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First off, I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while I’ve been away on vacation, and apologize to those who were upset with the lack of content with respect to the Calgary Flames during the draft.
Unfortunately, the area in which my wife and I spent our week did not have any signal and I did not find out who the Flames drafted until after the fact when I entered a small town an hour or so away. That said, I have been back for a few days now and have some thoughts/analysis of what was gone down over the past week.
Before getting in the draft, I’d like to discuss some of the events which have been taking place with respect to the Flames current NHL team. As most have been well informed by now, Calgary has acquired Brandon Bollig from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for one of two third round picks.
This move, for me, was great. I really can’t find any reasons to complain about it. The Flames first four picks in the 2014 NHL draft were 4th, 34th, 54th, and 64th overall. Not bad considering they dealt a 3rd round pick and acquired a proven tough guy in Bollig.
With respect to what they acquired, Brandon will bring added veteran presence to the roster. He will add to the compete level and will ensure that the Flames remain a tough team to play against. Moreover, the 6’2 223lbs pound winger has a Stanley Cup ring to add to his pedigree.
The Flames feel that with added ice time and responsibility, that Bollig can and will be a big help to the bottom 6 of this team, especially as they try and develop some rookies of their own over the next year or two.
"We've talked a little bit about adding some size to our lineup," said Treliving, "I think Brandon's a guy that in a situation where he's maybe given a little bit more responsibility, a little bit more opportunity, I think there's still more growth to his game.
"We've got some young people coming and we want to make sure they're surrounded by the right people. He's won a Stanley Cup."
With respect to bringing in the “right people…, I wrote a quick blog last night about the alleged “high… level of interest from the Calgary Flames with respect to signing Tom Gilbert as a UFA. With the need to find one, maybe two defenders to fill roles for the 2014-15 roster, the Flames will certainly look to the free agency market.
That said, Gilbert would be a cheap, low risk signing and would add size and leadership to their back end. Gilbert is a surprisingly good skater for his size, and can move the puck very well. He is thought to have a few too many mental mistakes in his own end, however he will be relied upon for a 3/4 guy on the Flames current roster.
If the Flames can bring him in for under/around $2M per, I have no problem with this deal. If they need to overpay for his services because of interest from other teams, I’d rather they pass on this particular player and look to a younger player or two to potentially fill the void. While it’s important to bring in the right number of vets, you also need to reward your prospects with added responsibility and ice time if they earn it.
Outside of these two NHL players, there isn’t anything else I am hearing at the moment. There will be much to discuss starting tomorrow when the UFA market opens up, and the Flames are expected to be very busy given the cap space which they currently have available to them.
With respect to the draft, I have to say that I was quite impressed with how things went for the Flames.
First off, and while I felt that Calgary would end up drafting Leon Draisaitl, I was very ecstatic for the team when they scooped up Sam Bennett. I’m not sure if team’s felt that his size and or “strength… was an issue during the combine tests, but I can say one thing – this kid has a ton of skill.
As I mentioned in a few blogs, I felt that the Flames were highly interested in either Draisaitl and Bennett, and I honestly felt that Bennett would go top 3 this year. For that reason, I predicted that the Flames 4th overall pick would be Draisaitl, who ended up going to the Edmonton Oilers. While I would have been content with Leon, I have to say that I feel the Flames walked away with one hell of a player in Sam Bennett.
"When you talk about what it takes to win — we use Jonathan Toews as an example — he’s one of those high character guys that knows when things need to be done and gets them done. He’s always a factor in the game.… — Dan Marr, chief scout, NHL Central Scouting
With Sean Mohanan and recently selected Sam Bennett down the middle, the Flames are likely to boast a rather strong center group in upcoming years. Whether both end up being first line centers or not is left to be seen, but I can tell you one thing – having more talent down the middle than not enough, is a good problem to have.
“Having these two guys down the middle ... If you look at the teams that have won, you look at the teams that are challenging, you don’t have a chance without strength down the middle,… Flames GM Brad Treliving told TSN.
Often compared to Doug Gilmour, Bennett has a tremendous amount of raw talent and strength on his skates. He is someone who former coaches and players have described as a team player, someone who brings leadership and a high level of tenacity to the locker room.
"Sam's a guy we had our eye on from Day 1," said Calgary GM Brad Treliving. "He has a special combination of skill, speed and I've talked about this since Day 1 — the character, the intangible pieces, this guy oozes character, plays with an edge."
While Sam received a lot of criticism for his inability to do a single pull up during the NHL combine, many GM’s, scouts, and analysts have made no mention about his compete level or work ethic being anything but top notch. As Treliving pointed out, this player plays with an edge and is a fierce competitor.
“This kid is a mean little (cuss),…said Brian Burke. “I don’t give a (hoot) if he can do pull-ups.…
Sam isn’t expected to play in the 2014-15 NHL season as the team will likely expect him to work on his overall strength and size, but there is always the chance of the young center making a claim for a full time spot as we saw with Sean Monahan last year.
That said, the team understands where their priorities lie and are in no rush with their prospects. All players develop at a different level, and the team is prepared to take the steps necessary for this young man.
After Bennett, the Flames selected goaltender Mason McDonald with their first pick in the 2nd round. McDonald would be the first goalie selected in the 2014 NHL draft, and one who the Flames have a lot of hope for.
Standing at 6’4 and 185 pounds, McDonald is a very athletic tender who is thought to be very composed in his own net. Playing for team Canada at the under 18 World Championships, McDonald caught the world’s attention by posting a 1.90 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in six games, and as a result would be named the tournament's top goaltender.
I will have more for you with respect to the draft selections as things unwind. That’s all for today!
Thanks for reading!