[News] Flames trim camp roster to 35

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

He was a little rough last night. Had a giveaway that lead to a goal iirc.

Hunt has had several good games and one mediocre one. Aside from Coronato, he may have been the most impressive non-regular thus far. I would hope management doesn't cut people based on a single giveaway.

[FlamesAddiction]

The funny thing about Hunt is that he has made the opening night rosters a few times, but typically gets sent down by January. The exception being in 2021-2022 when he managed to stay on the NYR roster all year.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The funny thing about Hunt is that he has made the opening night roster, but typically gets sent down by January. The exception being in 2021-2022 when he managed to stay on the NYR roster all year.

He's the very definiton of a tweener for sure. I imagine he's typically a safer bet to start a season than a rookie, but the rookies play themselves up from the minors and he becomes expendable.

[Sylvanfan]

Hunt is that replacement level player to use a Baseball term. Good enough to probably play in the league and be of use. But not likely to make a lasting impact. Teams all have a couple players like that to move up and down during the season. As some younger guys grow and progress he starts to slip on the depth chart.

[GioforPM]

He's a useful guy though, in that you can bring him up and down without much fear of being grabbed on waivers, and he will do an adequate job on the 4th line.

[FlamesAddiction]

Honest question, but is he an upgrade over the other grinders we lost from last season (Lewis, Lucic, and the Ritchies)?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Honest question, but is he an upgrade over the other grinders we lost from last season (Lewis, Lucic, and the Ritchies)?

He's a few million in upgrade over Lucic and bout 1.5 million in upgrade over Nick Ritchie, about a decade upgrade over Lewis and unlike Brett, has points in the preseason.

[Eb0la11]

Any word on Kylington?

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The funny thing about Hunt is that he has made the opening night rosters a few times, but typically gets sent down by January. The exception being in 2021-2022 when he managed to stay on the NYR roster all year.

Sounds like Rooney

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Eb0la11

Any word on Kylington?

He has the full support of the Flames, and can expect privacy.

In the years to come, that will be looked back at as the correct way to have handled things.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Honest question, but is he an upgrade over the other grinders we lost from last season (Lewis, Lucic, and the Ritchies)?

This is the question. At least he is significantly cheaper than one of them.
Personally I was a fan of Trevor Lewis and at $800K he gave the team great value.

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

He has the full support of the Flames, and can expect privacy.

In the years to come, that will be looked back at as the correct way to have handled things.

Yep, I would stop expecting to see him play hockey in the NHL. Flames have to move on and support him. Time for the fans to move on as well. I have, wish him nothing but the best.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

This is the question. At least he is significantly cheaper than one of them.
Personally I was a fan of Trevor Lewis and at $800K he gave the team great value.

With Lewis, Lucic, and Toffoli all gone, there was a willingness to discard Sutter's guys despite some continuing to have value.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by NegativeSpace

With Lewis, Lucic, and Toffoli all gone, there was a willingness to discard Sutter's guys despite some continuing to have value.

For sure. Toffoli made it clear he had no interest in playing here in any case. He'll be missed IMO.

While I think Lewis was criminally underrated and a valuable depth player, you can't fall in love with players like that. At his age, his play could diminish to replacement level at any point.

But going to be hard for any player to give you the kind of value we saw from Lewis the last two years.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think Klapka isn't ready for the NHL, but I don't think he will ever get to the NHL by trying to police. I think Klapka should be developed into a defensive player first. I think looking back at some historical players for the Flames, a few names stand out:


More recently, Ferland. Different types of players in some ways, with Ferland having a better shot IMO, but he ended up having a shortened NHL career thanks to concussions, and I fear that Klapka will be following him even quicker with some of the fights that I have seen him in.



Peplinski - he has that fire that Pepper had for sure, that 'ranginess' with his stick, and his ability to play the puck while still being hard to play against, but I would be surprised if Klapka ever develops into as good of a point producer that Peplinski was (one 30 goal season, and two 20 goal seasons, for instance).



One player really stands out to me in how I wish the Flames would develop him, and I think he COULD develop into an even better version of him. Remember who Badger Bob got to shadow Gretzky as part of that plan to beat the Oilers? It wasn't Peplinski. It wasn't even Otto (although I am sure they did this as a team). It was Neil Sheehy. He could skate well and he just got Gretzky off his game. I think Klapka has the strength and range to EVENTUALLY (with proper coaching and development) to be a really elite defensive player. I do believe defence is something that can be taught.


I think Klapka can be really smothering if he can take a couple of steps in that direction. I then think with his hands, he can also end up being a decent bottom 6 contributor on the offensive side as well. i just don't think his offensive game and his 'deterrent' game are going to get him into the NHL. I do think turning him into a larger Frolik, or a modern-day Peplinski (but bigger and a better skater, but less offensive ability) will get him there. He has the disposition for that role in my opinion, though I do not think shadows are really used much. I do think that Calgary uses Backlund as McDavid's shadow (and it works very well, last time I saw McDavid's stats sheets with Backlund on the ice and the sheets with him off the ice). Maybe Klapka can focus on Draisaitl (who the Flames seem to have trouble with as well with his size).


Just a thought anyway. I just see an overall package that in my mind, would make for a very effective PK'er/defensive forward who will also probably chip-in offensively in time. I think it would be an absolute waste to try and make him strictly into an 'energy' guy, and I see zero NHL potential trying to make him into an enforcer who can take a regular shift.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

This is the question. At least he is significantly cheaper than one of them.
Personally I was a fan of Trevor Lewis and at $800K he gave the team great value.

Yeah, I had no complaints with Lewis as a 4th liner and for what his cap hit was.

I guess my thought is that if we are not going to use the roster spot to break a rookie into the line-up and go with another replacement level vet, I wonder if there are better options than Hunt still on the market.

I reckon it's not a big deal since we are talking about a 4th line player that will probably be in and out of the line-up anyway. I kind of adhere to the idea that being better even if just a tiny bit, should be goal.

[Yeah_Baby]

I'm glad Lewis is off the team so I don't have to hear about how he has one foot in the grave weekly anymore when I'm a year older than him.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

For sure. Toffoli made it clear he had no interest in playing here in any case.

That's not my recollection. I believe he wanted to sign another contract.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by D as in David

That's not my recollection. I believe he wanted to sign another contract.

Correct.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673856294443446272

[GioforPM]

Toffoli was by far the most obvious choice to trade, and being a Sutter guy was irrelevant. He's old, had a career year, would want more money, and played a fillable position.