Friday, March 15, 2024

Flames' Defense Down, But Not Out


The Calgary Flames are now just playing out the season. Some players are playing for their jobs, while others are simply going through the motions as the season winds down. The Calgary Flames are now just playing out the season. Some players are playing for their jobs, and others are just playing out the stretch. 

In reality, Kadri and Huberdeau have checked out. Connor, Zary, and Martin Pospisil continue to play their hearts out. It's as if they are two kids who are thrilled to be in a candy store. We could use more players like Martin and Connor in our lineup.

The team is making too many mistakes as a whole, but let's face facts: the defense has been decimated. Without Tanev and Hanifin, the Flames are finding it difficult to recover. It will take time to plug those holes. In the meantime, the Flames acquired from the Sharks Nikita Okhotyuk, a solid stay-at-home defenseman who can step in as the number 5 defenseman for now.  

In the trade for Hanifin, the Flames also acquired Daniil Mirmanov. He has some offensive skills and could develop into a second-line pairing. He has a powerful shot from the blue line. We might be able to use his talent on the powerplay. Mirmanov just signed a two-year extension with the team. 

What do we have in the prospects in the trades? In the Lindholm trade, the Flames acquired high-end prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo.  In Hunter, the Flames have a solid dman with some offensive skills. He is an excellent puck-moving dman. He has great speed, getting himself out of danger.  Joni is a no-nonsense dman with a chip on his shoulder.  

In the Tanev trade, the Flames received prospect Artem Grushnikov. Artem is a reliable defenseman who often breaks up rushes, is very good in the defensive zone, and is a solid skater. He has the potential to become a solid second-pairing defenseman. What do we have in the prospects in the trades? 

In the Lindholm trade, the Flames acquired high-end prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo.  In Hunter, the Flames have a solid dman with some offensive skills. He is an excellent puck-moving dman. He has great speed to escape danger.  Joni is a no-nonsense dman with a chip on his shoulder.  

In the Tanev trade, the Flames received prospect Artem Grushnikov. Artem is a reliable defenseman who excels at breaking up rushes and is strong in the defensive zone. He is a solid skater with the potential to become a second-pairing defenseman.

Randy

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