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Familiar Names Fill Calgary Flames Training Camp Roster

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The Calgary Flames announced their training camp roster today, and there are plenty of players on professional tryout agreements that will be familiar to NHL fans. We had already heard reports of Jeff Glass, Viktor Svedberg and Logan Shaw, but they’ll be joined by Philip Samuelsson, Ryan Sproul, Scott Sabourin, Justin Auger, Duncan Siemens and Gilbert Brule. The Flames of course have part of their roster in China to take on the Boston Bruins in two exhibition matches, meaning they needed more bodies than normal

Still, to see the likes of Brule back with an NHL organization is surprising. Originally selected sixth overall in 2005 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brule hasn’t played in North America since 2013-14, suiting up in the KHL for the past four seasons. He did however suit up for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics, scoring three points in five games to earn a bronze medal.

Brule isn’t the only high draft pick invited, as Siemens was also selected in the first round. The 11th-overall pick by Colorado back in 2011, Siemens never could really crack the NHL and ended up failing to even receive a qualifying offer at the end of last season. The big physical defenseman has simply never been good enough with the puck on his stick to get to the next level, and would have to really impress in training camp to earn a contract with the Flames.

Logan Shaw To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp

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The Calgary Flames have signed another veteran forward to a professional tryout, this time bringing in Logan Shaw according to Kristen Anderson of Postmedia. Shaw finished the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but was not issued a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent.

Shaw, 25, was selected in the third round by the Florida Panthers in 2011 and slowly worked his way through their minor league system including a stint in the ECHL. In 2015 he made his NHL debut and played 53 games for the Panthers, lining up mostly on the wing. That was the last chance he’d get in Florida though, as he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season to the Anaheim Ducks and became a part-time NHL player for them. In 97 games for the Ducks over two seasons, Shaw recorded 18 points and showed that he could play center in a pinch.

When his role with the Ducks diminished and he was put on waivers this past season, the Canadiens claimed him and used his versatility to fill out the bottom of their roster. Scoring six points in 30 games with Montreal, Shaw actually saw the most ice time of his career. That didn’t earn him a contract though, and he’ll be hard pressed to fight his way onto the Calgary roster. Already the Flames had several players battling for fourth line spots this season given their additions further up the lineup, and it’s hard to see any inside track Shaw might have. Still, he’ll be able to showcase his skills and prove that he still belongs at the NHL level somewhere around the league.

Minor Transactions: 09/11/18

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The hockey world keeps spinning as we prepare for NHL training camps this week. We’ll keep track of the minor moves right here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Anthony Florentino, Eric Knodel, Alex Wideman and Michael Houser to one-year AHL contracts. The minor league franchise is working hard to bring in culture of winning and has been remaking the entire organization this summer. These four will likely see more time in the ECHL this season but provide valuable depth for a hopeful playoff run.
  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Emile Poirier accoridng to J.F. Plante of Le Droit. Selected in the first round of the 2013 draft, Poirier never could crack the Calgary Flames line up on a regular basis and didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the team this offseason. Publicly battling with alcohol abuse, Poirier told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun that he had put that part of his life behind him and is focusing on hockey. He’ll have to fight hard to make it back to the NHL, but at just 23 years old there is still a chance he can make an impact.

2018-19 Season Primer: St. Louis Blues

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the St. Louis Blues.

Last Season: 44-32-6 record (94 points), fifth in the Central Division (failed to reach the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $284,845 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Ryan O’Reilly (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tyler Bozak (free agent, Toronto Maple Leafs); F David Perron (free agent, Vegas Golden Knights); F Patrick Maroon (free agent, New Jersey Devils); G Chad Johnson (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Brian Flynn (free agent, Dallas Stars); D Tyler Wotherspoon (free agent, Calgary Flames); F Jordan Nolan (free agent, Buffalo Sabres)

Key Departures: F Kyle Brodziak (free agent, Edmonton Oilers); G Carter Hutton (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Patrik Berglund (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Vladimir Sobotka (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tage Thompson (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Wade Megan (free agent, Detroit Red Wings); F Beau Bennett (free agent, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)); Petteri Lindbohm (free agent, Laussane (Swiss League))

[Related: Blues Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Jake Allen — The team has upgraded its offense, already had a solid defense and has several of their top prospects banging on its door, hoping to get into their rotation this year. What they didn’t do much with is their goaltending. Allen, once considered the franchise goalie, has now struggled for more than a full season, but with three years at $4.35MM per season still on the books, he’s not going anywhere this year.

The 28-year-old netminder struggled down the stretch during the 2016-17 season, but his consistency got even worse last year when he posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in 59 games. The team was forced to use Hutton on many occasions to replace the struggling goaltender. In hopes of redeeming his job, Allen has said that he has changed some of his training methods this summer and hopes to come into camp and prove that he is the starting goaltender.

The team had better hope that he can, because the team lost Hutton to the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason and replaced him with Johnson, who struggled in a one-year stint in Buffalo, albeit behind an atrocious defense. The team does have prospect Ville Husso waiting in the AHL, but many believe he still needs at least one year of seasoning there before he can challenge Allen for his job.

Key Storyline: The offense has been thoroughly upgraded in the last few months and it will be up to the team to find a way to gel and make it work. One key story will be whether they can get the breakout performance that everyone in the NHL has been waiting for from Vladimir Tarasenko. The winger posted three impressive seasons coming into last year, including a 37, 40, 39-goal seasons. However, while the 26-year-old still had a solid season last year, his 33 goals was a disappointment for a player who many felt was closer to a 40-goal scorer than a 30-point scorer.

One possibility to Tarasenko’s season could come down to the addition of O’Reilly. Adding a top-line center will be critical and if the two can co-exist, then you might see the development of a superstar as Tarasenko and Paul Stastny had limited chemistry together. There is also a likelihood that Maroon, who played together with Connor McDavid in Edmonton for a while, could add his physicality to that first line and give Tarasenko an even better chance to have a big season.

Overall Outlook: Looking at the massive changes to the team, especially at the forward position means the team expects to win now. The franchise has put a lot of expectations on head coach Mike Yeo and the team as they are expected to not just make the playoffs, but compete for the Central Division title. That’s a tough chore for any Central Division team if you assume that the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will likely assume the first two spots in the division. That leaves just two playoffs spots for the rest of the division that includes the Minnesota Wild, who have been to the playoffs for six straight years, an improving Dallas Stars team, a young impressive Colorado Avalanche franchise and the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to prove that their run isn’t over just yet. If the team fails to impress early on, that could put Yeo on the hot seat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Toffoli, Giordano, Goldobin, Pettersson

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While the Los Angeles Kings did add Ilya Kovalchuk to their roster and have a healthy dose of veterans around, one key for the Kings will be whether the team can get Tyler Toffoli to show off more of his offensive prowess. The 26-year-old rebounded from a 13-goal season in 2016-17 to post a 24-goal season, but that’s still a far cry from the 31-goal season back in 2015-16 when he was considered one of the upcoming goal scorers in the league.

The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Toffoli feels that the team and especially coach John Stevens feel that it’s time for him to take that next step in his development.

“He obviously wants me to score more goals,” Toffoli said. “He said I didn’t have a bad season. Scoring 24 goals is not bad. He thinks that’s just something I need to focus on, bearing down on opportunities and not worrying about having the ups and downs.”

Many feel that Toffoli struggled over the last couple of years due to the lack of having Milan Lucic in 2016-17 as well as a healthy Jeff Carter playing alongside him last season. However, consistency has also been a problem as he tallied 11 goals in the first two months of the season and then struggled at different times to put numbers up, including one goal in January and just three goals in the Kings’ final 18 games, including going scoreless in the playoffs.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Kruikshank (subscription required) looks into the fitness level of Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano. The team’s top defender just turned 34 and remains in the best shape of his career. Giordano’s conditioning is one of the main reasons for his success. He has ranked first, first, first and second (last year to Michael Frolik) over the last four camps, despite his age. “I want to keep my speed as I get older,” Giordano says. “So I do a lot of strengthening of my hips and groins, working on some ankle-mobility stuff. Little things to keep my skating up to par. Speed and conditioning are the two things I like to focus on the most. But you need that strength out there, too.”
  • Jason Brough of The Athletic (subscription required) wonders who will win the final spot on the Vancouver Canucks first line with Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. The scribe says the team has three candidates in mind for that final spot, including veteran Sven Baertschi as well as Brendan Leipsic and Nikolay Goldobin. While Baertschi might sound like a logical candidate as he got some time with them last season, Brough wonders whether the team is giving every opportunity to Goldobin or Leipsic to seize the spot, which would allow Baertschi to play on the second line. The team has been hoping Goldobin, in particular, is capable of breaking out this season. He tallied eight goals in 38 games last season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks got a flash of their upcoming future when top prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen combined for three goals, three assists in Friday’s first game of the Young Stars Classic, according to Ed Willes of the Vancouver Sun. The two Swedes showed a chemistry together that suggests they could play together for a long time. Pettersson potted two goals, while Dahlen added a third. The two played together for parts of three years in the Timra system.

Viktor Svedberg To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp

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The Calgary Flames already added former Rockford IceHogs goaltender Jeff Glass on a professional tryout, and he’ll be joined by teammate Viktor Svedberg according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Svedberg wasn’t re-signed by the Chicago Blackhawks this summer after his recent two-year one-way contract expired. He’ll try to earn a similar deal in Calgary, or at least catch on with the organization for the next chapter in his hockey career.

Svedberg, 27, is a gargantuan defenseman that has flashed real shutdown potential in Rockford over the years but never quite put it all together for a lengthy run at the NHL level. He did receive 27 games with the Blackhawks in 2015-16, but they were spread between several stints and rarely did he receive an opportunity to really log substantial minutes. Last year he played 73 games in the AHL and recorded his career-high of 24 points, but doesn’t offer a ton of upside offensively for Calgary going forward. What he can bring, is an active stick that can reach nearly across the defensive zone given his 6’8″ frame and huge wingspan. While that may not be enough to jump into the Flames’ opening day roster, it should land him a role in the minor leagues somewhere.

There is a link between Rockford and new Calgary head coach Bill Peters, but Svedberg didn’t arrive from Sweden until after Peters had left to join Mike Babcock’s staff in Detroit. For the Flames, there is a need for extra bodies in camp given their preseason schedule that includes games in China, but there isn’t a ton of room on the roster for a player like Svedberg. Already the Calgary management team will have to decide between players like Dalton Prout, Rasmus Andersson and Josh Healey for the last few spots unless injuries occur over the next few weeks. Brett Kulak would appear to have the inside track for the third pairing given his 71-game season in 2017-18, but also was placed on and cleared waivers prior to his arbitration hearing this summer. The team could easily go in a different direction, which should give Svedberg at least a small sliver of hope as he heads to training camp.

Flames To Invite Justin Falk And Zach O’Brien To Training Camp

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After bringing in veteran goaltender Jeff Glass on a PTO deal on Monday, the Flames may not be done yet.  Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports (Twitter link) that Calgary is expected to invite defenseman Justin Falk as well as winger Zach O’Brien to training camp as well.

Falk spent the last two years with the Sabres in a sixth/seventh role.  He played in 46 games with Buffalo last season, recording a goal and an assist while logging 16:05 per night in ice time, his highest ATOI since 2011-12.  The 29-year-old has 269 games of NHL experience under his belt over parts of nine seasons with the Wild, Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Sabres.

Meanwhile, O’Brien split last season between AHL Bakersfield and ECHL Wichita, the affiliates of the Oilers.  He spent the majority of the year at the AHL level, picking up six goals and 17 assists in 43 games.  The 26-year-old has yet to play in the NHL and is already on a minor league contract for the upcoming season with Toronto.

With Calgary being one of the teams heading overseas for part of the preseason, they will need some extra bodies to ice lineups for their games both in China and in North America which is where O’Brien fits in.  Meanwhile, Falk will look to battle Dalton Prout for the number seven role in Calgary and could be a candidate for a two-way deal otherwise.

Jeff Glass Signs Professional Tryout With Calgary Flames

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There are still several goaltenders available in free agency with NHL experience, but at least one of them is off the board. Jeff Glass announced on the first episode of the Bosco Podcast with Nick Godin that he has signed a professional tryout with the Calgary Flames. The Flames, who are expected to have either David Rittich or Jon Gillies as their NHL backup this season, will bring in Glass to see if he could be of help to their organization in one way or another. The team does have several games in China scheduled for the preseason, and could likely use an extra body to help take shots in camp.

Glass, 32, made his NHL debut last season after a long and traveled professional career that has taken him through the AHL, ECHL and KHL. Once selected in the third round by the Ottawa Senators, he waited more than a decade before getting his chance with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. In 15 games, Glass recorded an .898 save percentage but saw his contract expire on July 1st.

There’s no telling if the Flames have any real intent of signing Glass to an NHL contract, but he’ll at least have a place to show that he can still compete at the highest level this fall. At the very least, Glass should earn a look at the AHL level somewhere if he decides not to pursue overseas opportunities.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs’ Defense, McAvoy, Bruins’ Rookies, Drouin

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With most of the media attention drawn towards the Toronto Maple Leafs’ signing of John Tavares, many people didn’t notice that the team didn’t really address their defensive issues this last offseason. The main reason for that is that general manager Kyle Dubas feels the answers to their defensive problems are more likely to be found within their own organization.

The Star’s Mark Zwolinski writes that the team has their top four of Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev, but they also have an overabundance of talented blueliners who are ready to step in and fill in those final two spots as well as help out if one of those top four struggle next season. The team can look to a number of defensemen, including Travis Dermott, Igor Ozhiganov, Connor Carrick, Timothy Liljegren, Justin Holl, Jordan Subban, Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen, Martin Marincin and Andrew Nielsen, who all have the capabilities of checking in if needed.

The scribe writes that one major advantage for all these players is they’ve had at least one year (except for Ozhiganov) of experience with defensive coach D.J. Smith, who was voted in a players’ poll as the assistant coach best suited to become a head coach.

  • After seeing Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin sign a six-year, $29.7MM deal ($4.95MM AAV) on Thursday evening, The Athletic’s Joe McDonald (subscription required) wonders what it might end up costing the Boston Bruins to lock up defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who is playing out the final year of his entry-level deal this season. If Hanifin makes that much, McAvoy, who has been quite an impact for the team already in just one-plus season, should be able to get an even bigger deal. The scribe writes that the Bruins had already started extension talks at $6MM over seven years, but are more likely to work out an even longer-term deal after this season, which could be an eight-year deal between $7.5MM and $8MM.
  • In a team preview, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that it looks like a rookie will be centering the Boston Bruins’ third line next season after having Riley Nash centering it last season. It just comes down to who wins that job between Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka. All are expected to have significantly better offensive skills than Nash, but all have no NHL experience so far. The 21-year-old Forsbacka-Karlsson was inconsistent in his first season in the AHL last year. The 20-year-old Frederic is considered to be more of a grinder after two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, while the 19-year-old Studnicka still lacks both size and strength and may not be ready for an NHL role yet, despite excellent offensive skills. If none are ready, Sean Kuraly or Chris Wagner would have to assume the role.
  • Patrick Hickey of the Montreal Gazette, in a series on key players the Montreal Canadiens need to get a better season from, suggests that the team must get a major improvement out of center Jonathan Drouin this season. One reason the highly-touted Drouin struggled was because the 23-year-old spent the previous summer training with Max Pacioretty with the assumption they would be linemates, but learned early on that they weren’t very compatible together as well as the fact that some within the organization felt he would be a better winger, while others wanted him playing center. Now, a full-time center, Drouin has been training for this season all offseason. “Last year, I came in and I had no feel for what was going on,” Drouin said earlier this week. “As the year went on, I felt more comfortable knowing what do in some areas, at some points in the game. At the end of the year, things were starting to work out and I want to continue like that.”

Sean Monahan Has Fully Recovered From His Numerous Offseason Surgeries

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  • Flames center Sean Monahan has fully recovered from the lengthy list of surgeries he underwent back in April, notes Aaron Vickers of NHL.com. The 23-year-old was shut down late last season and had wrist, groin and two hernia surgeries shortly thereafter.  Fortunately for Calgary, he has been taking part in informal team skates in advance of training camp and they will need Monahan as his best as they hope that a bolstered top line will help them get back to the postseason.

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