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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 12, 2013 14:34:46 GMT -5
Calgary Flames Been Nothing Short of Active The Calgary Flames have ended the 2012-2013 season in second last place (23-58-1). A catastrophic disaster by most standards, which resulted in the firing of Jay Feaster who was let go with 2 games left in the season. He was replaced by Backtrack153 who is no stranger to PTPHL, as he has been a veteran GM in multiple EHM league and has won 4 championships, none in PTP sadly. He's a young active GM who isn't afraid to rock the boat and showed us that on draft day by laying out some massive trades. The Flames First trade was with the Detroit Red Wings. He acquired veteran superstar, Henrik Zetterberg. He traded away Horak, Seiloff, D'Agostini, NYR 1st in 2014, Tyler Wotherspoon and PIT 2nd in 2013. "Zetterberg will be a huge addition to our young team and bring veteran leadership into a room that badly needed it. We wish all the young players the best in Detroit, but we are extremely happy to welcome Henrik to this team." Thats what backtrack had to say about the acquisition. Henrik is a Stanley Cup and conn Smythe Trophy winner and will be a large addition to this hockey team. The Flames next traded the 2nd Overall pick along with Devin Setoguchi and TJ Brodie to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames received a top line winger in Jofferey Lupul, Franchise defenseman Dion Phaneuf, top 4 D John-Micheal Liles, and also the 39th overall pick in this draft. " This is a huge deal, now with Iginla gone we can bring back Dion Phaneuf, yes i am aware we lost out on Seth Jones, but I am pushing now. We needed to address our goals against allowing 2.50 GA per game is too rich for what I want, 2.00 is where I want us to be and with Kiprusoff back in goal for another season along with Youngster Leland Irving we will have no problem making this level. With the addition of Zetterber, Lupul and both of these D I am hopeful that we can score close to 3.00 GF per game compared to our dismal 1.5 GF last season." The Flames aquired Brad Richards and Tim Gleason from the New York Rangers in exchange for Jay Bouwmeester and a 2nd rounder in 2014. "Dealing Jay was a hard hard thing to do, but we have never had a number one Center and that is what Brad Richards is. The loss of Jay hurts, but adding Liles and Phaneuf will take up his offence, while Gleason can take care of his defensive loss." Rasmus Ristolainen was still sitting on the board at 17th overall and backtrack could not resist getting the guy. He trade Jiri Hudler, Markus Granlund and 29th overall. Also traded Curtis Glencross to the Dallas Stars for 54th overall and 88th Overall. We also traded Henrik Karlsson to SJ for Bryce Salvador. "Most would say this is an extremely stiff price to pay, but Jiri was a cap move and you can not pass on a guy like Rasmus who could be a franchise D and may even be in the lineup come next season. Curtis was also a cap move and I did not want to trade him, but in this era you have to make decisions. Bryce is a guy who can be 6/7 and add leadership to our young team, something that we addressed." Now the cap has been announced at 68 million dollars, so this means we are going to see more changes. Lee Stempniak, one of Butler or Ericsson, Stajan, and Sarich could all be on the move. All in all backtrack has been super busy, but looks like he is assembling a team that can push for a cup. He addressed the offensive need and addressed the defensive need. He looks to have put a team together that can make a run, while adding a youthful top end D.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 13, 2013 22:24:28 GMT -5
Meet The Kids The Calgary Flames had a total of 3 picks in the top 60 and 4 in the bottom 60 making a total of 17 picks. With the 17th overall selection the Flames drafted Rasmus Ristolainen. He is big at 6'3 and played for Finland at the world juniors. He projects to be a top 4 D if not higher, he might even crack the lineup next season, but only time will tell. "You could see all the NHL scouts looking mighty heavily at the big, mobile, puck-moving defenseman. He plays very mature for his late ’94 birthdate as he knows how to turn the play up ice quickly by making the outlet pass or carrying the biscuit himself. He plays a very strong defensive game by utilizing his strength, positioning, and long reach to cut opposition’s opportunities down. Ristolainen showed some nice vision as he created scoring chances with some beautiful feeds and also unleashed his bomb from the point a handful of times at the NJEC. He will certainly draw much attention in Ufa, Russia this winter and looks to be a solid first rounder come June." With the 39th overall draft pick the Flames went to the OHL's Windsor Spitfires to draft Kerby Rychel. The American born forward and is a big stature at 6'1 205lbs. "One of the purest OHL goal scorers eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft, Kerby Rychel has been nothing but extraordinary over the last two years. For someone who scored only seven goals as a rookie, Rychel has surely come alive since being in a Windsor Spitfires uniform. He scored 41 goals in his second OHL season in 2011-12 and the only reason why he was not drafted was because of his birthday being in October 1994. He has been Mr. Everything for the Spitfires, playing in all situations and providing significant leadership on and off the ice. With Windsor's veteran corps from the last two seasons reasonably dispatched, it is good to know that Rychel will be counted upon to provide guidance to younger players on the team, including Joshua Ho-Sang, Adam Bateman, Ryan Verbeek and Sam Studnicka. He is a dynamic skater and he has also shown that he can be a physical force, just like his father Warren before him. He also has incredible versatility and adaptability to any situation. Rychel will be a great addition to any team with a young forward group as he could sure come in and provide much needed assistance." Is what a scout had to say about him. Looking for him to be a top 6 forward in the future in Calgary. He will be a huge piece to the future look for him to be a very effective player. They Drafted Rychel who is a physical player, but didn't leave Jordan Maletta on the board to long who is very similar player to Rychel so why not draft them both? "won a bronze medal with Team Ontario at the U17 World Challenge, although his tournament was cut short by a knee injury in the opening game ..a physical specimen with a real presence on the ice however, unfortunately, does not apply himself nearly enough in a physical sense .. consistency remains an issue moving forward as his efforts on both sides of the puck are erratic .. impresses one shift – only to disappear for the rest of the period .. must keep baring down and increasing his intensity – as he does show more inclination to finish his hits .. skating continues to advance with the development of his lower-body strength .. turns, pivots and transitions are strong, however his first-step quickness is an area that requires further improvement .. handles the puck well for a big man, possesses slick toe-drags and stickhandling shifts .. could show more hunger for the puck in scoring areas and better capitalize on his chances .. uses his spacious frame defensively to eliminate players from the action, as he can lean on them .. though his instincts and positioning are still quite unrefined, he does a solid job of shadowing and not losing assignments .. needs to show better determination for NHL scouts – and that he can be more of a difference-maker." He and Rychel should develop together in Winsdor for a couple of seasons and come to calgary, hopefully both transition to top 6 players and add a physical element to this team, could be a good fit with former Spitfire Greg Nemisz. 72nd Overall the Flames went to the Moncton Wildcats and drafted an American Born centre and another big body by selection Bradon Shea. Shea projects as a possible top 6 forward, but has dropped in rankings lately, but hope that he develops well and is able to be an effective player. With the 88th Overall Pick the Flames draft Emil Lundberg. Lundberg isn't the guy from Office Space, he's a big winger in the mold of Mike Knuble. Not fleet afoot, he certainly isn't the flashiest player, nor does he boast of excellent stickwork or amazing play in any particular area. Lundberg is that guy who brings his lunchpail and goes to the net for the greasy goals. He is working his way into becoming more solid in all three zones, which is the old Swedish recipe for any player who makes it to the top levels. He does have a good shot and good enough hands to score off the rush occasionally, but he won't be mistaken for a playmaker. With the 92nd Overall pick the Flames went to the WHL and drafted defenceman Josh Morrissey from the Prince Albert Raiders. Could be the steal of the draft and develop into a top 4 D. "Morrissey Smooth skating, active & involved offensive d-man. Real high risk, high reward style of play." The flames at 134 drafted C Lev Tretyak and at 139 left winger Michael Lyle. This was a great day for Calgary and may have hit a couple of home runs and we might see a few of these players before we know it!
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 15, 2013 1:51:41 GMT -5
Free Agency PreviewThe Flames completed their 2013 draft with a lot of big deals and drafted a few real good players for the future in Rasmus Ristolainen, Kerby Rychel, Josh Morrissey as the most notable names. Now that we are approaching July 1 we have to look ahead to what they may look for once the market opens at 12 pm EST. The GM Backtrack has made a lot of moves and finally got a #1 centre. They added some good talent and flipped over their blue line and brought back bruising Dion Phaneuf. He also made a high risk move trading Jaybo to the New York Rangers, but brought back American Olympian Tim Gleason and also all-star, conn smythe winner and Stanley Cup Champion Brad Richards. They also added Henrik Zetterberg to a revamped Calgary Flames Roster and defenseman John-Michael Liles. So now we turn to see where this team has holes. Going by position on the left side the Flames have Sven Baertschi the Swiss winger who made a late transition to the team, Henrik Zetterberg who is an all-star who will round out the top 6, but as for the bottom 6 they have former 1st rounder Mikael Backlund who has been a good defensive winger and fits into the checking role and also they have some good depth with newly acquired Steve Bernier. All in all the left side looks pretty set. Up the middle we have Brad Richards who is going to be Calgarys true number one center and will be counted on to be a huge asset. As for the second line they have Mark Jankowski and Matt Stajan who could both fill in the second line role, but both are not very elite guys so Calgary could be searching for a #2 centre that comes onto the market. They have Roman Cervenka also who adds to the drama of having a plethora of centres that could be number 2s. The rookie Evgeny Grachev who is a big physical player who could find himself on a line with Bernier and fellow rookie greg nemisz. On the Right Side Jofferey Lupul appears to be the clear cut number one, but he has to prove he can be the number one guy, so if there is somebody on the market who is an upgrade on him. Alex Tanguay is a guy who has been a top 6 in this league for a number of years and looks to be finding himself a good fit on the line. The rookie Greg Nemisz is looking more than ready to make the leap for good and depth guy Blair Jones who is able to play a physical or defensive role, but neither him or Greg are proven to be good enough so a more veteran winger who is proven. Defensively this team is expensive with Dion Phaneuf, Dennis Wideman, John-Micheal Liles, Tim Gleason, Jonathan Ericsson, Chris Butler, and Bryce Salvador. They could be looking to shed some salary, rumour has it that Wideman could be available as is Chris Butler and Bryce Salvador. The team is rumoured to be looking for a stud defensive dman like Anton Volcehnkov like guy. Rasums Ristolainen could make an appearance as number 6 if he performs well at camp so don't expect much change other than a 7th guy. Goalie wise the Flames are pretty set on having Leland Irving as their starter, but Mikka Kiprusoff is still here and is rumoured to be on the block and be able to trade him for a good depth guy so look for Karri Ramo and Leland Irving to be the tandem. The flames could be looking for a top Right winger as well as a more depth right winger who is more defensive minded player. Also potentially a #2 who is more established. So all in all don't expect any monumental changes, but maybe some trade work as the flames are close to the cap.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 15, 2013 23:34:17 GMT -5
What Did the Flames do on July 1?The Calgary Flames biggest news came at the acquisition of Brady Skjei from the New York Rangers. Brady is a young defence prospect who was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL entry draft and looks to be destined to join the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL. Skjei is an imposing defenseman who continued to grow this season and has been climbing the charts as well. For a big player, Skjei is tremendously mobile and his high-end skating ability allows him to work in transition and handle incoming forechecks. He’s still got a raw skill-set and is learning how to use his size effectively, but the Minnesota commit has an enticing skill-set that projects well at the NHL level. At this point, Skjei has to be considered to be the 2012 edition of the NTDP’s Connor Murphy, and we’ll see how he plays over the coming months as he makes a final push up the charts. The Flames trade Mikael Backlund to the rangers. "Mikael will be sorely missed as he was strong two way, but became expendable" Said gm backtrack. Backlund needed more Offensive upside to remain in calgary. With this being said they added another Dman who could develop into a strong top 4 d, but they made some good signings. The Flames brought by veteran forward Daymond Langkow. Daymond is a strong 2 way player who has had a stint in Calgary prior and been very successful. They Flames signed him on a 2 year trade worth 2 million a season and looks to be a good addition for a team that is finally able to make a push. They also signed Adam Cracknell who spent times on STL 3rd line and had a very successful season as a good checker and he will continue to do that on Calgary. He will be a good fit in this city. The Flames also are looking at re acquiring Andrew Ference, also inquired on Kevin klein who would be a good fit on the 5/6 pairing. Kevin was offered a respectable contract and looks like he is leaning here. Word has it that he will sign later tonight and hopefully to calgary and if he does one of Butler or Ericsson will be moving without a question. The Flames assinged Bryce Salvador and Corey Sarich to the AHL, as well as Kari Ramo was recalled. This has made us think that Mikka Kiprusoff maybe on his was out to sort out the cap problem, but only time will tell. Rumor has it that the Flames are interested in former flame Marc Savard. Marc has had some concussion problems but played all 82 last season and could be a good fit between Tanguay and Zetterberg. Mark Jankowski look set to fill into that role, but may need some more AHL time before jumping into a top 6 role is what we are being told. All in all its a wait in see as preseason nears.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 16, 2013 19:41:55 GMT -5
Another Big SplashThere will be a new look in goal as Miikka Kiprusoffs era has come to an abrupt end in the a deal with the Colorado Avalanche. "Miikka is a franchise goalie, but is older and has become a victim of the cap. We would love to have kept him, but could not afford to as we want a certain forward and defence core. Varlamov and Irving will compete for every start and being 24 and 25 years of age respectably we will be set for a long time at the position." The deal broke down like this. Varlamov and Dallas's 3rd in 2014 in exchange for Jordan Maletta, Dmitri Jaskin, Mikka Kiprusoff. Jaskin was acquired in the Jarome Iginla deal with the St. Louis Blues last season, but never made the farm team and played his 20 year old season in the WHL, while Jordan Maletta was an early 3rd round choice in the 2013 NHL entry draft and again a physical forward, but with Rychel, Reinhart, Ferland, Shea, and Bouma this was a position of strength for Calgary. Now the flames did lose their franchise goalie, but Leland showed last season he is that he is more than capable to the job, but adding Varlamov was much needed insurance. What can we expect from Varlamov? Varlamov played on a Colorado team that had an abysmal record of 34-39-9, which was good for 21st in the league and 11th in the conference. He had 21 wins last season, while collecting 4 shut outs. He had a 2.62 GAA and .893 SVP, which was good with the defence he had in front of him in COL. With Calgary he should put up better numbers. "Varlamov has a fairly unique, hybrid style and changes that style depending on the situation. Primarily a butterfly goalie, he will use his quick reflexes and fast reaction time to stop shots. He is quick to re-establish his stance after acrobatic saves and plays with a lot of composure. He has a quick glove hand but is not always active with his stick. Varlamov rarely leaves the net to play the puck, but is good at preventing one-timers by intercepting cross-crease passes with his stick. He plays a sound positional game and doesn’t lose the net. He maintains his poise and shows a lot of composure for such a young goalie. Conversely, he sometimes lets in bad goals due to a lack of focus, particularly when playing with a big lead. Varlamov has the size, raw skill and reflexes to make him into a strong NHL goalie. He continues to develop the maturity, mobility and stick handling capabilities that will allow him to become an elite goalie." Is what the report on what we can expect from him goaltending wise. Kevin Klein was signed to a 2 year contract worth an annual average of 1.75 million. Klein a hard hitting good solid defensive D who looks to be slotted into the 6/7 role. The Flames also added Langkow and Cracknell which was mentioned in yesterdays write up. "Kevin Klein is a smooth skater, a two-way puck-moving defenseman and is a very accurate passer when coming out of his own zone. Has good speed and acceleration. Has great vision and can consistently find the open man. He likes to lead the rush. A great shot-blocker, he will sacrifice his body fearlessly to block shots. He’s strong defensively in front of his net and along the boards. Although not overly physical, has a tendency to go for the big hip check when an opponent’s head is down. Good shot from the point on the power play, tries for accuracy to get the puck on the net. Good offensive instincts." A little background on the flames latest Defensive acquisition. Jonathan Ericsson is currently being shopped around and may even hit waivers as he is being replaced by a number of the new D that have came to the flames this off season. "Ericsson is no longer part of our future plan, we are looking to find him a new home sooner rather than later." This is what Backtrack stated. Tomorrow we will look at what the flames roster projects to look like come opening night and who has a shot to make it out of camp.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 18, 2013 9:38:20 GMT -5
A Look at Calgarys TeamThe Flames have had a complete makeover with the changing of the core from the start of last season to this season. From Iginla, Kipper, Bouwmeester to Richards, Phaneuf, Zetterberg, Lupul, Varlamov. Not to mention the emergence of Baertschi as a 1st line capable player as well as Leland Irving who is proving to be a legitimate goalie and between him and Varlamov it looks to be a promising tandem to keep together in Calgary for a good deal of time. The Flames also finally dealt Jonathan Ericsson to the San Jose Sharks for a draft pick in the upcoming draft. The new GM Backtrack has been trying to make a push for the win now, while maintaining a good core. Although Zetterberg, Richards, Tanguay, and Liles are over the age of 30 they still have a lot of good years left in them and there is some good young players like Schwartz, Jankowski, Nyquist, Rychel, Morrissey, Ristolainen, Nemisz, Grachev, Gaudreau, Reinhart and Tatar. All in all it has come from a dried up prospect pool and old aging core with no promise of making any run, but it looks to have changed the team around and has gone to show this team is a cup contender. The Flames seem to have put a real balanced lineup on the ice with some superstars in Phaneuf, Richards, Zetterberg and future super star Sven Baertschi. The Flames lineup looks to project with Tanguay, Baertschi, Zetterberg, Richards, and Lupul who seems to round out the top 5. Meanwhile the battle for that 2nd line centre between Stajan, Jankowski, Cervenka and Schwartz will be a big battle come training camp. Its not set who will be playing in that number 2 centre role, but we will see how camp develops and who proves to be more than worthy of playing in that role. As for the bottom 6 the flames have good hitters in Bernier, Nemisz, Grachev, Jones who are good energy guys. Newly added Adam Cracknell, and former returning Flame Langkow who looks to be a good addition to the bottom 6 and either Stajan or Cervenka should be a good fit along side those two on a good checking line. The Flames have some good depth on this team with 15 capable NHL forwards who are able to compete for jobs come the start of camp in September. The Flames lacked goal production last year, but come this season that should not be a problem, but Calgary has always had a strong defence and this is no exception. Although the faces maybe new to the town one is not and thats Dion Phaneuf who is now the franchise defenceman and the key to the teams success. They Flames did keep Denis Wideman and Chris Butler who will be returning to the lineup. The flames have new comers Tim Gleason an American Olympian, puck moving defenseman John-Michael Liles who should help add offence along with Wideman and Phaneuf who are good offensive defenseman. Kevin Klein is a hard hitting defence who is capable of playing in a top 4 role, but more likely suited for a bottom 6 role with Chris Butler who could be part of a shut down pairing. Tim Gleason will find himself as 3/4 guy who is paired up with the high risk John-Micheal Liles. Come camp Cade Fairchild, Rasmus Ristolainen and Brady Skjei are all young D who are more than capable of competing for a spot. The Flames have built a lineup that has good veteran leadership and good youth input, but only time will tell if the chemistry is there. If you look ahead at the northwest division the Canucks look poised to be a good team as well as Minnesota who just missed the playoffs last year, but the reigning champ Edmonton Oilers will be a tough opponent and the battle of Alberta could be the battle for the northwest. Colorado is a team that is rebuilding, but will be no slouch. Can the Flames win the Northwest? No question can they do it, they will need to show up constantly and play hard every night, but it is more than possible.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 20, 2013 0:55:01 GMT -5
First Few Days of CampFlames fans have a lot to cheer about now, but also in the future as the season nears. Richards although was not overly sharp was still a very exciting player to watch. Zetterberg was putting up points, Phaneuf threw some big checks as did Gleason. You can see the talent that has been added, but Liles, Tanguay, Lupul, Klein, Bernier, Cervenka, Wideman, Butler, Cracknell, Langkow, Varlamov, and Irving have yet to even hit the ice, a lot of top end guys and talent that we should look forward to watching. The Flames played 2 preseason games this season and are winless in their 1st two games of the 2013 pre season. The Flames ran a very young roster for the first two games consisting of new signed free agent Patrick Nemeth. Nemeth was joined by Jon Gilles, Myles Bell, and Brandon Shea who were all cut early this morning and assigned to the AHL and Junior respectively, meanwhile Gilles goes back to school. John McFarland who was playing on a line with Gustav Nyquist and Matt Stajan. McFarland had a goal and an assist as well as Nyquist potted a goal and Stajan had an assist. Henrik Zetterberg wearing number 40 for the flames put up 2 assists playing with Jankowski and Schwartz. Jankowski, Schwartz and Stajan are battling it out for the 2nd line role, after the first two games Stajan was 77% in the circle while registering 1 point. Jaden had 1 point, but was only 26% in the circle where as Jankowski had 2 points and actually played on the wing. The top line of Richards, Baertschi and Rychel was held scoreless through the first two games. The Flames are going to start Karri Ramo in the next two up coming games. They also signed Brady Skjei to an ELC as he looks to be a promising player to develop in the farm system a year early. Mark Jankwoski will most likely be joining him, unless his play keeps up. On the defensive side Tim Gleason looked good registering an assist in his debut, but youngster Josh Morrissey was fairly impressive having 1 assist in his first two games. Karri Ramo came over from the KHL at the end of last season and played in the AHL for a short period of time, but has his work cut out for him if he wants to crack the NHL team as Irving and Varlamov look to have this pretty much locked up but only time in the preseason will tell. Whose on the bubble for tomorrow preseason action? Karri Ramo will have to prove that he deserves a shot in the NHL. Kerby Rychel is on the bubble as he is showing he is not ready for the NHL. Max Reinhart who did not play needs to show more in practice or he will find himself on his way down really quick. Michael Ferland will most likely play another game or 2 and find himself on his way west to abbotsford as the preseason comes to a close. Nyquist and McFarland look very strong and may find themselves here most of the preseason. Cade Fairchild was someone who didn't stand out by any stretch of the imagination, so he might not be around much longer as John-Michael Liles needs to get into the lineup as does Dennis Wideman. Rasmus Ristolainen was a minus 2, he did register a point, but could find himself going back over seas to Finland unless he proves more come the next two games. Josh Morrissey was decent, but nothing amazing he could see himself here for the camp, but could also be heading back to PA as more seasoning is definatley needed for him to become an everyday NHLer. Newly signed Brady Skjei will make his Flames debut tomorrow night. He will be on the second pairing with Josh Morrissey, which will be a smooth skating pairing. The next two games will allow for a few more cuts to happen as the start of the season nears. The depth of this organization is coming to the for front here as we can see how many players are able to compete in these early games.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 21, 2013 10:47:25 GMT -5
Flames Still Winless in Pre-SeasonThe Flames went 0-2-2 this far and have only scored a total of 7 goals. The goaltending from Karri Ramo the last 2 games was superb. He recorded a 2.38 GAA and .939 SVP. Those are stellar numbers by the modern age. Karri will start in game 5 with a much more veteran lineup in front of him and the coaching staff is interested in what he will be able to do. "Rämö is a fairly quick butterfly goalie with good size, which is a very good foundation for success. He works well with the glove and blocker but should still watch out for giving up rebounds. There is also room for improvement when it comes to coverage and positioning. These flaws not that worrying, as his current abilities have taken him rather far already." is what one scout had to say. This is a good look for the flames and hope he improves. Liles, Lupul, Tanguay, Cervenka, Bernier all draw into the lineup, but Nyquist, Reinhart, McFarland, Bell, Fairchild are all amongst the cuts today and we look forward to putting this veteran lineup in action tonight.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 22, 2013 12:42:04 GMT -5
Flames Pre-Season Over, Cuts MadeThe Flames finished up the pre season 3-3-1-1 for the record. The team featured a lot of youthful impulsive players for the 1st 4 games. As the veteran got into the lineup the team went 3-1-0-0. Jaden Schwartz and Mark Jankowski were two players who had fairly good preseasons. Karri Ramo earned a chance to stick with the big team as he played well in the preseason and will get a longer look as Calgary has planned to entered the season with 3 NHL calibre net minders. Brady Skjei will report to the Abbotsford Heat as well as Mark Jankowski and Jaden Schwartz. Jankowski is only a few months away from being NHL ready, but only time will tell if he can reach his potential or not. Skjei could easily crawl into a 5/6 role with the flames, but they want much more from him. Jaden is a guy who needs even more seasoning before he is set to make an impact on this NHL franchise. Rasmus Ristolainen is a guy who will be the first call up if there is any long term injuries that happen. Who had a bad preseason? Sven Baertschi scored a goal in the last 2 games and Brad Richards put up 3 points in those last two games and Joffrey Lupul registered 2 points in his last two. Sven is a player who the flames feel can be a number 1 winger, but he needs to better than what he was this preseason. Whats the lineup going to look like come opening night? The first line will be Sven Baertschi, Brad Richards, Joffrey Lupul. This line has a physical element in Lupul, a highly skilled winger in Baertschi who is now 20 and is going to have to be an impact player or find himself sliding down the lineup as Henrik Zetterberg will be just behind him. Brad Richards is a number 1 centre that this team has hoped for for so long. Brad should be the ace to this team and be able to provide some leadership and put up some good numbers. Henrik Zetterberg, Matt Stajan, Alex Tanguay make up the 2nd line up, but really a 1B line in most peoples eyes. Mark Jankowski was supposed to crack the 2nd line centre role, but has not matured enough to do so. So one of the flames many 2nd line centres they have had over the years is left here and in all likeliness be the goto guy on the PK, and be an ace in the face off circle. Zetterberg will be a threat that the flames haven't had on the wing since Jarome Iginla and with Tanguay feeding Zetterberg, look for another 30 goal season from the swedish sniper. Greg Nemsiz, Evgeny Grachev, and Steve Bernier will be the physical aspect of this team as well as Kevin Klein who will be on the 3rd pairing with Chris Butler. Klein was signed in the offseason and looks like a guy that is very versatile, but did not play in the preseason so we have yet to see what he is about. Bernier looked great in the preseason and looks like a guy who could be a productive player. When it comes to shutting down the other teams lines Langkow, Cracknell, Jones, Cervenka will be doing a hell of a job at trapping up the neutral zone and killing some penalties as the flames better two way forwards. Phaneuf, Gleason, Wideman and Liles round out the top four of this team and not to mention newly appointed caption Dion Phaneuf who will anchor this blue line, but that being said the flames are looking to add another top end D similar to Phanuef. Varlamov, Irving and Ramo should all get time in the net and each have a shot at being the starter for this team. Opening Night is coming and can't wait to see the 13-14 flames in action.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Mar 25, 2013 12:10:27 GMT -5
TheSeason is Underway
The Flames are tied for 2nd in the Northwest division and vying for a playoff spot. The Flames have a record of 3-3-0-0. The Flames have beaten the Avalanche, Jackets, Canucks but lost to the Blackhawks twice and the Islanders. Simeon Varlamov played all 6 games thus far and has looked average. The Flames have stated that Leland Irving will be getting the next start and Karri Ramo will be also getting a few starts. The Flames are set to take on Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles and St. Louis. Irving, Varlamov and Ramo are all getting a strat this up coming week as Varlamov hasn't proved he can be the starting goalie. Zetterberg, Richards, Lupul, Gleason and Phaneuf are playing well. They are leading the way for the team on the most part.
The Flames have been looking to build chemistry and have found it for the most part especially with that top line. Sven Baertschi is a guy who needs to get going. His line mates Tanguay and Stajan who have put up 4 points each, where as Sven has only recorded 1 goal and is a minus 3, where as Tanguay and Stajan are minus 2. Lets see how the flames do in this up coming week.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Apr 9, 2013 22:19:51 GMT -5
Flames Into NovemberThe Calgary Flames just snapped a 11 game win streak recently that saw them run from 12th in the conference all the way up to 5th in the Northwest and 4 points within the division leading Vancouver Canucks. The Flames also made a major move and a few other moves recently. The Calgary Flames signed goaltender Jimmy Howard. Howard has looked really good so far going 4-1-1 with this Calgary team who is only getting better. Jimmy is a good goalie who has looked really good so far and will be a big piece for this team for the next 4 seasons. Jimmy is a goalie who can lead a team, but he is not a henrik lundqvist level as we saw that with Detroit last year who had an abysmal roster, but still played well. Now the biggest news is the blockbuster trade that Calgary pulled off with the Anaheim Ducks. The Flames traded All-Stars Henrik Zetterberg and Joffrey Lupul along with Steve Bernier, Dennis Wideman and Evgeny Grachev. Losing Zetterberg and Lupul are big pills to swallow with them being such large pieces to the Calgary Flames top line, but Sven Baertschi has showed lots of poise and is ready for top line minutes to join Brad Richards. The flames also took back Tomas Fleischmann who had 20 Points in 22 games. The down fall is Tomas has a broken leg and is sidelined for 6 weeks so he will report to calgary doctors and be put into physio and this will give him lots of time to adjust to a new system, but the biggest name in the deal is all star d-man Shea Weber. Who wouldn't want a pairing of Phaneuf and Weber? That is a top end pairing and will lead this team. They are both franchise D and look to be able to compete for Norris trophies on a constant basis. Shea is a guy that hits hard and has a bomb of a snapshot and can help anchor this team with fellow Canadian Dion Phaneuf. Matt Beleskey is a guy the flames like. He is a good two way player who can put up points. Nothing to flashy, but can be a good two way. Andrew Ladd is someone who is a great leader having won a cup with Chicago and is a great two way hockey player who can score goals, hit and fight. Andrew is the complete package. Andrew will be a great addition to this team. The Flames were not done there, as they traded for Tuomo Ruutu for a 2015 1st, and two prospects (howse and Culkin). They also dealt Alex tanguay and a 2015 2nd to the St. Louis Blues for Chris Stewart and a 4th rounder. Calgary has a whole new team, and will take some time for this lineup to mesh, but when it does look out. Jaden Schwartz also made his mark registering 4 points in 3 games on the 2nd line. Mark Jankowski and Brady SKjei are chomping at the bit and look poised to be recalled as well as Lance Bouma (who was just recalled). The Flames also added that Cervenka and Varlamov are being shopped heavily.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Apr 13, 2013 13:50:07 GMT -5
Calgary Flames Into JanuaryThe Flames have now entered into January and sit 4th in the Northwest, which puts them 8th in the west. 2 points back of Edmonton for 5th in the West and 6 points back of division leading Vancouver. The Flames do hold a couple of games in hand, but if they want to move up they need to start playing better. They have gone 4-2 this month this far, but need to win crucial games with in their division in order to gain ground and move up in the west. A player like Shea Weber who has been a minus player since coming to Calgary and only boasting 6 pts in 14 games, which is respectable for a D, but the main concern is his defensive prow less, which has been very poor. Andrew Ladd is another player who the coaching staff has not been pleased with. He is a guy who has been put on the top line and has only registered 2 point thus far. Quite disappointing as he is playing with two of the most skilled players in the league. On the flip side of things call up Jaden Schwartz has been great registering 14 points in 11 games and +4. He is doing quite well. The Flames are beginning to gel, but had a terrible game against the Canucks losing 6-2. Howard was very off and as was the team. Looking for a big time practice in this up coming week. The team needs to keep getting better each game as they look to climb in the standings and gain ground, keep in mind the spread is so small between 8th and 5th in the conference, with only 2 points separating them. Karri Ramo and Jimmy Howard have been a real good goaltending tandem this far and will continue to be! The Flames have been awaiting Tomas Fleischmann's return to action, he is still a month or so out, but is getting closer to being a full time member of the Flames top 6. After the World Junior Championship the Flames signed Finnish blue liner Rasmus Ristolainen to an ELC. He looks to be more than ready to join the Flames, look to see him joining All-Star Shea Weber on the blue line in the near future. Rasmus shows to be a respectable two way D, but more likely a strong defensive presence, with a physical edge. The addition of him to the Calgary franchise will be a good young player to join the team fairly soon. The Flames are a team that has made a number of moves and will constantly looking to improve their team in every way. In their latest move they traded Alex Tanguay and a prospect for big physical, Iginla like Chris Stewart who should create a really good line with Ruutu and Nemisz. The Calgary team has a lot of depth now and just needs some bonding time and will be a Cup contender. Brady Skjei is honing his offensive skills and continuing to improve his defensive skills as he is getting close to being a mainstay on the Calgary Flames blue line. The team looks to have good depth at this position. Mark Jankowski is a guy who is really developing nicely, both offensively and defensively as he looks to be a future top end centre in this league as he continues to get better and better.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Apr 15, 2013 21:16:18 GMT -5
Flames Make Move, Beat SharksThe Calgary Flames made another move trading for Chicago first rounder Philip Danault (whom was traded to MTL). The Flames gave up 3rd string net minder Simeon Varlamov. Simeon was thought to be the next franchise goalie in Calgary, but was very weak in this years performance. He was unable to live up to the task and Jimmy Howard fit in no problem and continues to shin for the Flames as well as Karri Ramo. Philip is a skilled youngster. Named team captain as a 17-year-old, that fact alone speaks to the quality of character of Danault. A leader both on and off the ice, Danaults effort level can never by questioned. Whether its scoring a goal, finishing a check, or killing a penalty, he plays an all-weather, two-way game. He has also developed into a dynamic skater capable of making plays at high speed on the rush. Though he might not be naturally skilled enough to be a scoring forward at the next level, his work ethic and skating ability should guarantee a future in the NHL. He should transition to a good top 9 forward in the big league and will continue to grow with Abbotsford Heat of the AHL. The Calgary Flames played the San Jose Sharks and defeated them 4-3 in regulation time. The Flames forwards and blue line registered points, with Richards two assists, while Nemisz, Ladd, Little and Jones all scored goals. Beleskey, Phaneuf, Stajan, Liles, Baertschi and Rasmus Ristolainen (risto) played well with Weber registering his first ever NHL assist on his first NHL game. The youngster looks poised to be a powerful defenseman. The Flames still are getting better and they need to keep improving. Goalie Jimmy Howard recorded another win and continues his strong play. The flames were 0/2 on the PP, but registered 6 shots, so the PP looks good.
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Post by backtrack153.Flames on Apr 16, 2013 21:41:48 GMT -5
Flames ReCall Rookies, Drop 3 StraightSkjei continues his run of effective skating defencemen available for this Abbotsford team, but now time to join the Flames. He possesses excellent edgework and agility for a big man. He has very good mobility, balance, and makes quick pivots. Skjei has above average speed and uses it to join the rush. This skating ability helps him in both the offensive and defensive zones. Offensively Skjei is always willing to join the rush. He handles the puck well, and is willing to make dynamic rushes, and take the puck right to the net. On the Powerplay Skjei is a good passer who makes smart decisions and can make creative passes putting the puck on the tape of his teammates. However his slapshot needs work and is below average when compared to the other defence men around the league, but it has improved greatly in Abby. Defensively Skjei uses good positioning, hockey sense and his great skating to keep defenders to the outside. He also is pretty effective at keeping the crease clear for the Heat and at picking up loose pucks. He uses his size to limit passes and chances against. Skjei possess the ideal height that NHL teams always seem to look for among defencemen. He is listed at 6’3″ and may still be growing. Despite his great size Skjei is not a physical defender. We would like to see him be more aggressive and really start throwing his body around out there. If Skjei can learn to harness the physical aspects of his game he could become a top 2 defender in the NHL. However we currently see him as more like to top out as a 2nd pairing player. We’d compare Skjei’s game to Rostislav Klesla of the Phoenix Coyotes. Brady will be joining Shea on the second pairing and look for him to keep improving more and more throughout the years to come. Skjei and Ristolainen are the top defenders in Calgarys near future. Look for him and Risto to carry much of the teams defence as well as Phaneuf and Weber who are both allstars, in which they were both selected to the All-Star game that is up coming and are going to be top end for years to come. A prospect with some NHL bloodlines, Jankowski has grown several inches in the past year-and-a-half, to the point where he sports at least some of the size that NHL GM's look for in a center prospect. What he lacks is some bulk to go with his currently 6-2 frame as Jankowski weighs just 170 pounds. Nevertheless, the skill and talent appear to be there with Jankowski being a player that can generate offense on his own or in concert with his linemates, with his passing skills being nearly elite level. Jankowski plays a good two-way game and doesn't take many shifts off. As he gets used to his changing body, it is likely that he'll only get better, but playing against better competition will also help to improve Jankowski's game. Jankowski will find himself centring Calgary's second line. He will be joined by a familiar line mate Schwartz and also a new one in Bryan Little. The Flames will continue to grow in the Flames system. Not only will he be getting second line, but also 2nd PP unit. Jank has rounded his game faster than expected and will be a strong two way player and join in with the 2nd line. The Flames welcome him to the organization, we hope he continues to show promise! The Flames dropped 3 in a row to Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Look for a major bag skate coming in the near future. The Flames have been having good contribution from lines 1 and 3, but line 2 has been terrible weak and it is time for a shake up again. Weber still needs to get himself in gear as well as that he is not doing well. Ramo might get a little more playing time as Howard didn't have his best outings last week.
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