[News] The NHL is back! Almost! (Practice Notes for Feb 18)

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Party Elephant

Agree on the shutdown center minutes for sure, but I don't think he needs PP minutes. I would even argue being off the PP would mean he has more energy for his shutdown role.

Ya, and that has nothing to do with him being a 2/3C. (Not that you specifically are arguing that)

You can take him off the PP but if he's your best shutdown center, you don't out him on the 4th line.

[Harry Lime]

I like the Farabee-Frost-Sharangovich line.
Found money line.

[kyuss275]

I’m with the posters that would like to continue to see Zary at center. I’m not convinced that the flames management and coaching staff see him as a center . They just picked up one and are supposedly looking for another one. I have my doubts that they are thinking of asking kadri to waive his no trade clause either.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

It's either Zary or Frost on the wing.

Why not Backlund on the wing?

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by getoverit

Sharongovich 8 pts last 10 games. Whatever ailed him he seems to finally coming around. Bigger concerns than him at moment

Now that Zary and Bahl are back who?

[Paulie Walnuts]

Backlund is not a winger. You can just go back and look at stupid experiment last time. He wasn’t happy either. This coach was on the that staff.

What they need to do is get him off the PP and build a line that can play the shift after a PP. many times it’s Rooney going out with his line to get hemmed in and give up whatever momentum you create and often against the other teams top line.

Throw Backlund and Coleman out after a PP expires during the flow of the game.

[BigThief]

Backlund's going to be 36 in a couple months. If he needs to move to the wing during the regular shift to help younger guys grow as players he should be open to do that.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Now that Zary and Bahl are back who?

Backlund and Andersson, IMO. Both have really struggled lately.

[Goriders]

I agree on backlund. Not sure I agree on Andersson.

I think we also need a 6th Dman and our 4th line has been sucking lately.

I think Zary Bahl will have a big impact though.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Backlund and Andersson, IMO. Both have really struggled lately.

Andersson has been struggling and poor probably since November.

Strong start to the season and not much since.

[Paulie Walnuts]

The guy who should be given the most minutes if we are trying to truly develop and elevate young guys is Frost. He will be 26 in May. Entering the prime of his career. We need to see what type of offensive player we have and what situations he can play in. He is also due a new contract.

He should be getting lots of PP PK and even strength time.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

4th line wasn't working before the break. Big liability to the team. Get rid of Rooney and put a kid there if you have to. Or move Zary to C and shuffle everyone down.

And please recall Solovyov. He's better than at least 2, probably 3 of the d-men on our roster.

[Snuffleupagus]

Re: Backlund

1) - If he's still slightly injured no more than 3rd line minutes
2) - Get him off the PP

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Party Elephant

Agree on the shutdown center minutes for sure, but I don't think he needs PP minutes. I would even argue being off the PP would mean he has more energy for his shutdown role.

Agree 100%

It's not in his DNA

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Backlund's going to be 36 in a couple months. If he needs to move to the wing during the regular shift to help younger guys grow as players he should be open to do that.

I'd rather move him to the wing or the fourth line when he's no longer the team's best defensive center, rather than use his birth certificate as a decision point.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

I like the Farabee-Frost-Sharangovich line.
Found money line.

The FFS line! Can't wait to hear Hrudey chuckle as he says it. Not really knowing what it means.

[Hot_Flatus]

Really want to see Morten and Stromgren come up in place of Rooney and Pospisil at some point this season. Even if it is just a 4-5 game audition, it would be great to see where they're at.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Reminds me of the time Peter’s and Ward turned Backlund into a winger lol.

Must. Contain. RAAAAGGGE!

(Rage directed at the random apostrophe, not Peters).

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

Must. Contain. RAAAAGGGE!

(Rage directed at the random apostrophe, not Peters).

Sorry the phone does typos. I shall refer to him as Billy Pete from now on.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Backlund:



If your aim is to win, then you don't utilize Backlund as the 4th line C. You utilize him as the match-up defensive center against the league's best lines so that they can be neautralized as best as possible in order for the Flames to win.


If your aim is to develop players, you don't utilize Backlund as the 4th line C. You utilize him as the match-up defensive center against the league's best lines so that you can shelter a young center in the NHL through his development.


Either way, until Backlund's effectiveness regresses enough where he is no longer the best option defensively, he is basically playing 2nd line minutes. When those wheels fall off - and they will - then you look at demoting him down the lineup, or switching him to the wing. Or like the old joke with Lanny in his last season - maybe you switch him to defence for a few years, then when he really can't skate, you put him in net. However, in all seriousness, those wheels will eventually fall off.



I would still like to see the Zary at Center experiment continue - I think it was going well until he got injured. Now Frost has been brought in, and there doesn't seem to be a spot for Zary, which I do think is unfortunate. He does not supplant Backlund. Maybe he can supplant Frost, but then that's akin to robbing Peter to pay Paul, no? They both need ice-time.


This is basically a 'compete' vs 'development' conundrum to me. Sports in general is almost all based phrase: "What have you done for me lately?" Kadri and Backlund are both much better bets to help the Flames win games this season, while Zary is the much better bet to help the Flames win games 3 seasons from now. I don't think you will get much of an argument there. So the question arises: "Should the Flames prioritize winning or development?".



I, for one, am happy if this team makes the playoffs unexpectedly this year. I also don't expect a long run if they do. So while playoff experience is great for development, you also probably should prioritize development ahead of competing. So IF (and I don't know this) the Flames see Zary as a center, then they should be making room for Zary so he has the opportunity to develop into one.


I don't want to liken this to Bennett (and I certainly don't want to beat a dead horse, as the whole Bennett development argument is not even a dead horse, but a pile of bones now), but we certainly can take something from that experience and apply it forward. I remember Conroy stating that Bennett didn't get enough opportunity here, remember? That's always been my argument there - just not enough patience with him. Under Hartley, things were going really well, but that's during the 'development' period. When he was fired, and Gulutzan brought in, it switched to 'compete now', and there appeared to be little room for patience. We do not know what more patience + opportunity could have done for Bennett - maybe he would have developed into a #1C, or maybe things could have been much worse and he would have ended up as the prima donna that Zegras SEEMS to be. Nobody really knows for sure, but what I feel we do know is that the current GM of the Flames feels that Bennett should have had more opportunity. In hindsight, investing that asset worth into Bennett (a 4th overall pick's level of worth) should have come with further investments of patience and opportunity, but it didn't.



I would rather see the Flames invest a bit of patience and opportunity into Zary, and see what comes out of it. At least there won't be arguments or second guesses. Tough to say how to accomplish that without moving out a center, however. What I do know is that Zary is likely going to be a much more impactful forward in the NHL 5 years from now than either of Backlund or Kadri (which I assume neither will be in the NHL by that time).


it is a difficult decision, and it is evidenced by the differing opinions here.