Craig Button: Flames have the 28th "Best" group of players under the age of 24

[ComixZone]

TSN video here

No. 28 Calgary: The Flames are the only Canadian team whose list is headed up by a goalie: Calgary Wranglers’ netminder and 2020 Canadian Hockey League goalie of the year Dustin Wolf, a B-level prospect. Adam Ruzicka, 23, is the only U-24 player Calgary has used this season.

It's hard to argue that this is a good place to be given the mediocrity that we're currently entrenched in.

[Vinny01]

I am posting in the trade forum on how it is maybe not the right call to extend Lindholm and Hanifin due to the age of this team. A team full of 30 something’s doesn’t win in the NHL today.

The fact that this team seemingly is blocking their young players from breaking through and the 7 year age jump from Tkachuk to Kadri this team feels so old already with some massive contracts not kicking in yet.

[Flamesfan05]

That’s about right

[Hot_Flatus]

This is a big nothing burger. Is it really that old of a team if you suddenly have Zary, Pelletier and Ruzicka all playing significant roles as early as later this season or next year?

[Toonage]

It is if those young players as has been suggested are blocked from making the team by vets signed at league minimum to bolster the bottom 6

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

This is a big nothing burger. Is it really that old of a team if you suddenly have Zary, Pelletier and Ruzicka all playing significant roles as early as later this season or next year?

That would be a pretty big change of pace to add both Zary and Pelletier next year, nevermind having them play significant roles.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

That would be a pretty big change of pace to add both Zary and Pelletier next year, nevermind having them play significant roles.

If the cap only goes up $1million, Flames may be forced to play ELCs

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

That would be a pretty big change of pace to add both Zary and Pelletier next year, nevermind having them play significant roles.

Change of pace from what? Neither player was even close to being ready until this season and they are certainly going to be ready soon.

There isn't some internal conspiracy going on to keep these players down. They are among the best in the AHL and hitting the career arc where its soon going to be now or never. Losing Lucic, Lewis and Ritchie next season is going to open up a lot of dough and room on the roster.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

If the cap only goes up $1million, Flames may be forced to play ELCs

Oh darn, I’m sure most of us here would HATE to see that happen…

[8sPOT]

Same old story here. Flames have never been bad to enough to get consecutive top picks. So we slowly rotate in a rookie that has been cooking in the system for a few years.

The only outliers were Tkachuk and Monahan, but thats almost a decade ago.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, but if another team adds 3 young players that become core pieces they are going to be further ahead of us at some point.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am posting in the trade forum on how it is maybe not the right call to extend Lindholm and Hanifin due to the age of this team. A team full of 30 something’s doesn’t win in the NHL today.

The fact that this team seemingly is blocking their young players from breaking through and the 7 year age jump from Tkachuk to Kadri this team feels so old already with some massive contracts not kicking in yet.

If you take Craig Button’s rankings as being accurate, then I don’t think it means the players are being blocked, it is more a matter of just not having the young talent which is ready for the NHL. It makes sense considering how often we trade high draft picks and never seem to draft that high to begin with.

I haven’t looked at the rankings that closely, but I would bet there is some correlation between the number of higher picks and what teams have the best young players.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Change of pace from what? Neither player was even close to being ready until this season and they are certainly going to be ready soon.

There isn't some internal conspiracy going on to keep these players down. They are among the best in the AHL and hitting the career arc where its soon going to be now or never. Losing Lucic, Lewis and Ritchie next season is going to open up a lot of dough and room on the roster.

I think Pelletier is currently ready based on his AHL production. He just needs to be given some time to get used to the NHL once called up. But I think the bigger issue is that based on history, the Flames will probably hire some older FAs this coming offseason to fill out the roster rather than giving younger players a chance.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

That would be a pretty big change of pace to add both Zary and Pelletier next year, nevermind having them play significant roles.

Yeah I mean they have only been playing Mackey, Zahorna, Ruzicka and Phillips the last few games. The perceived bias against playing the rookies is hilarious on here.

[madmike]

No argument from me.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Change of pace from what? Neither player was even close to being ready until this season and they are certainly going to be ready soon.

There isn't some internal conspiracy going on to keep these players down. They are among the best in the AHL and hitting the career arc where its soon going to be now or never. Losing Lucic, Lewis and Ritchie next season is going to open up a lot of dough and room on the roster.

I don't think there is any conspiracy nor did I imply there was. I just don't think losing a bunch of 4th liners is going to change how the Flames approach the bottom 6. They even added Rooney this off-season when somebody on the farm could have played a bottom 6 role just as admirably.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Yeah I mean they have only been playing Mackey, Zahorna, Ruzicka and Phillips the last few games. The perceived bias against playing the rookies is hilarious on here.

The Flames have had some injuries that allowed many of these players to get in the lineup, but would somebody really argue against the idea that Sutter doesn't trust this group of rookies that much? And that's fine - these aren't blue chip prospects we're talking about here.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Yeah I mean they have only been playing Mackey, Zahorna, Ruzicka and Phillips the last few games. The perceived bias against playing the rookies is hilarious on here.

Fair point. But those players are 26, 26, 24, 24. Pelletier and Zary are 21. Those players don't necessarily support the idea that Pelletier and Zary will be NHLers next season.

[Kasi]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Change of pace from what? Neither player was even close to being ready until this season and they are certainly going to be ready soon.

There isn't some internal conspiracy going on to keep these players down. They are among the best in the AHL and hitting the career arc where its soon going to be now or never. Losing Lucic, Lewis and Ritchie next season is going to open up a lot of dough and room on the roster.

Pelletier had 62 points in 66 games last year. He could be up on the team for sure. He didn’t have a bad year at all last year. Zary I agree went through some struggles but he’s turned the corner as well.

[dissentowner]

It's Craig Button, like I trust his judgement of talent.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

It's Craig Button, like I trust his judgement of talent.

He is definitely not close to a go to for me either.

But, I think he isn't totally off. We have a lot key players that are older.

Where do you think we should be on that list?