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The Calgary Flames extended their win streak to 3 last night as they edged past the Los Angeles Kings for the second time in a week. The game itself was a bit of a snooze fest, although we did see some tremendous passing and playmaking from both Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler on the 2 Flames goals in the first period.
The rest of the game was a close checking affair that didn’t yield much in terms of the edge of your seat excitement that we’ve grown accustomed to with this team over the past weeks and months, but a win is a win, and the 2 points moved the Flames into a 4 way tie in the western conference with LA, Vancouver, and San Jose. All 4 teams currently sit at 43 points, but the Flames are still on the outside given that the other teams all have games in hand.
The real news for the club came prior to the game as Mikael Backlund joined the rest of the team for practice for the first time in months yesterday morning. He’s wearing a non-contact jersey, and looks to be noticeably thinner than he was at the beginning of the season, but his return to regular action likely isn’t too far away.
Markus Granlund has performed admirably during Backlund’s injury. He’s scored timely goals, including the game winner last night, and he has done everything that could possibly have been asked of him during his time with the big club. He’s played on the PK, and on the powerplay. He’s played on scoring lines, and on checking lines, and he’s held his own in each situation.
His possession numbers aren’t exactly sparkling, and his defensive game could still use some development, but I think there’s definitely a case that could be made for Markus to stay in Calgary. I understand those thoughts, but the reality is that he’s simply not good enough yet to beat out the players that are currently filling his spot in the lineup.
Much like with Sven Baertshi, while Granlund has proven that he can play at the NHL level, he hasn’t done quite enough to show that he needs to be there over the likes of Stajan, Backlund, Colborne, and Jooris.
At some point, I believe that moves will need to be made to make room for the talented crop of youngsters that are knocking at the door for this club. But it’s up to the prospects to force Treliving’s hand.
Ultimately, a team is at its best when the competition for roster positions forces the cream to rise to the top. The Flames are getting to that point now for the first time in a decade, where good young players are being sent back down to Adirondack. They’ll continue to develop there, honing their skills and preparing themselves. Over the coming years, they’ll get their shots at NHL action, and some of them will perform at a level that undeniably establishes them as permanent fixtures in this lineup.
This is what a rebuild should look like. Nothing is given, everything is earned. Granlund has done well, but he still has a ways to go. Don’t be upset when he’s sent back to Adirondack.
Thanks for reading!