[News] Update: Flames recall Sven Baertschi. Colborne on IR.

[Rerun]

I've been critical of Sven in the past but I honestly hope he plays well tonight. Would have liked to see him on Monahan's line but that may change too as Hartley seems to be juggling his lines a lot more lately when they aren't clicking.

Cheers and good luck Sven!!


P.S. REAL happy and looking forward to watching the JH - MG - JH line again.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Oh fanboys..

I'm pretty sure no one turned their back when Burke made those comments. People turned their backs when he didn't play up to his potential after being challenged by management. The lack of response in a situation he should have been thriving in, then displaying his sense of entitlement over a roster spot after being cut again is probably what has people turning their backs, more than anything. I still support the kid and wish him well, but I'm not as optimistic as I once was given his performance over the past year.

Why are people calling supporters of our team's players fan boys?

What does this accomplish?

We are all fans of the same team. Why do we have to divide into 2 groups?

[FBI]

Maybe Baertschi will get some time with Gaudreau.. That could be pretty sweet for his confidence too.. Baertschi might actually have the skill to expect some of Johnny's passes.

[sureLoss]

Baertschi being rewarded for training camp performance

Wes Gilbertson @SUNGilbertson
#Flames GM Brad Treliving says LW Sven Baertschi's situation similar to Josh Jooris. Had good camp, rewarded with early callup from AHL.

[bob-loblaw]

Seems like they're calling them up in the reverse order of them being sent down.

I'll give the Flames credit as they seem to be living up to 'Always earned, never given.' Even though Sven isn't playing up to his capabilities right now at least management isn't is forgetting about training camp.

[sureLoss]

Wes Gilbertson @SUNGilbertson
#Flames callup Sven Baertschi on recent AHL outings: "I really started playing well. I'm happy I got rewarded for it.

[GettinIggyWithIt]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Baertschi being rewarded for training camp performance

Wes Gilbertson @SUNGilbertson
#Flames GM Brad Treliving says LW Sven Baertschi's situation similar to Josh Jooris. Had good camp, rewarded with early callup from AHL.

This makes sense to me. Flames also need scoring with Backlund, Colborne, Raymond and Stajan all out. Baertschi has more natural talent and top six potential than both Reinhart and Hanowski in my opinion. Poirier only has 1 game so the Flames are probably waiting with him. I'd like to see what Baertschi can do given the Flames are giving him a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by sureloss

wes gilbertson @sungilbertson
#flames callup sven baertschi on recent ahl outings: "i really started playing well. I'm happy i got rewarded for it.

entitled!

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by nik-

I'm extra supportive of Sven because I'm embarrassed at how many fans instantly turned their backs on him the moment Burke questioned his game.

Your inability to disypher the difference between turning their back on Sven and not immediately villifying management and the coaching staff for sending him down and suggesting he might have some work to do is concerning.

[Enoch Root]

To those saying Baertschi hasn't deserved it as much as a couple others (and Drury, I respect your opinion on that), I would like to point out that there is more to it than just the one variable of who has been playing well.

Obviously, playing well is the primary thing.

But there is also doing what has been asked of you; how you work/perform in practice; position/need; and (as appears to be the case here) how much you have earned it along the way (good training camp).

Baertschi hasn't lit it up in Adirondack, but he is working hard and doing what they ask of him.

With Jooris, Granlund and Ferland already up, the call-up really isn't that hard to understand.

Sure would be great to see him have some success and get his confidence up!

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by GettinIggyWithIt

This makes sense to me. Flames also need scoring with Backlund, Colborne, Raymond and Stajan all out. Baertschi has more natural talent and top six potential than both Reinhart and Hanowski in my opinion. Poirier only has 1 game so the Flames are probably waiting with him. I'd like to see what Baertschi can do given the Flames are giving him a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL.

Bringing Poirier back after 1 game played in 5 months would be incredibly sort sighted

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Your inability to disypher the difference between turning their back on Sven and not immediately villifying management and the coaching staff for sending him down and suggesting he might have some work to do is concerning.

Actually I am able to decipher the difference. There were a ton of people throwing him under the bus, wanting to trade him, basically just bored of him because Monahan was here.

It happened, it was embarrassing, deal with it.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by nik-

Actually I am able to decipher the difference. There were a ton of people throwing him under the bus, wanting to trade him, basically just bored of him because Monahan was here.

It happened, it was embarrassing, deal with it.

Maybe I remember it wrong, but it seemed that most of the posters that had no problem trading Sven, wanted a very good D prospect in return. I have no problem if flames do trade Sven, or anybody else for that matter, for a good D prospect. It's something the flames are lacking in the system. Your post makes it seem like people who would trade him,wanted him gone for a bag of pucks.

[sureLoss]

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2014/...rting-diaz-in/

So, tonight at the Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens, the young winger will dress for his 52nd career game in the National Hockey League.

“It’s great,” said Baertschi. “I’m really excited. It happened really quick. We played last night (in Adirondack against Utica) and I got the call right after. I left pretty much an hour after the game.”

It’s worth pointing out that the 22-year-old hadn’t exactly been lighting up the AHL — only three points, all assists, in 10 appearances.

Thirteen teammates has as many — or more — points than Baertschi.

No matter.

Here he is.

“He had a pretty good camp,” said coach Bob Hartley. “Obviously, when it came down to the 23-man roster, he was not part of it. But, at the same time, he went down . . . and the last couple games, talking to (Adirondack coach Ryan Huska), Sven has been playing good.

“If there’s one young player on our hockey club that knows the DNA of this organization, it’s Sven. It’s about hard work, it’s about consistency, it’s about playing the game the right way.

“So for him, it’s a good challenge. We’re expecting a big game, like we’re expecting out of everyone.”

[FlameZilla]

Alright Svenny. Give em Hell.

[Table 5]

Gaudreau, Monahan, Granlund, Sven, Ferland (almost), Poirier (sooner or later)... the future is starting to come together my friends!

[stemit14]

I'm a baertschi fan so I might be looking at his history over the last few years with some bias... Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.

I feel he has rarely been given the opportunity to really excel at the NHL level and it's due to circumstance lots of times.

In 2012 he had the great call up from junior we all remember and then went back and lot it up for his junior team on a deep playoff run. Most of us thought he would get a real shot at a top six position in the 2012-2013 season... And so did others. He was picked by some analysts to be a contender for the Calder that season. During the lockout that year baertschi played very well in the AHL and was at nearly a ppg if I remember correctly. When the lockout ended he was on the flames roster out of training camp.

The problem became pretty clear to lots of us that flames had way too many left wingers... Cammalleri, tanguay, glencross, comeau, and then it turned out that cervenka was actually a left winger and not a centerman. Baertschi was the only one of those guys that could be sent down without passing through waivers. On top of that, he didn't have much opportunity to excel as a scoring forward to start in the NHL because of all those veterans ahead of him on the depth chart. He pretty much got no powerplay time and didn't get to play with a guy like iginla or hudler. All this lead to baertschi being sent down to the AHL.

After the trade deadline, baertschi got called up and tanguay got hurt. Baertschi all of a sudden was getting legit top 6 minutes and he went on what I believe was an 8 game scoring streak at the end of the year. He was the flames' best forward to finish the season and looked full of confidence and ready to become a full time NHLer.

Then in the off season when asked about calgary's prospects after being hired as president of Hockey ops, Burke came out of left field with criticism targeted at baertschi. None of us had ever had seen any big problems in his game so far but Burke seemed to just attack him as not being skilled enough to just be a scorer in the league.

Baertschi didn't do well in the young stars tourney and there really is no excuse for that. I figure he was feeling like the organization didn't have a lot of faith in him and it affected his confidence.

He and Monahan had instant chemistry together at the start of the season and Monahan had his highest production to date while playing with him. Hartley had some issues with baertschi's defensive game and made him sit out some games. I honestly have never noticed the issues with his defensive game that everyone talked about but seems like it's a consensus that he needed to work on it. I especially thought that there were many other players on the flames roster who were struggling defensively much more than he was.

I do recall one game last season where there was less than 2 minutes left in a tie game, the flames had a face off in their zone and baertschi tried to clear the puck out... The defenseman on the other team knocked the puck out of the air with his stick to keep it in and they scored on Berra to win the game. I only remember this because I knew at the time Hartley would sit out baertschi for that and that's exactly what happened. The guy was struggling with confidence already so I felt bad that he was essentially punished for that. Even though he tries making the smart, simple play of shooting the puck out of the zone... the other team's defenseman just made a great/lucky play to keep it in.

When Feaster was fired... Burke's first act as acting GM was to send Baertschi down to the AHL. It's debatable whether it was warranted or not - I still believe it wasn't but that's just my opinion - but with how sudden it was and the timing made it really seem like Burke had not liked baertschi from the start and sent him down the first chance he got... Possibly as a statement of running the team his way. Even if it wasn't a bias against baertschi from Burke... It certainly appeared like one. I mean, if I was baertschi, I would definitely get the impression that I was unwanted by new management if it took only mere hours to send me down after the previous GM was fired. This was another huge blow to baertschi's confidence and he struggled for months at the AHL level. Not to mention this is where the trade speculation began.

He seemed to get his head in the right place later in the season and started playing great. He was the AHL player of the week in one of the last weeks of the season. This year he didn't make the team out of camp and while he hasn't put up great numbers... It sounds like he's played well just hasn't had any puck luck so far.

This is how I've seen his progress so far. Like I said, I know I'm biased so there is probably a much more neutral version of baertschi's history with the team. I have just been frustrated by his treatment from media and management so far and I hope he plays awesome and is here to stay. Seems like he always impresses when he is put in a position to succeed.

I've never liked the pressure he's faced to completely change his game... The whole "be Brendan Gallagher thing." I agree every player should constantly be trying to improve their game and be better defensively but I also feel it was over the top with baertschi. Don't be Gallagher... Be baertschi. The attempts to completely change him into another player seems to stifle his offensive instincts.

[J epworth]

Very excited to see what Sven can do. He really will be going into this looking to prove his worth, could end up being a pretty big impact for a Flames team that needs as much offense as possible right now. We can't keep expecting our Defense to lead our offense, and with Raymond still out, Sven can step in as the perfect replacement for him.

Really hope, like Granlund and Jooris are showing, that Sven shows enough that when we start getting healthy bodies back, he's not the first sent back down. Really hope and expect the Flames to send down Seto as the first down to the farm if he doesn't turn it around the next two games. But for that to happen Sven needs to prove he belongs.

[CliffFletcher]

nm

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Oh fanboys..

I'm pretty sure no one turned their back when Burke made those comments. People turned their backs when he didn't play up to his potential after being challenged by management. The lack of response in a situation he should have been thriving in, then displaying his sense of entitlement over a roster spot after being cut again is probably what has people turning their backs, more than anything. I still support the kid and wish him well, but I'm not as optimistic as I once was given his performance over the past year.

It's not even a case of "turning their backs", but one of simply believing that he lived off the fruits of his five game emergency recall for long enough. Everyone wants Sven to make it, but it was evident that the AHL was where he belonged. He is now getting another shot to show instead that it is instead the NHL where he belongs and I doubt there is a fan of this team who hopes for anything but success.