[News] UPD: Schwindt claimed by VGK. Pelletier and Cooley clear waivers

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by devo22

hope they both clear.

Honestly, I think this sucks. It's not that Pelletier has cemented an NHL spot by any means, but putting him on waivers while you're keeping a 33 year old guy as your 8th defenseman is just bad asset management, any way you look at it.

No, it's not. If the Flames are certain that Pelletier clears, this is a good decision in promoting his development at the right level for him to be playing in right now. Things in reality are not nearly this binary.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Hanley could still go down on waivers if the Flames decide to claim another player.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Hanley could still go down on waivers if the Flames decide to claim another player.

They have to be roster compliant by 5 ET tomorrow, so if they have roster space, then yes. If not, someone not needing waivers would have to be sent down on paper until Hanley could clear waivers.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

50/50 chance Pelts is claimed

Yep. He will, or he won’t. Just like everyone else on waivers.

[Bourque's Twin]

Why isn’t there an option for Schwindt gets claimed and Pelts + Cooley clear?

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

It is too bad Pelletier was waiver eligible this year. I think next season is where the organization won't be able to hide kids, as Honzek and Parekh will both be sure-fire starters on the team, perhaps Gridin (as Huska expects him to challenge for a spot), the Flames first round pick from this upcoming draft, and maybe another surprise or two. A handful of prospects become waiver-eligible next season, so there will be more exposed.


I argue that this is an unnecessary risk this season, at least when you factor-in that Pelletier had a great start to his pro career, with only one poor season where he got injured.



Either Conroy is pretty sure that Pelletier will not be claimed... or Conroy has an eye on someone else whom he wants to claim, and will try to sneak Pelletier down now instead. Maybe Conroy simply feels that Pelletier doesn't have enough upside to warrant protection now.



I do think that both Honzek and Klapka went beyond expectations and certainly solidified themselves in this lineup. They both deserve to be here, unquestionably. It is probably the right thing to do. I do think it will cost Pelletier, but you never know. I haven't see whom else was waived around the league, so maybe he passes.

I think Cooley and Schwindt will both pass.

Sad for Pelletier really. However, congratulations to both Honzek and Klapka! I am keeping my fingers crossed for Pelletier.

Depending on how you handle things, adjusting your expectations down for Honzek and Parekh might be good as I don't see them as sure-fire starters with the Flames next season. Parekh still needs to outplay everyone else at the next camp by a large margin, while Honzek will need to stick with the Flames for the entire season this year to really be a sure-fire guy. Neither of those things are certain at all and in my view in fact, are unlikely to happen. Agree on Pelletier though! Really hoping he clears, does what Coronato did last season after being sent down, which is play like a beast, earn a call up and not look back.

[Nelson]

I see Ryan Suzuki, a 2019 1st round pick of the Hurricanes and centre, as potentially interesting.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Depending on how you handle things, adjusting your expectations down for Honzek and Parekh might be good as I don't see them as sure-fire starters with the Flames next season. Parekh still needs to outplay everyone else at the next camp by a large margin, while Honzek will need to stick with the Flames for the entire season this year to really be a sure-fire guy. Neither of those things are certain at all and in my view in fact, are unlikely to happen. Agree on Pelletier though! Really hoping he clears, does what Coronato did last season after being sent down, which is play like a beast, earn a call up and not look back.

Coronato might still be looking back

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No, it's not. If the Flames are certain that Pelletier clears, this is a good decision in promoting his development at the right level for him to be playing in right now. Things in reality are not nearly this binary.

you can never be "certain" such a player clears. There might easily be things the Flames can't know, like injuries in training that suddenly allow a team to take a flyer on someone like Pelletier. I would argue the chances of someone like Hanley clearing waivers are higher than Pelletier, so yeah, why risk losing him in the first place? I get all the "others have passed him" yada yada, but given the Flames are in rebuild, I don't get the decision to keep Hanley over Pelletier at all.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Coronato might still be looking back

Touche, good point!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

@royle9, why would they do this instead of taking a late round pick for him? Getting something for a player. > losing a player for nothing

I'm guessing the Flames tried to make a trade. Teams probably said they'd rather wait until he's on waivers and take a chance.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by devo22

you can never be "certain" such a player clears. There might easily be things the Flames can't know, like injuries in training that suddenly allow a team to take a flyer on someone like Pelletier. I would argue the chances of someone like Hanley clearing waivers are higher than Pelletier, so yeah, why risk losing him in the first place? I get all the "others have passed him" yada yada, but given the Flames are in rebuild, I don't get the decision to keep Hanley over Pelletier at all.

Because, the team has to.


If it has been determined that Pelletier can't play in the NHL right now (which is the right decision), but the team is still hopeful that he can yet rehabilitate his game in the AHL, then the move makes sense. It makes sense today, when the waiver wire is totally flooded by players and teams all in the same situation as Pelletier and the Flames. I seriously doubt that anyone is looking at Pelletier, and thinking, "He's ready to play in our bottom-six today!" More likely, they are all thinking about Pelletier the same way the Flames are, but also do not have the luxury the Flames do to assign him to the AHL, where everyone agrees is the place he should be playing.


As for Hanley, it's probably less about "keeping" him than it is about calculating when it is the best time to get Cooley, Schwindt and Pelletier through.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Touche, good point!

In pro sports everyone should have to look back. Or you stagnate. Organizations should force it.

[NewFan]

They should waive Huberdeau. Contract status doesn't matter. It's about earning a spot.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Here we go.

Could see him claimed, like Valimaki a team might see his issues being injury related and a possible bounce back.

I would not be surprised at all to see a team take a flyer on him. First time waiver eligible former 1st rounders often get some interest if you can get them for free. There’s zero risk to do it. The worst case scenario is that you put them back in waivers if it doesn’t work. Nothing gained, nothing lost.

I am pretty unconvinced that Pelletier will have a huge impact at the NHL level. I love his spirit and his energy though. He just seems to be falling into that grey area of not being skilled enough to play in the top 6, but not strong or big enough to play in the bottom 6.

He lost a lot of development time to injury, so maybe if he stays healthy, he can be a late bloomer, but he just isn’t there yet to justify an NHL roster spot.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by NewFan

They should waive Huberdeau. Contract status doesn't matter. It's about earning a spot.

I thought Huberdeau has had a decent camp. I am intrigued by what I have seen with him on a line with Mantha.


Also, Huberdeau has a NMC, so he cannot be waived.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Nelson

I see Ryan Suzuki, a 2019 1st round pick of the Hurricanes and centre, as potentially interesting.

He is worse than Pelletier

[NewFan]

Or yes, and Hanley earned spot because he was better than Brush and Grush.

[Enoch Root]

The argument about keeping Pelletier as the 13th man for 10 games, solves nothing. Unless he miraculously improves, you're just waiving him then. And at that point, he's the only guy on waivers, and teams might have injuries (so he is even less likely to clear). The only way that Pelletier becomes a useful asset for the Flames is if he goes to the Wranglers, and continues to work on his game. If he gets waived, such is life.

Here are the wingers under 25 who have passed Pelletier:

Zary
Pospisil
Honzek
Coronato
Klapka

and then you have the guys that are coming, who have more potential:

Stromgren (maybe already passed him)
Suniev
Gridin
Basha

Would you trade any of these guys for Pelletier?

There are 8 winger positions on the club. Here are 9 guys already in the organization, under 25, who are ahead of him, or at least have more potential (and thus value than) Pelletier. And there will be a bunch more added next year.

I hope he clears, but if you lose him, you lose him.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by NewFan

Or yes, and Hanley earned spot because he was better than Brush and Grush.

I think Hanley earned his spot because he’s a better fit for what the team needs right now than Brzustewicz and Grushnikov. They need a 7-8 D who can play every few games. Brzustewicz and Grushnikov need lots and lots of minutes and it doesn’t make sense to have either of them with the big club if they are going to be sitting for any period of time.

It’s wild that Brzustewicz hasn’t played a minute of pro hockey and has made such a strong case for his spot on the big club.