No More Emojis: What Ryan Leslie’s Departure Means for Fans

Tribute to Ryan Leslie

Over the years, I have come to respect Ryan Leslie more and more. His relationship with the fans has been nothing less than spectacular. He is one of the most professional media personalities in the industry. Fans look at the emojis he tweets when something is up. Who will take over with the emojis? All the best, Ryan.

Goaltending

Ivan Prosvetov

I discussed my concerns about having an unproven goaltender as a backup this season with a source. He assured me that Prosvetov is capable of being a quality NHL goalie. He went out to say, “He may very well be a more proficient netminder.” The Flames apparently have enough confidence in him to offer him a one-way contract. Only time will tell.

Plus minus stigma

When I addressed the plus-minus with my source, I suggested Andersson might be one of the reasons for the stalemate in his negotiations. His opinion is, “The plus minus stat is a line stat. Teams do not put as much value on this as the fans do. The Flames simply do value Andersson as much as Andersson does himself.” It is a business decision; it’s nothing personal. What is driving me crazy is that the longer Andersson is a Flame, the bigger the distraction he is in the dressing room. Hopefully, the saga will come to a satisfactory end soon.

Final Word

I am perplexed by the lack of movement on the Flames addressing the scoring issue. Where are the goals coming from? I know they were fine last year, but can we expect Wolf to put up the same numbers? What will the defense look like after Andersson’s trade? Everyone knows it’s only a matter of time until Andersson departs. They’d better get an adequate defenseman in return. I am excited. Still, I would be cautious with my expectations this season. Just saying.

Randy 

Johnny Hockey, The Flame That Will Never Go Out

This blog is long overdue. Johnny Gaudreau did more for this city than most in a lifetime. At the time of his passing, I couldn’t believe it. I was devastated beyond belief.

I just could not find the words to say in a tribute. It was too close to home. No, I did not meet or know him, but his family made it seem like I had. He was that kind of person—all class, all the way.

It was almost like losing my family. He was so personal with the fans. There was never a time Johnny would not stop to say hello. Johnny loved the game of hockey, and it showed. Better known as “Johnny Hockey,” he was some kind of player.

Johnny loved the city, and the city loved him. He was active in Calgary’s charities, donating money to Kidsport Calgary every time he scored. That was just the man he was, always putting others first.

His family continues to build relationships with the city. They tell people how much they love them every time they return. They are like royalty in Calgary. They are active in charitable work. As they say, like father, like son. It was so touching to see Johnny’s dad coaching at the Flames and Jackets practices. Johnny would have loved that.

The Flames drafted Johnny Gaudreau in the 4th round of 20ll. His best year was the 2021-2022 season, with 115 points. If memory serves me correctly, only Magic Man Kent Nelson beat him in most points as a Calgary Flame player, with 131 pts. Johnny would not want to be remembered as a hockey player but as a great father, son, husband, and a good man. The world was a better place with Johnny in it.  

30% Chance, 100% Drama: Andersson’s Future in Flames

If you are sick of anything as a Calgary Flames fan this summer, it would be the never-ending saga of Rasmus Andersson. There is a new twist every day. They are not giving up on trading him for future assets now. They would prefer a hockey trade. There is a focus on making the Playoffs. To do that is to bring in a player who can win now.

There is a 30 percent chance that the Calgary Flames will hang onto him until the deadline. The Flames do not want Rasmus Andersson as a rental trade. If they have to, they will.

They do not want to find themselves in another situation where a player walks away and they lose him. It is vital that this team shows the players they are confident in them. If the players lose confidence in the management, we will have anarchy. We will have another total rebuild with those players asking to be traded.

Going into the season, the Calgary Flames know they must improve their defense. We cannot afford 40 shots against us every game. This is where Zane Parekh is vital to the Flames’ success. Zane can help fill the void caused by the loss of Andersson. Of course, MacKenzie Weeger will be heavily relied on to keep them from falling apart. The Flames still have Bell, who will help mentor or mold Zane into an NHL defenseman. If the scoring is dry, as it was last year, Zane and Weegar will have to pinch with some offense.

Final Word

I must admit, I am worried that by the end of the season, we will see some horrific defensive play. Somehow, Weeger and Bell will hold the defence together with spit and a prayer. My greatest fear is that the Flames will stay in the hunt and miss the playoffs. That would be very detrimental to the development of the Flames.

Randy

Cornerstones of the Calgary Flames: The Trio Holding the Team Together

 

Every team has its cornerstones. Without them, its chances of success go down dramatically. Just like a building structure relies on its cornerstones, a hockey team has its cornerstones to hold the team together. Imagine a building without any foundation. What would happen to it? Like a building or organization, every hockey franchise has to have a solid foundation. Ideally, a team’s cornerstone is one goalie, one forward, and a defenceman.

The elite teams have four or five key players, but this is not fantasy; most hockey teams will be happy with three.

I am moving on from the thought of the Calgary Flames trying to tank this season. There are a lot of bright spots to build on with this team. Here are the three players I think can solidify the Flames’ future for years to come.

Dustin Wolf

Dustin is the main reason the Calgary Flames were successful after last season. He was in the top 10 goalies in the NHL, if not in the top five. Some fans would say he was the best goalie in the league last year. That is a debate for another time, but there’s no debating that Dustin was the MVP player of the Calgary Flames. Wolf must be this good for the Flames to make it to the next level.

MacKenzie Weegar

MacKenzie is a strong arm in the Calgary defense. In reality, he is one of the team leaders and might very well be the team’s next captain. He is truly the glue that holds the Calgary defense together. This Defense was sometimes in shambles like a fish out of water. You can see Weegar throwing the fish back in the water. MacKenzie does everything right. He is a great penalty killer. MacKenzie was outstanding in his defensive play, and at times, he was the power-play quarterback.

Jonathan Huberdeau

Last year was the first time we had a glimpse of the real Huberdeau. He showed lots of heart in the previous season and was having fun. Jonathan Huberdeau’s hockey IQ is high, and he is one of the smartest players in the league. If the Calgary Flames use him wisely and do not put too much pressure on him, he has the potential to be their best player. He can be the leader of this team. By far, he is the best playmaker on the roster and has the best vision on the ice. His passing skills are among the best in the league this season.

Clarification by the author

I must admit I could’ve easily used Matthew Coronado as the forward. I use Jonathan because he has to be the leader to justify that contract for the Calgary Flames.

Randy