Follow Colin on Twitter! Follow @ColinDJD News with respect to the Calgary Flames has been slow of late, so what better time than to have a Q&A session with my readers!
First question of the day came from Jeropotato, who asked -With all the departing players and the new additions, do you actually thing the Flames will be better in 2014-15?
This is a question that often comes up throughout the blog’s comment threads.
The only real loss to the Calgary Flames roster from last year would be, in my opinion, Mike Cammalleri. The other players which were either not re-signed or traded I don’t feel had a great enough impact to make a difference. This Flames roster will be, like last year, a hard working group of young players trying to earn the respect of coaches and fans around the league.
With the “core… of the team still intact, Calgary has added Mason Raymond and Brandon Bollig as “vets… who I feel will help mold the youth on the team. That said, many of the youngters are now, evidently, a year older and should have an extra level of confidence to their games. I expect guys like Backlund, Brodie, Colborne et. al to continue to show progress in their development as players which should theoretically improve the performance of the team as a whole.
I do personally expect the Flames to be a little better than last year given the above, however the teams around them have also improved meaning their position in the standings is not likely to be much different. Either way, I do feel the team will be “better… than their most recent season, due to the development of players and the addition of others.
tmurph asks - I'm looking at roster spots and it looks like there is room for three players. One LW, one RW and one guy on the bench. Who do you expect to make the team and who will start the season in the minors.
I don’t imagine there will be much debate between who makes the team and who doesn’t outside of guys like Gaudreau, Bennett, Poirier, Baertshi. That said, I don’t see too many reasons why Gaudreau won’t at the very least start the season on the roster. He might be sent down to the Heat if he’s not able to handle the size of full time NHLers, however I believe he will surprise.
Bennett isn’t likely to join the squad I don’t think…at least not beyond the first nine games. They are likely not wanting to rush this player and with the current players in development, it will be wise to send him back down to continue to strengthen his game.
Baertschi continues to be a curious case. The fact of the matter is that those who I speak with advise me that his own confidence, and the confidence of his coaches continue to rise slowly. He has work to do to better round out his game, however I was told that he is very adamant about making the team out of camp.
Poirier is going to be a handful. That’s about all I can say about this kid. He is playing some very impressive hockey and I feel that he is going to be a last minute “send down…, but he will be sent back down to minors. Another year with high levels of responsibilities will only help this young p layer develop his game.
Morris asks - Deryk Engelland is an overpay, but it's an understandable one for a team that's at the cap floor. Given the amount of overpaying Alberta teams have done in the past though, do you think this feeds into a "culture of overpaying", or an expectation that the Flames/Oilers should (have to) overpay in the future? Or is this offseason's dealings completely separate from future ones?
Tricky question! I think the answer to this one is twofold. Anyone would be naà¯ve to tell you that at the current state of the Flames and Oilers, that they wouldn’t have to overpay for free agents to sign. That said, I believe what the Flames did with Engelland was needed and they are hoping that their assessment of said player is more in line with what they paid him, than what he’s been valued at in the past.
And let me follow that up with – yes he was overpaid by quite a bit.
Here’s the thing, the Flames (like the Oilers) are at a point where they are trying to recreate or reshape their identity in the NHL, and in order to do so they need to spend money and be patient. A team competing for the players may add a guy like Engelland as a complimentary or depth piece as insurance, whereas Calgary is hoping that there’s more to this player than other teams were able to access.
What I’m trying to say is that for the next year or two, maybe even three, these two teams will likely continue to overpay players like these in order to set up a nice foundation for later. Rome wasn’t built in one day, and NHL teams shouldn’t be expected to rebuild their franchises in one/two years. When these teams have do recreate an identity in the, players should be much more eager to sign on.
Geta02it asks - Colin what is the timeline for the "rebuild" to turn the corner? At what point does the organization (not the fan base) focus on the now and not the future?
I guess this depends on what exactly you mean “to turn the corner…. Personally, I would give this group another two seasons until they should be, or will be, competing for the players. By then, the current core group will be in their mid-twenties, looking to officially break out in the NHL as potential “stars….
Of course any success franchise must continue to reshape, restructure, and change their complementary or veteran players, so how quickly the Flames find success will largely depend on this process. The need to insulate your youth and have a steady balance of vets is crucial to immediate and future success. By rushing their youth they risk having underdeveloped players trying to do too much, and by loading up with too many vets you risk that your rookies don’t gain enough experience.
I give this current team, provided that they draft in the top five again next year, 3 years until they are competing in the playoffs, 5 years until they could compete for the Stanley Cup.
TandA4Flames asks - Given the Flames dearth of right shooting prospects, do you potentially see one or both of Arnold or Knight getting moved to that side? If so, does that move happen this year and what does that leave down the middle for Adirondack?
Honestly, I don’t think we see much of either player this year, with the slight exception going to Arnold who I feel will provide a greater challenge to the coaches to send down. Knight, for me, hasn’t been impressive in recent play, however that could change with a strong camp.
All things considered, I would highly expect both of these players to play the majority of the 2014-15 season in the AHL taking on big roles.
@dan_raicevich asks Do you think this team is a year or two away from being contenders right now or do you think they can shock some people this year?
As I mentioned above, there is really not much chance that this Flames team challenges for much beyond trying to squeeze out of the bottom five spots. The Western Conference is very strong and while the Flames have arguably improved upon their own roster, those around have done the same.
I do believe, however, that just like this past season they will impress. They will be very entertaining to watch and should make it difficult for the opposition to walk away with any points. Often when you underestimate your opponent, do they give you a run for your money.
I expect the Flames to have several close games once again in spite of losing a guy like Cammalleri. Adding the veteran net presence of Jonas Hiller will keep them in many games which they may not have been otherwise.
@the_vincanity asks - What do you project the opening night roster to look like? Does Monahan regress this year in production?
With expectations for guys like Monahan, you really need to be realistic. It’s likely that he may regress a little as expectations are now set for the rookie, but not all players handle pressure the same. Some thrive when under pressure, while others collapse.
That said, Monahan looked very composed and mature on and off the ice this past year, and I would not expect much of a decline in his game, if any. He’s a special player and it wouldn’t surprise me if he put up a few more points than his 2013-14 NHL campaign. @zepfan1976 asks - Do you believe Michael Ferland will ever make the Flames, or will Adirondack be his permanent home.
Although I wouldn’t call him a “career AHLer… at this point, I suppose I have as much confidence in his abilities as you do. And don’t get me wrong, Ferland is a decent hockey player who “can… impress with his work ethic…something that is high on the Flames required qualities list.
All things considered, and at this point in his career, he will be an emergency call up until he proves that he can take his game to the next level, with more consistency. Ferland has good size and can play the physical game which Burke & Co. like to see, however his 200ft game is not a the level of an NHLer, and will require more work before he’s given more chance to succeed beyond his role with the Heat.
Jeropotato asks - As a blogger, do you fear these Q&A's reinforce a writers misguided self importance? In some cases writers tend to start thinking they’re more than just another fan with an opinion...how do you stay grounded?
This is actually a great question! All things considered, I’m no different than most of you out there. I watch most/all games, I constantly chat hockey with friends, play 1-2 a week, and have a lot of time/money/emotion invested in the game.
Where I differ, however, is that I actually follow a large population of the league very closely. And while I don’t have any “sources… to speak of, I have friends and family who work within the industry who can give me the random tip from things they hear around the business. I try to avoid these as much as possible as I’m not big on “rumours… from unidentified sources, however my job is to keep you informed and I will do everything I can to do so.
With respect to the blogging – when I started about two and half years ago I was a very big fan of a few teams and as a result, had a decent knowledge base about anything related to them. Since, however, the level of research, conversation, coverage, reporting, interviews which I’ve taken part in has really raised my knowledge base on the team(s).
It’s really no different than anyone starting a new job. I’ve found ways of getting information quicker, made new contacts to retrieve said information, and found ways to improve ways in which I communicate to you, my readers!
And to answer your question about being “grounded…, let’s just say that I’m very humbled for the high level of readership and the number of followers which I’ve received, but I am nothing more than a very big hockey fan who is constantly immersed in conversation, and loves to share/create dialogue!
That’s all I have for today folks! As always, thanks for reading!