Predicted next round of cuts and final roster

[Calgary4LIfe]

This conversation taking place right now might be moot, but it is really nice to see a tonne of healthy competition.


By opening night, the Flames may have picked up a body or two on waivers, had some injuries, made some trades and lost some guys to waivers.


I personally wouldn't risk Pelletier or Solovyov to waivers. Ok, if you have written them off in terms of any NHL upside, cool, then I will agree with you that they should be waived. I am not there yet, especially with Solovyov. I think the smarter move is to send Coronato, Honzek and Grushnikov to the minors, with the message of: "You each have earned a spot, so I will have to make room." Injuries happen anyway.



As for Cooley, he certainly is a fun character, but Vladar has been good, and he has a much longer track record of being good. With Vladar being pain free, I would still pick Vladar over Cooley. I like all 4 goalies actually, and combined, I think there is a very good shot at a legitimate starter + good back up from those 4, and there are more goalies coming up the pipeline. I don't think Cooely is ready for the NHL yet, and it is much harder to hide a goalie on your roster than it is a forward or defencemen. A team that is putting in a claim on Cooley will have to keep him up and have a 3-headed goalie problem. If there is a team that has an injury and claims him, that's ok - claim him back when the team gets their starter back. I think it is rather easy to hide Pelletier and Solovyov on a roster and rotate them in every few games. If I am San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, etc., I will probably take a free look if I don't have to waive someone better to do so.


I don't think Pelletier has been bad at all. He has been improving every game I thought. Making solid plays in every zone. I would keep him around and see what this season brings. If he doesn't impress this season, then next season he gets lost in the shuffle here in Calgary.


Flames are very likely to be trading Mantha and Kuzmenko away this year. That's Honzek and Coronato. 13th forward is Pelletier. Just keep him as the 13th forward then. If you don't think he is worth keeping, then you won't have an argument as you would rather he sat out of the lineup more than he plays rather than Honzek or Coronato anyway.


I think you are a brainless organization when you run your organization as a meritocracy only, or when you run it by asset management only. Some players have poor years but rebound, some take a little longer to develop, and some players get completely derailed by injuries and others will bounce back. Pospisil was a guy everyone crossed-off. Ferland was a guy everyone crossed off. Pelletier is an easy guy to have around as he is very much like a vet that brings a team together - very charismatic, great leader, always positive - you want that in your locker room, so I would keep him around another season to see what happens. I think he will rebound.


Whatever happens, it is a much better conversation to have than arguing about which of the 5 PTOs we should be signing to fill the big holes. This team is legitimately deep everywhere other than centre (in terms of prospects that is), and that's probably going to be solved at the 2025 draft. Just a really, really solid base to start with.

[FlamesAddiction]

Send down Duehr in favour of Klapka, and send down Hunt in favour of Pelletier.

I am not 100% convinced that Pelletier has earned it fully, but when you invest a 1st rounder on a player, you want to make sure you have given them as much rope as possible before waiving them the first time.

Coronato is the interesting one to me. I think they may send him down to start with the intention of calling him pretty quickly if Pelletier or Klapka slow down, or the second there is an injury.

[Junglist]

Duehr ad Hunt are not NHL players or at best are call ups.

[TheScorpion]

I would have both Hunt and Duehr on waivers for sure.

[CsInMyBlood]

I agree with the people saying start Pellitier on the big club and let his play dictate what happens next.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

This conversation taking place right now might be moot, but it is really nice to see a tonne of healthy competition.


By opening night, the Flames may have picked up a body or two on waivers, had some injuries, made some trades and lost some guys to waivers.


I personally wouldn't risk Pelletier or Solovyov to waivers. Ok, if you have written them off in terms of any NHL upside, cool, then I will agree with you that they should be waived. I am not there yet, especially with Solovyov. I think the smarter move is to send Coronato, Honzek and Grushnikov to the minors, with the message of: "You each have earned a spot, so I will have to make room." Injuries happen anyway.



As for Cooley, he certainly is a fun character, but Vladar has been good, and he has a much longer track record of being good. With Vladar being pain free, I would still pick Vladar over Cooley. I like all 4 goalies actually, and combined, I think there is a very good shot at a legitimate starter + good back up from those 4, and there are more goalies coming up the pipeline. I don't think Cooely is ready for the NHL yet, and it is much harder to hide a goalie on your roster than it is a forward or defencemen. A team that is putting in a claim on Cooley will have to keep him up and have a 3-headed goalie problem. If there is a team that has an injury and claims him, that's ok - claim him back when the team gets their starter back. I think it is rather easy to hide Pelletier and Solovyov on a roster and rotate them in every few games. If I am San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, etc., I will probably take a free look if I don't have to waive someone better to do so.


I don't think Pelletier has been bad at all. He has been improving every game I thought. Making solid plays in every zone. I would keep him around and see what this season brings. If he doesn't impress this season, then next season he gets lost in the shuffle here in Calgary.


Flames are very likely to be trading Mantha and Kuzmenko away this year. That's Honzek and Coronato. 13th forward is Pelletier. Just keep him as the 13th forward then. If you don't think he is worth keeping, then you won't have an argument as you would rather he sat out of the lineup more than he plays rather than Honzek or Coronato anyway.


I think you are a brainless organization when you run your organization as a meritocracy only, or when you run it by asset management only. Some players have poor years but rebound, some take a little longer to develop, and some players get completely derailed by injuries and others will bounce back. Pospisil was a guy everyone crossed-off. Ferland was a guy everyone crossed off. Pelletier is an easy guy to have around as he is very much like a vet that brings a team together - very charismatic, great leader, always positive - you want that in your locker room, so I would keep him around another season to see what happens. I think he will rebound.


Whatever happens, it is a much better conversation to have than arguing about which of the 5 PTOs we should be signing to fill the big holes. This team is legitimately deep everywhere other than centre (in terms of prospects that is), and that's probably going to be solved at the 2025 draft. Just a really, really solid base to start with.

Just to add to your train of thought...

Honzek was a guy people were calling a bust coming into camp. I was concerned about him, but he's alleviated all my concerns so far. He's going to be an NHLer, maybe as soon as this year.

Just have to be patient with prospects, especially when injuries occur. For that reason I hope Pelletier figures out a higher level soon. He's good enough to be an NHLer now, just not a great one. I think he can do more. Let's hope he proves us all right.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Other bonus of all this is that we have another similar crop coming in 25 and 26.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Junglist

Mantha is not going to be a healthy scratch, lol..

He was a healthy scratch on the last two teams he played for.

[edslunch]

I think Pelletier makes it, not because he won a spot outright, but because the club believes in him, he's a leader, and he deserves a solid shot to prove himself. If he doesn't make it this year he's done here. I believe the best performance management sometimes means you go the extra mile for someone that you believe has the potential even if they can't quite get to together, especially due to factors they can't control.

I'm rooting for him, but it's up to him now.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Flames are very likely to be trading Mantha and Kuzmenko away this year. That's Honzek and Coronato.

They won’t be moved until close to the deadline, when their cap hits don’t matter. I can’t see anyone giving up even a 3rd for Mantha before then, when they could have had him for free (except his cap hit) in the summer.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

So, they keep 3 goalies?

Or waive Vladar? I think he could clear due to his cap hit, but I just don't see the Flames going with such untested goalies.

Because surely they aren't sending Wolf down.

I just think the likely course is to try and send Cooley down. I just don't see anyone picking him up to play backup. Maybe if that team keeps 3 goalies.

Right. A team that claims a player on waivers needs to keep him on the roster, right?

Guaranteeing a NHL slot to a guy with 6 games? With bad stats, maybe due to a bad team, but jeez

A GM that would do that should be really questioned

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

They won’t be moved until close to the deadline, when their cap hits don’t matter. I can’t see anyone giving up even a 3rd for Mantha before then, when they could have had him for free (except his cap hit) in the summer.

They both have to have a good if not great year for the Flames to get anything for them

[Strange Brew]

Yeah seems to me the risk of losing Cooley is really low. Let's not repeat the mistake of waiving Byron to keep Joni Ortio around. Although there is not a Byron in the mix to lose this year really.

I think you protect a guy like Pelletier for the first part of the season. There's no rush in promoting some of the waiver exempt players, it's a long season. If they keep playing well in the AHL, it puts pressure on vets like Kuzmenko and Mantha which is fine by me.

[kyuss275]

Not sure why posters think Pelletier should be 13th forward? He has shown nothing this pre season so far. Sorry but this was a make or break camp for him and he’s wasting it so far. Don’t like the message it sends to other players either. Granted as of right now I’m in the camp that doesn’t see a chance in hell of him getting picked up on waivers. Send him down and make him earn his way back if he can.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Not sure why posters think Pelletier should be 13th forward? He has shown nothing this pre season so far. Sorry but this was a make or break camp for him and he’s wasting it so far. Don’t like the message it sends to other players either. Granted as of right now I’m in the camp that doesn’t see a chance in hell of him getting picked up on waivers. Send him down and make him earn his way back if he can.

Always given. Never earned.

[NewFan]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Not sure why posters think Pelletier should be 13th forward? He has shown nothing this pre season so far. Sorry but this was a make or break camp for him and he’s wasting it so far. Don’t like the message it sends to other players either. Granted as of right now I’m in the camp that doesn’t see a chance in hell of him getting picked up on waivers. Send him down and make him earn his way back if he can.

So are you OK to loose him for nothing? I'm sure he will be picked up by someone. 13th spot is his chance to find his role in a regular line up.

[Snuffleupagus]

Keep Pelletier, if he plays himself off the club he probably won't get picked off waivers.

[Flames1217]

The lines, in my opinion, will still be shuffled but I would go with the following:

Sharangovich-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Zary-Backlund-Coleman
Huberdeau-Pospisil-Mantha
Lomberg-Rooney-Klapka
Pelletier

Weegar-Miromanov
Bean-Anderson
Bahl-Pachal
Solo (should be the crusher but I understand he needs to play)

Wolf
Blade

So in essence, Coronato, Honzek and Crushnikov should all be making this team as they have without a doubt outplayed Solo and Pelletier. Unfortunately due to waivers that just can't happen. The flames are really deep with depth at the moment both at forward and on defence and room needs to be made in the upcoming seasons to accommodate the influx of talent.

Really surprised with Honzek, guy really looks to have taken a huge step this summer. I wasn't sure prior this preseason but I can see what management thought he could become. When he plays assertive, he's a beast.

[Goriders]

Honzek and Parekh both looked way better with the big club

The trick for Conroy is going to be finding room for the young players that are ready to make the step. Defence will be the trickiest as there are a few.

[Nelson]

Remaining at Training Camp

Forwards (21 - 10 making it, 6 tough decisions, 5 cuts)
Sharangovich
Kadri
Kuzmenko
Huberdeau
Pospisil
Zary
Backlund
Coleman
Lomberg
Mantha
Rooney - keep
Pelletier - keep
Honzek - send down
Klapka - keep
Coronato - keep
Hunt - send down
Duehr
Frk
Kirkland
Morton
Schwindt

Defence (13 - 7 making it, 6 cuts)
Weegar
Miromanov
Bahl
Andersson
Bean
Barrie
Pachal
Hanley
Grushnikov
Brzustewicz
Kuznetsov
Solovyov
Tinordi

Goalies (4 - 2 making it, 2 cuts)
Wolf
Vladar
Cooley
Ignatjew

My Lines for Night 1

Sharangovich - Kadri - Kuzmenko
Coleman - Backlund - Coronato
Huberdeau - Zary - Mantha
Pelletier - Pospisil - Lomberg
LW - Rooney - Klapka

Weegar - Miromanov
Bahl - Andersson
Bean - Pachal
LD - Barrie

Wolf
Vladar

The Message to Samuel Honzek

“We’re really proud of your amazing training camp. We think you took fantastic strides, and we want you to continue doing the same things in the AHL. If you do, you may find yourself on the Connor Zary track.”