Follow Colin on Twitter! Follow @ColinDJD Provided that no trades or signings transpire with respect to the Calgary Flames while I write this, today’s blog, as promised, will feature a Q&A session from submissions received through my Twitter account and here on HockeyBuzz!
Thanks to all those who submitted their questions, hope you enjoy!
The_Janitor Do you think Wideman will be traded this offseason? If so, what teams need a power play quarterback like him?
To be completely honest, I thought Wideman would have been gone by now. We’ve already heard of an alleged deal where the Flames offered Wideman, Hudler and picks to the Senators for Jason Spezza, but this rumour was denied by Brad Treliving shortly after being released.
I feel that his name is likely the one which comes up the most often at the moment when Treliving makes phone calls. The only issue is, there aren’t too many teams who can or will want to afford his cap hit of $5.25M until 2016-17, so the Flames would need to eat a good portion of that.
I could see some potential interest from a team like Winnipeg or the Oilers, and that’s about it for me. While it may be argued that Edmonton doesn’t need an offensive guy, he could be a useful vet to add to their blue line which doesn’t exactly look “great… on paper.
That said, there is no real “need… for the Flames to rid themselves of the player. They have plenty of cap space to roll with a few extra veteran guys and it’s not a terrible idea to have someone like him around to help guys like Wotherspoon make the transition to the NHL.
The-O-G Do you expect Baertschi to be in the lineup at the start of the regular season? Or do you believe he will get called up at some point during the season and make his case for the team to keep him from that point on?
I think that Sven Baertschi will be given a handful of games to start off the season to showcase his improvements to the coaching staff and make it hard for them to send him back. This should be a big season for him to step up as more players are being added to the depth chart, and you’d hate for him to burry himself under a few other names.
This year I have a hard time believing that Baertschi spends most of his time in the AHL again as I do believe that he’s been working on his 200ft game. Many have criticized that his scoring pace has been “mediocre… while playing for the Heat, but the young forward wasn’t sent down to work on his offensive contributions. If Sven is able to demonstrate that he’s willing to play in both ends of the rink, we could see a lot more of him this season.
flamminghead Hey Colin do you think it's smart for the Flames to be targeting MDZ? Ive heard nothing but bad things about the guy from fans who watch the East.
Honestly, if any team can afford to take a “chance… on Del Zotto, I believe the Flames are front runners. Not only do they have the cap space available to them, but they aren’t exactly trying to create a playoff winning team and can afford to provide a few players with the luxury of patience.
Del Zotto was once a highly regarded young defenseman who had flashes of absolute brilliance. That said, he hasn’t been consistent and appears to have lost a stride or two in his game which he once displayed to the world. I would throw in/around $1M to Del Zotto for one year and see if he can rebound.
Worst case is that he maintains his mediocre, inconsistencies and is bounced back to the AHL, best case is he raises his play and, subsequently, his value. In the latter, more favorable scenario, he then becomes an asset which the Flames can continue to pursue, or trade for added pieces to their rebuild.
Low cost, medium return.
pb …@goheconfused 19h @ColinDJD what is going on with flames 2012 1st round draft pick jankowski? Still raw, ready, writeoff?
With Mark Jankowski, it’s still pretty early to tell. The young forward has played but two seasons in the H-East for Providence College, where he’s racked up 43 points in 73 games played. While not anywhere near as impressive as numbers which Johnny Gaudreau has put up in his college career, Jankowski was 3rd in scoring for his team last year and is still growing as a player and young man.
The now 6’3, 180lbs 19 year old has a long way to go and it appears that we will need another 1-2 years before we can make an real assessments of this player. Mark was also invited to Hockey Canada's U20 camp for the 2014 World Junior Championship, so there are other eyes on the young forward other than the Flames.
Jankowski is thought to have a very high rated two way game and his passing is said to be at an “elite… level. He will need to put on a good few pounds to even out that long frame of his, and as he continues to work at his game in the college ranks, we should start to hear more from him over the next year or so.
At the moment, he’s still much too raw to determine.
Mark watier …@12watchdog @ColinDJD what are the odds Bennett is in the flames lineup next season,what are your thoughts on it.
Good question, I’ve been pondering the very same for some time now. For me, it will depend on his confidence and maturity level. If we have seen anything from his interviews, it’s that he seems to possess a higher level of hockey IQ and poise which is required from young rookies trying to crack a roster.
That said, his physical level is not likely at the point that it needs to be in order to compete night in, night out against the NHL’s best, especially in the Western Conference. Given that the Flames are in a position where, as mentioned above, they have the luxury of being patient with players, I feel that it would be in Bennett’s best interest to sit this year out.
There is no point in rushing a player at this stage of the Flames rebuild, and unless Sam comes flying out of the preseason gates and puts on a clinic similar to what Sean Monahan displayed, it is very unlikely that we get the chance to see him beyond the first couple of games.
Dave …@dmnx2 19h @ColinDJD Hiller vs Ramo. Who gets more starts? And who really is the better goalie for this team?
Because of his experience in the NHL and level of success so far, I give the edge to Hiller. While Karri Ramo played some solid hockey last year and appears to be a great option at the moment, I’m not sure that there is a long term plan for Ramo and the Flames.
With that established, having two goalies capable of starting duties is never a bad thing to have, and the two will likely battle it out as the season progresses. I’ve actually seen some fans express their discontent with the decision to bring in Hiller because he likely earns the team a few extra wins while between the pipes and lowers their chance at higher draft picks.
Call it what you want, but not looking to improve your roster every passing season is unacceptable in my eyes and this notion of “accepted tanking…, if you will, should be the last thing fans want from their team.
By looking at the signings made by Calgary so far this offseason, they are looking to insulate their youth with the right number of vets, but also remain competitive so as to avoid a scenario in Edmonton where the babies are babysitting the other babies, so to speak. Calgary needs to demonstrate their willingness to improve, compete, develop, and get back to where they once were.
By bringing in Hiller, you likely improve your odds at winning games, help mentor any younger netminders in the organization, and move in a positive direction. I don’t expect that the acquired players will really move the team from 27th to 15th overnight, however the energy is positive in that improvements are being made, little by little.
That’s all for today folks, thanks for reading!