[Rumour] Spector: Flames are willing to move Hudler and Wideman

[kehatch]

Wideman and Russell were a really good pairing before Wideman got injured.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I see Wideman, Russell, and Smid as 4th/5th defenseman, and we don't have that clear #3 defenseman yet. That's why it's difficult for us to pair them.

My absolute favorite pairing was Smid and Wotherspoon, who knew that would have had so much chemistry.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

I don't mind Smid on the second pairing, covering for a talented offensive puck-mover like Russell (and occasionally Wideman) and their defensive lapses. Smid-Wideman as the 3rd pairing could actually be very good, especially if we found a decently sized 2nd-pairing calibre player to play with Russell.

I think once all the Oiler stank comes off of Smid he'll play much better. A full training camp with a real NHL team should do him a world of good.

I agree - Smid-Wideman would be an outstanding 3rd pairing, with extra minutes to Wideman on the PP and Smid killing.
Hopefully the stank wears off, if that's what it is. Flames were outshot 5 on 5 by nearly a 2-1 margin when Smid was on the ice. Some of that is situational - his offensive zone starts are low, etc. His value definitely exceeds what some of the metrics would imply, but Smid does need to be better than that regardless.