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Brett Kulak should replace Matt Bartkowski on the 3rd pairing |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
The Calgary Flames may be finished with their off-season shopping -- although I think they may make another move up front -- but there are still ways they can improve the team without parting with assets or money.
One way they could go about doing so: replacing Matt Bartkowski on the 3rd pairing with Brett Kulak.
Assuming the Flames don't want to rush Oliver Kylington or Juuso Valimaki, nor have Rasmus Andersson break into the league while playing on his off-side, Kulak would clearly be the best option.
The 23-year-old defenseman, who remains unsigned, played 21 games with the Flames last season and fared much better than Bartkowski on the 3rd pairing.
Kulak was vastly better at driving play, averaged more shot attempts per 60 minutes, more points per 60 minutes, and did so while seeing a lesser percentage of offensive zone starts.
Both players played primarily with Deryk Engelland -- Kulak logged 230 minutes with him and Bartkowski logged 255 -- so it's not as if one guy benefited from more optimal playing circumstances. The field was level and Kulak still managed to get much better results.
In today's NHL, the margin of error is extremely small. Replacing one bad player with an average player could be the difference between winning and losing some nights. That's why Bartkowski shouldn't continue to hold a roster spot, and Kulak should probably be the one to take it.
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