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1) One benefit of a long preseason, particularly towards the end when rosters are littered with NHLers, is you get a feel for how a coach plans to deploy his players.
Something that has stood out to me thus far is T.J. Brodie's usage, or lack thereof, on the penalty kill.
In two games since returning from China, Brodie has logged less than 40 seconds of ice on the penalty kill.
I don't know if Bill Peters is just testing out some others in that role or legitimately doesn't plan on using Brodie. If it's the latter, the numbers suggest that's a mistake.
Of the four Flames defenders who have skated a regular shift on the PK over the last couple years, Brodie ranks 1st in Corsi Against/60, Expected Goals Against/60, and Goals Against/60.
It'll be interesting to see if the dip in PK ice time continues come October.
2) It would seem Juuso Valimaki has the inside track on Rasmus Andersson for a roster spot. He is getting into more games, he is playing minutes in key situations – such as the penalty kill – and, perhaps most importantly, the Flames think a lot less of the player Valimaki would naturally replace in the lineup (Brett Kulak) than the guy Andersson would have to jump on the depth chart (Michael Stone).
I think Andersson deserves to be on the team, too, but there is no real fit thanks to the team's love affair with Stone.
3) Many – myself included – were concerned about the team's goaltending heading into camp. I don't think the performances we've seen to date will ease any minds.
Four different goaltenders have appeared in at least two games and each of them has posted a sub .900 save percentage. Naturally, Mike Smith, who is one of the most important players on the roster, owns the worst numbers of the bunch (.857SV%).
I understand preseason results don't matter (for most) but, at the end of the day, these guys are trying to prepare for a season/fight for jobs and they're simply not doing a good job of it.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com and Corsica.Hockey.
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