
Josh Jooris - AHL
Keegan Kanzig - 9 game NHL tryout then Juniors
Morgan Klimchuk - AHL
Corban Knight - AHL
Brett Kulak - AHL
Sean Monahan - NHL
Emile Poirier - AHL
John Ramage - AHL
Max Reinhart - NHL
Patrick Sieloff - AHL
Bryce van Brabant - AHL
Tyler Wotherspoon - AHL, called up to take Kanzig's spot

First AHL recalls:
-Granlund
-Baertschi
-Knight

(players not eligible for AHL go back to Jr.)

[MrMastodonFarm]

Yeah, Gaudreau will be in the 2nd year of his 3 year ELC regardless of if he's in the NHL or AHL next season.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by theoforever

Why 9?

My favorite number.

[heep223]

I'm definitely going to try and watch some of the training camp this year.

[FlameZilla]

Monahan is a lock. NHL

Gaudreau will have a great camp but will fall victim to the numbers game, thus starting the season in the AHL. As a relatively local boy (NJ kid in NY) he'll draw some massive crowds to the games as he immediately starts to dominate the league. By Christmas he will have his first call-up and will stick soon after that. AHL

Baertschi will come into camp in great shape, fired-up, and will work his way back into the forefront of this team's plan. Wishful thinking? NHL

Poirier is the dark horse prospect who makes the Flames out of camp, in my opinion. Monster preseason, scoring at an undeniable rate. With the glaring holes on RW he slots in really well on that side, taking the chronically injured David Jones's place. NHL

Knight will win the battle between himself, Arnold and Granlund for the 4th line centre position. NHL

Reinhart will outwork everyone but the captain in camp and make the team in Galiardi's vacated role, bottom-6 spark plug. His offensive acumen serves him well and he often deputises in the top 6. NHL

Granlund outscores all rookies but Poirier in pre-season but management decides it's best for his development to hone his offensive skills some more on the first line in Glens Falls. AHL

Wotherspoon is also sent to the AHL for more seasoning, losing out on the 7th defenceman position to a re-signed Breen (or $2 million SOB if we're in cap floor trouble). AHL

The rest?:

Kanzig & Klimchuk are assigned to junior after long camps and all the rest are assigned to the AHL. Wotherspoon, Granlund and Gaudreau will rack up the air miles next year. Sieloff and Ferland will slowly get back into shape over the course of the season in NY. Agostino, Arnold, Van Brabant, Jooris, Hanowski, Kulak, Culkin and Ortio will all benefit enormously from the time and patience developing in the minors. Elson and Ramage will bounce back and forth between the AHL and ECHL – these 2 have a lot to prove as time is running out for them.

[Drury18]

Came to post Reinhart. Saw I was beaten to it a number of times

Leaving very happy!

[Vulcan]

My sleeper pick to make the Flames is Van Brabant.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Drury18

Came to post Reinhart. Saw I was beaten to it a number of times

Leaving very happy!

He deserves a spot on the team. He's paid his dues and he's excelled at every step along the way. I think his time is upon us.

What do you think the odds are of his scoring touch translating to the NHL? Could he be more than a bottom 6 player?

[dissentowner]

Gaudreau will not start in the AHL. When you have a kid with that much talent and ability you make room for him. Sure he has only played one NHL game but in that one game you could see he was better than the guys he was playing with. I think he will dominate in pre-season and make it impossible for the Flames to send him down.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

He deserves a spot on the team. He's paid his dues and he's excelled at every step along the way. I think his time is upon us.

What do you think the odds are of his scoring touch translating to the NHL? Could he be more than a bottom 6 player?

I think his upside is a high end 3rd liner, 40 points.

[PlayfulGenius]

9 games is NOT a relevant number for non-junior aged players.

[getoverit]

I think some of these AHL'ers will be traded, question is who and what we get in return. We need size and not going to get it all done thru draft

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Gaudreau will not start in the AHL. When you have a kid with that much talent and ability you make room for him. Sure he has only played one NHL game but in that one game you could see he was better than the guys he was playing with. I think he will dominate in pre-season and make it impossible for the Flames to send him down.

There's no harm in easing Gaudreau into pro hockey in the minors. I'm not saying I wouldn't love to see him make the Flames, but he's not a lock.

Yes, he looked great in his one game against a crap Vancouver team that had nothing to play for. There was still a lot of room for improvement though, mainly in his own zone.

If this franchise starts 'making room' for 'special talents' I fear this rebuild would go the way of the Oilers. If Johnny plays his way onto the team by being undeniably one of the best players on the roster, fair play. Totally could happen. Management could equally decide to send him down for seasoning even if he is one of the best players at camp. Might not be such a bad thing.

Truth be told I think he's 50/50 to make the team. Saying he's a lock is premature.

[Ulrith]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

There's no harm in easing Gaudreau into pro hockey in the minors. I'm not saying I wouldn't love to see him make the Flames, but he's not a lock.

Yes, he looked great in his one game against a crap Vancouver team that had nothing to play for. There was still a lot of room for improvement though, mainly in his own zone.

If this franchise starts 'making room' for 'special talents' I fear this rebuild would go the way of the Oilers. If Johnny plays his way onto the team by being undeniably one of the best players on the roster, fair play. Totally could happen. Management could equally decide to send him down for seasoning even if he is one of the best players at camp. Might not be such a bad thing.

Truth be told I think he's 50/50 to make the team. Saying he's a lock is premature.

That's basically my exact opinion on where Gaudreau sits.

I think how he performs a the World's are going to factor into the decision as well as (obviously) his training camp, but I think the biggest factor is how well he is able to work with the trainers at the gym this summer.

And if he starts in the AHL, no big. He's used to facing criticism and he's used to forcing his way onto rosters. He's gonna play games for the Flames next next year, whether it be starting or as a callup.

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

He deserves a spot on the team. He's paid his dues and he's excelled at every step along the way. I think his time is upon us.

What do you think the odds are of his scoring touch translating to the NHL? Could he be more than a bottom 6 player?

The huge biased Reinhart fan in me says yes.

The level headed hockey fan in me says I don't think he's going to be used in a goal scoring role with the Flames initially, I don't think he would get the chance with what we currently have in the system. Just a gut feeling. I don't think that was his initial development plan either, not sure he was ever projected to be more then a bottom 6 guys. His year this year might be what pushes him ahead of some guys on the depth chart to get on the team, but not sure if it pushes him ahead of what's currently in our Top 6/9 to take a spot.

I think he's going to be a 3rd liner, but a strong one. He'll be the PK guy, he'll be the guy playing against the other team's top line, he'll be the guy they put out there to be a spark plug for the team and start things when the team needs a swift kick. But I don't think he'll be any great goal scorer.

That being said, the biased Reinhart fan would like to see the level headed hockey fan proven very wrong.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Drury18

The huge biased Reinhart fan in me says yes.

The level headed hockey fan in me says I don't think he's going to be used in a goal scoring role with the Flames initially, I don't think he would get the chance with what we currently have in the system. Just a gut feeling. I don't think that was his initial development plan either, not sure he was ever projected to be more then a bottom 6 guys. His year this year might be what pushes him ahead of some guys on the depth chart to get on the team, but not sure if it pushes him ahead of what's currently in our Top 6/9 to take a spot.

I think he's going to be a 3rd liner, but a strong one. He'll be the PK guy, he'll be the guy playing against the other team's top line, he'll be the guy they put out there to be a spark plug for the team and start things when the team needs a swift kick. But I don't think he'll be any great goal scorer.

That being said, the biased Reinhart fan would like to see the level headed hockey fan proven very wrong.

He seems like the kind of player that helps teams win, no matter what role he's used in. He's quick and tenacious, gritty but still has some vision and scoring touch. Having him and Bouma in the bottom 6 could be huge for a future playoff run.

I really hope he makes the cut in October.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

There's no harm in easing Gaudreau into pro hockey in the minors. I'm not saying I wouldn't love to see him make the Flames, but he's not a lock.

Yes, he looked great in his one game against a crap Vancouver team that had nothing to play for. There was still a lot of room for improvement though, mainly in his own zone.

If this franchise starts 'making room' for 'special talents' I fear this rebuild would go the way of the Oilers. If Johnny plays his way onto the team by being undeniably one of the best players on the roster, fair play. Totally could happen. Management could equally decide to send him down for seasoning even if he is one of the best players at camp. Might not be such a bad thing.

Truth be told I think he's 50/50 to make the team. Saying he's a lock is premature.

He has to learn the Flames' systems but he's clearly a very smart player. I think the fun will be trying to figure out the right line for him to play on to maximize his strengths.

[Da_Chief]

Heat and Flames play a similar system. He will be in the NHL next year. I think he best ends up as a tweener between the 2nd and 3rd line.

[You Need a Thneed]

Anyone else worried that the cap floor might prevent us from putting the team we really want to see on the ice?