Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD
Before I move into today’s game day blog, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the Calgary Flames recent trade with the Edmonton Oilers which happened this past Friday.
Acquired from Edmonton, Calgary received defenseman Ladislav Smid and Olivier Roy in exchange for two prospects; Roman Horak and Laurent Brossoit. Needing room for upgrades, the Oilers had to move Smid’s $3.5M cap hit off the books – a deal we would later find out was to bring in goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
Experiencing some serious struggles between the pipes, Edmonton(some argue) became desperate and decided to roll the dice with Bryzgalov, a goalie who was bought out by the Flyers last year and hasn’t played since. As a direct result of such desperation, the Flames were able to bring in a guy like Smid to help bolster their back end for the low cost of AHLer Horak, and a potential future goalie in Brossoit.
Neither of the two players moved in the deal from Calgary really had much of a spot in the near future with the Flames, though goalies are always tough to predict when they may rise to the occasion. That said, Calgary had an immediate need for an upgrade with their defense and Smid will certainly help in that regard.
"Where will he fit? Right now, it's too early to tell," said Hartley. "We got him for his defensive work and for his toughness but at the same time, is he going to be a third or fourth, or a fifth or sixth? I don't know. We'll let him get used to us, we'll get used to him."
Despite struggling in Edmonton, Smid can be quite successful in this league if used properly. He is a shutdown defenseman who can move the puck when not overplayed. Smid ranks top 5 among defenseman in blocked shots and was leading the Oilers in hits(52) prior to being traded. Bringing some physicality and size to the roster, Calgary has managed to get just a little bigger and meaner – something the Flames have stated is important to their organization.
"He's an in-your-face defenceman, very reliable defensively, blocks shots, not fun to play against, he's going to finish his hits, he's a big-sized defenceman," said Hartley. "If you look at the many moves that we've made since the summer, it's to get this team bigger and faster so I really like our move."
An area of concern for some fans is that the Flames moved two younger prospects for a 27 year old defenseman. What should be realized here, is that while Smid may not be as young as many would hope for, he will be of much help to the rookies coming up in the next year or two looking to play similar roles such as Pat Sieloff and Tyler Wotherspoon.
While these two prospects will likely not play the exact same role as Smid in future years, having another experienced defenseman to help them transition into their roles is going to pay dividends in the long run; there’s no sense in throwing your prospects to the wolves.
I have had a lot of time to analyze the trade and although I originally stated that the deal worked for both sides, I am no longer sure that I agree with Edmonton’s decision. Let’s put it this way – they needed much…MUCH…better goaltending and also needed some upgrades on defense. While moving Smid to make room for Bryzgalov could theoretically fix one of two problems, I simply do not think it was the right move for this team.
My reasoning? Well for one, I do not personally feel that Bryzgalov is that strong of a goalie. I really don’t. Playing behind a strong defensive team who can limit scoring chances, Ilya can find success tending the net. However, with their lackluster defensive play of late, I just can’t see Bryzgalov being the guy who turns it around for them.
Perhaps there are moves to come from the Oilers to address their defensive play which could in turn work in tandem with their new goalie, however I for one am a little pessimistic at the moment.
**
The Calgary Flames will take to the ice tonight against the visiting San Jose Sharks. Starting in net for the Flames will be Reto Berra who will get his first chance to start at home in his professional career.
Excited to get his first start at the Dome, Berra does not sound like a guy who is down on himself despite losing his last few starts with the Flames.
“It’s a really big step in my career to play here at the Saddledome — a real game, not just an exhibition game,… Berra said.
Calgary will need a big game from Berra in addition to newcomer Smid if they are going to give the Sharks a run for their money. Currently holding a road record of 5-1-3, the Sharks will once again prove to be a challenge for the Flames who continue to miss key players in their lineup due to injuries.
On a positive note, however, it appears that Lee Stempniak will suit up tonight making for a much quicker recovery than many anticipated. With the added veteran assistance to the lineup tonight, the Flames should have nearly their full roster save for Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano. Here are the expected lines for tonight.
Cammalleri – Backlund - Hudler Galiardi – Stajan - Jones Baertschi – Monahan - Stempniak Bouma – Colborne- McGrattan
Russell - Wideman Butler - Brodie Smid - Smith
Berra
In other news, Flames prospect Brett Kulak, 19, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm after a house party earlier this summer. Of the charges, Flames GM Jay Feaster had this to say:
“While we don’t condone the behaviour associated with these charges, the Calgary Flames organization continues to support Brett as he moves through the legal process and we learn more about the incident.…
An unfortunate event for the young man who was the Vancouver Giants leading scorer. He is expected to go to court on November 20th and may have set his professional career back depending on how things progress.
That’s all for today folks, thanks for reading!