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It has been a few years since Brian Burke has coined the term “truculence” with his hockey teams, and it would seem as though the Calgary Flames mold is shaping up just as he would have hoped.

Outside of some promising up and coming stars which the Flames possess, the organization has been adding a few additional “solid” players who they hope will help to insulate said talent.

Because I spend a fair amount of time analyzing and trying to understand each and every move which Calgary finds themselves behind, I had a few preconceived notions with respect to acquiring players who were known for their bruising abilities.

It is common knowledge that Calgary is one of few teams who are amidst a rebuild, and as such, are not expected to have the strongest or most experienced of line combinations. That said, it has always been Calgary’s goal to put together the most competitive or hard work roster which they could attain while trying to build for their future.

The Flames have brought in some veteran help with respect to scoring and leadership, but what I’ve found most interesting is the number of players which they’ve acquired whose strengths are toward their levels of physicality.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog which went on to explain how the NHL has moved away from a pure physical game where guys who couldn’t necessarily skate all too well could get away with a decent career. The NHL, I argued, has shifted toward speed and finesse and bigger guys are now required to be able to skate with the best of them if they are looking for serious NHL careers.

With that established, the Flames have been acquiring players who meet both criteria; at least so they hope. This summer alone, the Flames have brought in experienced winger Brandon Bollig(6’3 2215lbs) and defenseman Deryk Engelland(6’2, 215lbs).

Outside of these experienced players, they signed rookie David Wolf(6’2 216lbs), and drafted Hunter Smith(6’7, 220lbs), Adam Ollas-Mattsson(6’4, 216lbs), and Austin Carroll(6’3, 214lbs) a few weeks ago. These are all players being added to the organization. An organization which wasn’t exactly small to begin with.

And while it’s nice for the organization to bring in brute strength and size, the team is also very hopeful for the other skill-sets which these players offer.

As previously mentioned, Bollig offers much experience from a winning team. He can be a pest, punish the opposition with his frame and fists, but also skate and chip in on the score sheet. Engelland offers another level of veteran leadership from a winning environment, but can also effectively move guys from the front of the net and punish them in the corners.

And then we have the skating fridge, David Wolf. This particular player was a total pest playing in Germany. He fought just about anyone, finished his checks with intensity and made it incredibly difficult for the opposition to stick to their game plan. And while Flames GM Brad Treliving is aware of his strength, he recently commented on the players need for further development.

“He’s like a walking fridge,” Treliving said chuckling. “He’s a big guy.” When asked about Wolf’s skating given the fact that David hasn’t skated in about three months, Treliving added - “He’s just probably starting to feel good now. But he’s an interesting guy, he’s an older guy, you can see his straight-ahead approach.

“Between now and September, he’ll have been on the ice and I think you’ll see a little bit of a different kid come September.”

In addition to the potential which the organization sees in Wolf, they are equally excited for their recent draft pick Hunter Smith. Selected in the second round a few weeks ago, Smith is quite the large hockey player standing at 6’7. But what this player doesn’t want to end up being, is a big goon type guy who can’t offer much else – see John Scott.

My big knock is my skating, and I want to show that my skating is coming along and it’s continuing to get better,” Smith admitted during Flames development camp at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre."

“It’s really picked up over the past year-and-a-half, but it’s still got a ways to go before it’s NHL-ready. A lot of work has to be done.”

Smith doesn’t have to worry yet, it would seem, as Treliving has also noticed the prospects desire to improve upon his skating in order to prepare for his future.

“He might not look the prettiest, but as we found out during the year, he doesn’t finish last in too many races,” said Treliving. “The exciting part is he’s still so raw. Physically, you look at him and he’s a big kid. But there’s a lot of filling out to do. There’s a lot of strength to do. And even mechanically, with his stride, there is some work to be done.

“He’s going to take some time,” Treliving furthered. “As we improve (his skating), that will make him even a better player. But you’re right — you look at him now, and he gets to places. He arrives on time. Even in a couple of drills, he was beating people.

“It probably doesn’t hurt when you take one stride, and it’s probably equal to about four strides of the normal person.”

All excited news for Flames fans who are in favour of big, hard to play against hockey players. The Calgary Flames have been bringing in some very highly touted skilled players such as Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Johnny Gaudreau etc, but are also stocking up on the players who will be insulating them down the road which is very important.

A nice mix of grit and skill, and this Calgary Flames roster could be dangerous once again in just a few short years.

That’s all for today folks, thanks for reading!

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