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Fans are still basking in the warm glow of the Johnny Gaudreau show that was last night’s 3rd for Flames management, there’s no time to sit back and relax.
Final decisions need to be made regarding the Flames roster spots and a last round of cuts that is quickly approaching. While Brad Treliving, Brian Burke, and the rest of the management staff don’t consult me prior to making personnel decisions, they really should start because I know exactly what they should do.
The Flames need to make 10 more cuts, and here’s how they should do it:
Assign Joni Ortio to Adirondack.
We all know that this is the year where Joni will run the show in Addy as he continues to develop and refine his game. Next year he’ll get his opportunity to win a spot on the big club, but for this season he’s better off growing and developing in the AHL.
Same thing for Pat Sieloff. Last year Sieloff missed virtually the entire season with a staph infection, and didn’t get the developmental benefit of a year in the AHL. While he has looked relatively good so far in the pre-season it’s hard to argue that a year of professional hockey in Addy would be detrimental to his development.
Assign Morgan Klimchuk to Regina.
While it would have been nice to see more from Morgan, unfortunately his injury has kept him out of action for the most part. Morgan will benefit from another year in the WHL though and should thoroughly dominate play at that level. I expect to see him playing a key role for team Canada at the World Junior’s as well.
Other players who had their audition’s cut short by injury include Marcus Granlund and Tyler Wotherspoon. While I expect to see both of these players throughout the season, they should both be sent back to Adirondack for the time being to ease back into play and prepare themselves for the inevitable call-ups to come.
That gets us halfway there, and gets us to the more interesting cuts.
The Flames should waive and demote Corey Potter, Devin Setoguchi, and David Jones. While injuries may have played a part in regards to Potter and Jones’ abilities to showcase their abilities, I believe that Flames management needs to send a message to the entire organization by rewarding the players who have truly earned their roster spots.
I honestly don’t believe that any of these 3 players would be claimed, and for those of you who are wondering about the impact of David Jones’ contract, even if he is demoted $3.075 million of it counts against the cap which keeps the Flames above the salary floor. The only concern would arise if Jones were claimed by another team.The last 2 cuts are the most difficult to make, but I believe they’re still the obvious ones at this point in time.
Sven Baertschi should be assigned to Adirondack to play big minutes and build his confidence. He has played well through pre-season... but not well enough to earn a spot over Hudler, Gaudreau, or Glencross, and there’s really no sense keeping him with the big club if he’s not going to play offensive minutes.
Finally Sam Bennett should be rewarded with 2-3 games in the regular season as Mikael Backlund continues to rehab his injury, but he should be assigned to Kingston before the media can really latch onto the entire circus over whether he should stay in Calgary or not.
Bennett is going to be a very good player for the Flames, but he could still benefit from another year dominating the OHL and working on adding weight to his 6’1… frame. Like Klimchuk, Bennett should be an integral piece for team Canada as they look to win their first gold medal in 5 years at the World Juniors in December.
What does it all mean for the players that are left?
Well, congratulations Josh Jooris, Michael Ferland, Johnny Gaudreau, Raphael Diaz, and Paul Byron; you’ve earned yourselves roster spots (and a contract in the case of Diaz) on my personal Calgary Flames roster.
*Edit* The third cut that the Flames made today was sending Michael Ferland back to Adirondack. I personally think this was a mistake and expect that the main benefactor of this decision with be Devin Setoguchi who will have until David Jones returns from the IR to prove that there’s a spot for him on this roster. Colour me unimpressed.
Here are my lines for the regular season opener:
Forwards: Gaudreau – Monahan – Hudler Raymond – Stajan – Jooris Glencross – Bennett* – Colborne Ferland Bollig – Bouma – McGrattan
Extras: Byron, Bollig, Setoguchi
*Assuming Backlund still isn’t ready
Defense: Giordano – Brodie Russell – Engelland Smid – Wideman
Extra: Diaz
Goaltending: Ramo Hiller