[GDT] Kraken @ Flames: Sept. 30 - 7:00pm MDT (FlamesTV, SN960)

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I don't think that Honzek NEEDS the AHL to further progress.



We don't know where Honzek is really at until he plays in the NHL. It is preseason, so just like Coronato did last year, he can look fantastic, but then come back down to earth and look out of place. I do think he looks NHL ready with how he is playing vs Coronato. I think Honzek has a style of game that he is playing that is much more conducive to success at the NHL level than Coronato.


However, does it hurt sending Honzek down to the AHL for 10, 15, 20+ games? No. You may not think that Pelletier is going to be some difference maker at the NHL level, and you are probably right, but he can definitely become a very good 3rd liner who chips in offensively, does things well defensively, and adds a tonne to the room. Maybe he tops out as a good 2nd liner. We don't know.


You may waive Pelletier before the season opener, lose him, and then in the first week of the seasons find yourselves with 3 injuries to the forward ranks. I remember that happening in the 2013-14 (or was that hte 2014-15?) season, where Monahan had to suddenly play on the top line because Stajan and Backlund were both injured.


What is really the legitimate downside here. The only thing I know for sure is that Duehr or Rooney will have to go through waivers in order for Pelletier to be the 13th forward. Do you want Honzek or Coronato being the 13th forward? Seems to be a lot of angst for nothing, really.


No mantra should be applied without consideration. The world is not that black and white. Some players have a longer development curve, especially when they experience setbacks (ex. injuries). Always earned, never given -- if you apply that blindly, then the Flames should have traded away Honzek since he was trending to be a bust and they should have tried to extract whatever value they could. Should have demoted Gaudreau in his first full season to start. Heck, MacInnis and his wild shot with poor defence.



Flames are in a rebuild. They have the room this year, so why not see if they can get an asset to rebound. You can then flip that asset for something else later or have the asset on your team contributing in some way. Why lose an asset unnecessarily at least until you are more sure that Pelletier has no (or too limited of a) NHL upside? Flames aren't competing for the cup this year. Rebuilds are the time to show patience to developing players. I promise you that Honzek or Coronato are not going to demand trades because Pelletier is the 13th forward.

Sharangovich
Kuzmenko
Huberdeau
Mantha
Zary
Coleman
Lomberg

Who from this list minus Lomberg will Honzek replace?

While he may have made the team he will need minutes to be effective. Not buried on the 4th line.

He has lost a lot of development time, and he needs to play everyday and play a lot of minutes. That will not happen in the NHL.

While it is exciting to see him do well, we can't overreact over a small sample size and further hinder his development. We need to do what is best for him and the team.

[MacDaddy77]

Honzek will make the team post trade deadline or when some of those players get traded.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

"Always earned, never given" doesn't just apply to 3 or 4 preseason games, though.

Do the past three years of effort and development mean nothing for Pelletier? Are we going to potentially throw that all away because he started camp slow after an injury plagued season? He has shown great promise - I think he has "earned" more of an opportunity, and if we don't give it to him, someone else just might. Show a little confidence in the kid by keeping him around and it might just be what he needs to settle in a bit and find his game. We all know he is capable of much more. We have seen it.

I am as big of a Honzek fan as you will find around here, but he's still just 19 years old. Playing in the AHL to begin the year is hardly the worst outcome.

Plus wasn't Pelletier flat as a pancake in his last Penticton trip as well? Didn't find it until a recall from the AHL.

Maybe he's got that Backlund October?

[Oy Tiggins]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Sharangovich
Kuzmenko
Huberdeau
Mantha
Zary
Coleman
Lomberg

Who from this list minus Lomberg will Honzek replace?

While he may have made the team he will need minutes to be effective. Not buried on the 4th line.

He has lost a lot of development time, and he needs to play everyday and play a lot of minutes. That will not happen in the NHL.

While it is exciting to see him do well, we can't overreact over a small sample size and further hinder his development. We need to do what is best for him and the team.

Mantha. Hes not very good.

[TheIronMaiden]

Honzek is a top 6 player and should not play on the 3rd or 4th line. He will get sent down, and be told that when the Flames trade Mantha he will get Mantha's spot. Let him play against men and get hungry. The Flames are time on their side with him.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by ThisIsAnOutrage

Nah. More people use it than you think. I've been using Razzy Andy for years already.

Long live Razzy Andy!

I will allow it as long as he is traded by Game 15.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Sharangovich
Kuzmenko
Huberdeau
Mantha
Zary
Coleman
Lomberg

Who from this list minus Lomberg will Honzek replace?

While he may have made the team he will need minutes to be effective. Not buried on the 4th line.

He has lost a lot of development time, and he needs to play everyday and play a lot of minutes. That will not happen in the NHL.

While it is exciting to see him do well, we can't overreact over a small sample size and further hinder his development. We need to do what is best for him and the team.

Honzek can easily replace Mantha, I don't know why we even signed him. Plus when Kuzmenko gets traded that opens up another spot.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I have no problem with young players in the system practicing with the big club, training with the big club, getting the best skills coaching money can buy, and mentorship from top-tier players.

As long as they’re getting regular reps on NHL ice, I don’t think it matters much if they’re playing 10 mins vs 15 mins per game.

I think the “pay your dues on the bottom 6” system mainly went away because the cap incentivizes teams to squeeze as much productivity as possible out of kids on their ELC and RFA years. Not because there’s anything wrong with patiently developing kids by giving them ice time on the depth lines or in a checking role.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by transplant99

No he didnt.

He has been nothing short of mediocre at best in Calgary in his short stints.

I understand the fear people have of losing the guy for nothing (tho i think its maybe 1% chance of happening) but no need for hyperbole.

How he has performed at the AHL level means squat tho. That league is full of guys who play really well there but cannot translate it to the next level. In fact every single team has those guys on it.

Keeping hum in hopes he gets better when the competition ratches up seems ridiculous to me. He just is not NHL ready yet, and may never be.

Yet it costs nothing to give him a shot. If it’s not working a month in put him on waivers and call up someone else. A month in the AHL isn’t going hurt Honzek for example

[Monahammer]

Honzek loses a substantial amount of Money personally when he plays in the AHL vs the NHL. Why should he accept longer in the AHL when he has clearly out performed? That would make anybody unhappy.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Honzek loses a substantial amount of Money personally when he plays in the AHL vs the NHL. Why should he accept longer in the AHL when he has clearly out performed? That would make anybody unhappy.

What's the alternative?

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Major Major

What's the alternative?

He'll take his puck and go home. You can't accept that kind of treatment from team management. Otherwise, you're telling management that it's not a black-and-white decision and you're okay with that.

[cannon7]

Where did this Pachal come from? Didn't see any of this offense last season.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I'm not sure if Pelts is a full time NHLer, as much as I like the person.

Not sure it's a slam dunk he gets claimed either, outside of the Habs.