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Hudler and Cervenka In....Baertschi out?

January 25, 2013, 3:42 PM ET [76 Comments]
Colin Dambrauskas
Calgary Flames Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
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Just a few quick notes here to wrap up Friday and move into the weekend. Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley has confirmed today that both Juri Hudler and Roman Cervenka will be making their debut against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. With the addition of these two forwards, the Flames will have to demote some players and possibly send rookie Sven Baertschi down to the Abbotsford Heat.

It has not been confirmed yet that Baertschi will be sent down, as the youngster could either be demoted to a say a 3rd line role or asked to sit the game out as the team decides where they will place everyone. Having Baertschi in the Flames lineup is good for his development to a certain degree. With a condensed schedule and teams fighting for every game as if it were already the playoffs, there is an added risk that the rookie either has a hard time finding his game which may lead to a loss of confidence, or an added risk of being injured which ultimately impedes development all together.

Whether the team is looking to send Baertchi down in order to cushion his development, make room for the veterans on the team, or because his play is simply not adequate enough to warrant staying is unknown. Sven has demonstrated much of what should be expected from a prospect of his caliber so far, and I don’t feel that he’s been necessarily struggling. He has averaged around 12 minutes per game, registered three shots on net and has taken two minor penalties. He has shown flashes of brilliance, and other moments of inexperience as he tries to break out in the NHL.

I do not imagine that Hartley will be demoting Baertschi for his play so far, rather it could be a simple message that he needs to improve his game a little more or he risks being sent down. The Flames are looking to be competitive and it appears they may not have the room this year to develop their prospects at the NHL level.

It seems as though it is also a trend in the NHL right now as teams like the Islanders and Leafs are sending down their prospects as well. There will be more development on this over the next day or so, however it will be a shame if Sven sits out Saturday’s game against the Oilers as it appears his mother will be flying down for the game.

Thanks for reading!

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