The Flames need to recall Matthew Phillips

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yeah i dont think a guy who is 5'6" tall and weighs 160 lbs that has niether played an NHL shift nor hockey of any kind in almost 11 months is an answer to any question on the Flames.

Clearly Nordstrom isn’t the answer either. And neither is Leivo.

How about instead of relying on low-upside veterans that we know aren’t the answer, we actually try to bring up a high upside youngster who we don’t know what they are at the NHL level yet.

Similar things were said about Mangiapane a couple years ago too and IMO the Flames took too long to call him up

[browna]

An infusion of Rinaldo while not the most elegant of solutions, may be the energy required. (What is really needed is 2017-18 Garnett Hathaway).

Those new bottom guys are finding their way, including a couple new faces. Put it this way, Jankowski or Reider wouldnt fare any better. But Backlund is taken off a cliff again, Bennett's Bennett and Lucic needs about 25 games to get his legs under him.

[SeanCharles]

The guy I want to see is Ruzicka.

I think he could be a gem that no one ever talks about.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

The guy I want to see is Ruzicka.

I think he could be a gem that no one ever talks about.

Yeah, or give Gawdin a run. Cannot be worse than Nordstrom

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Clearly Nordstrom isn’t the answer either. And neither is Leivo.

How about instead of relying on low-upside veterans that we know aren’t the answer, we actually try to bring up a high upside youngster who we don’t know what they are at the NHL level yet.

Similar things were said about Mangiapane a couple years ago too and IMO the Flames took too long to call him up

Mangiapane is short but he isnt small. He has probably 35 lbs on MP.

Philips is tiny.

At this level it makes an enormous difference.

I have zero doubt that if BT thought he could make a difference...he would be on the taxi squad. He isnt.

[Reggie Dunlop]

I don't think we'll see "farm" call-ups this season, given the Taxi Squad's existence. The team would have to have a dire rash of injuries for that to happen.

Buddy's pretty much the designated utility forward for now.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I don't think we'll see "farm" call-ups this season, given the Taxi Squad's existence. The team would have to have a dire rash of injuries for that to happen.

Buddy's pretty much the designated utility forward for now.

What I wouldn't give to see Buddy in the lineup for some physicality.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Mangiapane is short but he isnt small. He has probably 35 lbs on MP.

Philips is tiny.

At this level it makes an enormous difference.

I have zero doubt that if BT thought he could make a difference...he would be on the taxi squad. He isnt.

Same story all the time with small players but until you actually give them a shot you never know.

He would have been called up last year (and was at one point but didn’t get in a game) it wasn’t for his knee injury, so I think Treliving will call him up at some point.

Flames taxi squad forwards are all veterans even though guys like Phillips, Ruzicka, and Gawdin all looked better than those guys in training camp. Flames supposedly wanted those younger guys to be practicing together since they will get top line minutes in the AHL. Don’t think it was indicative of who would have more impact at the NHL level.

It’s typical Flames though. Put low upside veterans that are on the downswing of their careers in the bottom 6 instead of at least giving a prospect a shot first.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by browna

An infusion of Rinaldo while not the most elegant of solutions, may be the energy required. (What is really needed is 2017-18 Garnett Hathaway).

Those new bottom guys are finding their way, including a couple new faces. Put it this way, Jankowski or Reider wouldnt fare any better. But Backlund is taken off a cliff again, Bennett's Bennett and Lucic needs about 25 games to get his legs under him.

Would make a huge difference if someone in the organization would step into that role.

[1qqaaz]

Glenn Gawdin is big, right handed, and turns 24 soon. He's been a point per game player in the AHL.
He needs to have a shoot sooner or later as well. I'm not sure how often he plays on the wing though.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yeah i dont think a guy who is 5'6" tall and weighs 160 lbs that has niether played an NHL shift nor hockey of any kind in almost 11 months is an answer to any question on the Flames.

Yeah, I do think a guy who scored 100 goals and 200+ points in his last 2 WHL seasons, while being a point per game player in the AHL, is an answer to some of the Flames' question.
This is the same team that discovered Vernon, Fleury, St. Louis, Savard, Gaudreau, and others. If there's any fan base that shouldn't doubt players for their size, it's Flames fans.

Nordstrom is -3 with no points in 3 games so far. He has never produced at any level.
I doubt Phillips would be any worse. Ryan would actually be able to make some plays with him.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

What I wouldn't give to see Buddy in the lineup for some physicality.

Good lord.

Buddy Robinson solves absolutely nothing for this team

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Yeah, I do think a guy who scored 100 goals and 200+ points in his last 2 WHL seasons, while being a point per game player in the AHL, is an answer to some of the Flames' question.
This is the same team that discovered Vernon, Fleury, St. Louis, Savard, Gaudreau, and others. If there's any fan base that shouldn't doubt players for their size, it's Flames fans.

Nordstrom is -3 with no points in 3 games so far. He has never produced at any level.
I doubt Phillips would be any worse. Ryan would actually be able to make some plays with him.

Gaudreau is the only guy even close to Philips size among that group and he still has 25 lbs on MP. Think about that.

More to the point though..

Philips has not played meaningful hockey in nearly a year. He is not in a camp right now. He has never taken the ice in an NHL game.

Im gonna go with the guys that have seen him through the brief training camp we just experienced, actually watched him play in Stockton last year and who have a pretty good grasp on who gives them the best chance to win based on team needs. Those are just logical conclusions.

Otherwise one would have to believe that BT nd crew are intentionally not playing MP because.....well...reasons.

Oh and never ever bring up junior point totals in an effort to suggest someone is NHL level of offense. It's patently ridiculous.

Case in point? Sam Bennett. Well over 200 pts in the equivalent of 2 seasons.

[bubbsy]

I'd be more excited about Phillips if was an extremely fast skater. It's going to be hard for him to make the jump to a bottom 6 role here. If Phillips is coming in, it can only be to replace lucic. Having them on the same line indicates a poorly constructed line.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I'd be more excited about Phillips if was an extremely fast skater. It's going to be hard for him to make the jump to a bottom 6 role here. If Phillips is coming in, it can only be to replace lucic. Having them on the same line indicates a poorly constructed line.

Yea Phillips and Gawdin don’t excite me much. I feel like they are a bit overrated by the fan base but of course I wouldn’t be upset if I was wrong about that assessment.

I don’t see impact NHLers in either of them.

Ruzicka and Pettersen are better prospects IMO.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Gaudreau is the only guy even close to Philips size among that group and he still has 25 lbs on MP. Think about that.

More to the point though..

Philips has not played meaningful hockey in nearly a year. He is not in a camp right now. He has never taken the ice in an NHL game.

Im gonna go with the guys that have seen him through the brief training camp we just experienced, actually watched him play in Stockton last year and who have a pretty good grasp on who gives them the best chance to win based on team needs. Those are just logical conclusions.

Otherwise one would have to believe that BT nd crew are intentionally not playing MP because.....well...reasons.

Oh and never ever bring up junior point totals in an effort to suggest someone is NHL level of offense. It's patently ridiculous.

Case in point? Sam Bennett. Well over 200 pts in the equivalent of 2 seasons.

Yeah, there is an endless list of junior scorers who couldn't transition to pro hockey, never mind the NHL.

Sadly for the Flames though there are currently 5 forwards who have not brought a thing to the lineup five games in and some are doing more harm then good. They would lose nothing by scratching one of Lievo, Simon, Lucic, Bennet or Nordstrom and inserting any other option from Stockton or the Taxi Squad. You could throw any name out there and at best it's a parallel move over a down grade. Gawdin, Phillips, Rinaldo, Ritchie, Robinson, any of them could bring something to the line up. Is Bubba the answer, I hope we get a chance to see.

[Burning Beard]

Let's try some new blood on the 4th line. Look what Dube and Mangiapane have done for the lines. Gotta be better than what is currently there.

[FlamesAddiction]

Is Gawdin in Switzerland? I noticed he played a game there in 2020-2021. I didn't realize.

I don't think any of the potential call-ups move the needle much, if at all. I would take Robinson being called up over the others mentioned though.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Good lord.

Buddy Robinson solves absolutely nothing for this team

I actually don't hate the idea.


Buddy Robinson on the top line doesn't offer much (or in the top 9, really).


But Robinson on the 4th line? I think the Flames might have used a bit of his energy during the 1st period.



If I am the Flames, I work with Robinson a lot on the PK. He has good wheels and a crazy long reach. I thought the same thing about Hathaway the year before the Flames started using him on the PK. Robinson has the wheels and the reach to become a very good 'disruptor' on the PK.


I liked the Nordstrom signing, but he hasn't been very effective. At this point, I can't make an argument as to why the Flames shouldn't be rotating all the taxi squad members through the 4th line until something clicks.

[EVERLAST]

Phillips also played with Dube and those 2 know each other well.
I'd say by playoffs this has to be a thing....hopefully we get to see Phillips up close and personal since the heat will be here in Calgary