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Rebuilding in the NHL; Difference of Opinions + Brief Q&A with Jay Feaster

August 22, 2013, 10:21 AM ET [104 Comments]
Colin Dambrauskas
Calgary Flames Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD

I wrote a blog a few days ago about the importance of Mike Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames through their rebuild process, and a whopping 73% of readers polled that the Flames would be wiser to move him than keep him around.

This got me to thinking; what exactly should constitute a rebuild and which players should a team keep around throughout such progressions. As I dug deeper for the answer, it become apparent that there is no universal definition or “game plan” for an NHL rebuild as several teams have taken different approaches over the years.

Whether it be drafting first overall a few years in a row and remaining basement dwellers while doing so like the Oilers, drafting two star players in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews followed by a few other moves resulting in strong years of hockey due to solid coaching and systems like the Hawks, or even dumping several veteran players, slowly restocking their cupboards with youth via trade or college signings and patiently climbing back up to fight for a playoff spot as we’ve seen with the Leafs.

Fact of the matter is the term rebuild is rather subjective. Not one fan base appears to agree on just how an organization should go about it given the several different steps and objectives a GM may need to overcome. So many factors come into play when determining just which objectives each GM may be faced with, but I think we can all agree that selling tickets and making money is always number one. With that being said, I thought it would be necessary to dig up a little more information regarding the Calgary Flames and where exactly they are heading with their “rebuild”.

We are approaching the beginning of the 2013-14 NHL season and for the first time in decades the Calgary Flames will be icing a younger and rather inexperienced roster than we’ve seen. With only a handful of experienced players remaining on the Flames roster, fans often wonder who will remain throughout the upcoming season and who could be shipped off as well. The name that keeps coming up is that of Mike Cammalleri given his cap hit and further, the impression that he isn’t exactly the kind of guy a rebuilding team would care to keep around. Well this is all just speculation and I thought perhaps it would be wise to get information directly from the source.

I emailed Jay Feaster a few days ago to ask ask him just what he thought about the importance of keeping guys like Cammalleri around amidst a rebuild, and here’s what he had to say.

One of the things our Assistant General Manager, John Weisbrod, and I talked with our veterans players about during our exit meetings this past season is how vital it is to a rebuild effort to ensure that our young players are surrounded by the 'right' veterans. As we indicated, we want veteran players who are committed to doing things the right way and preparing each and every day like professionals, setting the proper example for our young guys. This is a challenge we extended to all of our veteran players, including Mike, and we look forward to having him embrace that challenge as he has always been the consummate pro and a leader by example.


While there was not much that surprised me about Feaster’s answer to my question, what stood out for me was the fact that he made reference to keeping the “right” veterans around to insulate the youth. I have made this point a few times now that the Flames appear to strategize their rebuild in a way where they will not be dumping all their vets in favor of draft picks and the heavily supported notion of “tanking”. Rather, the Flames maintain that they will continue to bring in youth through trades and the draft, but will continue to keep their team as competitive as they can while doing so.

As we’ve discussed over the past few days, the Flames will likely not be one the prettiest of teams to watch next season, though I get the impression they will play with a lot of heart and character and might surprise us all. While moving a guy like Cammalleri (given the state of the team or the likely demands of said player) appears favorable, Jay Feaster and the Calgary Flames continue to support that their roster will not be torn apart and beaten up every night through this rebuild and that further, they will take the necessary steps to ensure more youth is brought into their system while withstanding a competitive environment.

As mentioned, there is not one guaranteed path to take when it comes to rebuilds and most GM’s and fans feel differently about it. What we can be sure about is how this particular GM and franchise feels and that we can hold onto the fact that the Calgary Flames aim to compete throughout this rebuild and not roll over and die for a few years. How successful they will be at doing so however, is left to be seen.

I welcome any and all comments on the topic of rebuilding, as many of you fans have experienced it to some degree, I’m sure.

Thanks for reading.
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