Follow Colin on Twitter! Follow @ColinDJD Just a quick discussion for the day, but I wonder if there may be more than meets the eye with respect to the Calgary Flames latest transactions, or if they truly are doing nothing more than creating some serious competition for their bottom pairing defensemen.
We have recently been informed that Raphael Diaz will also be attending the Flames camp this summer, which pushes the total list to 10 possible NHL defensemen. That said, I do not envision that 2-3 of these players would have received much ice time either way, however creating so much competition for that bottom 6 or 7th spot seems a little odd to me.
Anyways, as of now, the list of potential defensemen for Calgary are as follows:
Mark Giordano TJ Brodie Dennis Wideman Kris Russell Ladislav Smid Deryk Engelland Corey Potter Sheldon Brookbank Raphael Diaz Tyler Wotherspoon
Of that list, there are about four players in my opinion who would be competing for the 6th and 7th spot. Giordano, Brodie, Wideman, Russell, Smid are your guaranteed five defensemen, with five more competing for the two final spots.
To make that list maybe a little shorter, we can assume that with the introductions of Diaz, Brookbank, and Potter, that Wotherspoon is not likely ready; or at least they want to make sure he competes to earn a role and it isn't given to him by default.
With all of that said, I feel we will be seeing Diaz and Engelland as your two bottom pairing guys, and Brookbank enjoying most of the season from the pressbox. Potter is likely going to see some ice time himself, however will surely spend a bunch of time in the AHL until injuries or trades happen.
And on that note - don't expect Dennis Wideman to be traded anytime soon; at least not with the moves which they've been taking part in so far. None of the players which they have added to the roster can or would replace what Wideman offers in terms of production, or even leadership. I know it's common opinion that he's likely the first guy out the door given his age and contract, but I shouldn't need to remind you that the Flames are just fine in terms of cap space, and they can't have too many guys like Potter or Brookbank being role models for their developing youth.
All things considered, the Flames are likely going to struggle on defense this year, but I do think that with the hard work and coaching which we saw last year, they should be able to keep games close. It may not be pretty hockey, but a good system and group of guys can surprise the masses and this is all I'm hoping for again this year.
Thanks for reading!