Two college free agents to the good guys

The Flames saw a weakness and did something about it today. As everyone was worried about the defensive cupboard being sparse, that it was nice to see the Flames filling it back up.

Connor Mackey

Mackey is a great character defencemen with potential. He is a solid defencemen with size, who has some toughness with a touch of offence.  He is an excellent skater, puck distributor, and a great shot. There is a good possibility of the Flames putting him in the lineup soon. A great signing to fill up the cupboard. Four years ago, he was Defensemen of the Year in the USHL. He was considered a 4 or 5 defencemen and is a  powerplay specialist. Russ Cowen* said Mackey, is a guy who has NHL tools; he sees opportunities for Mackey in Calgary on the blue line.

Colton Poolman

Colton is a leader in the dressing room.  With tons of offensive skill, he is a puck-moving dman. He can play in all aspects of his game but needs to develop his defensive skills. Colton was put in every situation and excelled. I am excited about his leadership skills and his character. Colton has the potential to be a solid second-pairing defenceman. Two years ago, in the NSCHC, he was a finalist for the player of the year. He was also up for defensive Defencemen of the Year as well as Offensive Defencemen of the Year.

These are solid signings with minimal risk. You can never go wrong with more defensive help.



*Russ Cowen - PHWA member, NHL radio. EP Rinkside. He just completed a college hockey book. #nyjets book next.  Twitter handle @sportsology. There is no one I trust more when it comes to hockey prospects.

Tick tock tick tock

Everyone is wondering what is taking Brad Treliving so long. Let me first state the obvious. The Flames continue to say they do not want to add a rental. They have proven that over and over again. Finding a player with the term is hindering the Flames in making a deal. There are a few options that I would like to suggest in this blog. Of course, by the time I get this blog post up, they may have acquired someone, so don't blame me. 

Jonathan Drouin

Drouin is a highly-skilled forward who has all the ability in the world. The problem is, he has not lived up to that potential. The other problem with Jonathan is his expensive $5.5 million salary. The good news is he still signed for next season. Which means he would be a Flame for the next two years. He would be a great offensive addition to the Flames. He is listed as a left wing, but can play centre.

Kasperi Kapanen

Kasperi is the best option out there. The Leafs would want solid defensemen in return. Another good point is that he is under contract for some time. The Flames could slot him in the first line with Gaudreau and Monahan. The downside is the high price it will take to acquire the highly- talented forward. 

Josh Anderson

There have been reports that the Jacket's forward is available. He has shown his ability to put up the numbers in the past. Josh is a fast skater who would fit in nicely in the Flames' top six. Granted, he has really struggled this season, but that means he could be had for cheap. The other side is that he is only in RFA status. 

Other options

The other option the Flames have is rentals. The Flames have said they would only use that as a last resort. Well, guess what? We are getting close to D DAY. 

BRAD, THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

Randy

Blow it up

Not literally, of course, until our new arena is finished.  It is time to start rebuilding this team now. This core has never answered the bell. They have yet to prove they have what it takes to take it to the next level. Well, of course, we know the Flames will not do the rebuild. Ownership has no interest in the rebuild.  There is little doubt the Flames have been a colossal disappointment.  What has gone wrong? What would be an easier question is what has gone right?

The Flames players have no urgency; they don't seem to care if they win or lose. There is no energy; they are just taking the easy way out. The leaders have gone into hiding. I can't remember seeing any of them in a game of late. The followers are looking for the leaders to guide; instead, the Leaders are showing them where the vacationing spots are. The turnovers in the game are worrisome. If I ate a turnover for every turnover, I would have gained 50 pounds.

Blind passes seem to be the order of the day. Way too many of them.  Players are not looking where they are passing. There is no communication. The forwards not know where each other is and are panicking with the puck. They have to start looking to dump and chase. There is too much fancy-schmancy. Get back to the basics. Dump and chase. Enough with the Stupidity.

The defence is struggling with zone coverage. Too much time chasing the puck and not following the body.  Making mistakes that even rookies don't make. Not to pick on anyone, but the Hammer/Hannifin combo is not connecting. They seem to be losing track of each other. Neither has been bailing out each other. It might be time to think about splitting them up and letting them work it out with another partner.

Yes, I know the Flames are not going to blow it up. I also see the chance of finding partners for the core players might be pretty low.  Read the following statement carefully. They are willing to hear offers for Gaudreau. They are in no sense shopping him, but would be willing to see what they could get.  What that tells me is that they are looking to retool, not rebuild.  What they want for Gaudreau is a top-three player back who knows how to win come playoff time.  Draft picks or prospects will not do it. If the Flames don't make the playoffs, then come off-season, all bets are off.

Randy

The Return of the Battle of Alberta

So what is going on with the Flames? The battle of Alberta is back; I can tell you that much. Thanks especially go to Tkachuk for his issues with Kassian. And how about Gio for his run at McDavid? Well, let's discuss these issues first.

Matthew Tkachuk vs. Zack Kassian

Tkachuk getting into people's heads is nothing new. This time Tkachuk took it to another level with Kassian. Three nasty hits directed at Zack Kassian. Some say the body checks were attempts to injure; some say they were clean. Where the truth lies is probably somewhere in between. I do think the hits were borderline, which means Tkachuk might have gotten away with something. The NHL has real concerns with concussion issues. Hits to the head have to be dealt with correctly. That said, I don't believe that Matthew was out to injure Kassian; just trying to get into his head. 

We all know how Matthews plays. Find the line, then gets as close as possible without crossing it. But when you poke the bear, sometimes there are consequences. Zack Kassian is one big bear. Matthew had Zack so tied up in knots that he looked like a crazy man looking to hurt someone. When Tkachuk refused to fight Kassian, he crossed the line. When you play rough, sometimes you have to pay the piper. Instead, Tkachuk poked the piper and ran off.  If you play as Tkachuk plays, you have to back it up. In the next game, Tkachuk faced Kassian like a man and the issue was resolved.

The Flames had no problem with the way Tkachuk played. That is the reason he is a star. Getting into people's heads is his game. He draws teams into silly penalties when they let their emotions get the best of them.

Mark Giordano hit on Connor McDavid

Mark's hit on Connor might not be such a big deal if not for the history. We all know Giordano hit McDavid, sending him into a rough rehab all summer. What bothers me is Giordano sticking out his knee to stop McDavid from getting ahead of him. There may not have been intent, but Gio has a history of borderline hits. At worst, it should have been a penalty. He did put that knee out ever so slightly.  Maybe an interference minor. I give him the benefit of the doubt, but you can't blame the Oilers fan for being upset. Connor is their bread and butter, so to speak.

David Rittich

BSD, of course, is the most charismatic goalie in years. I love his antics. Dave puts his life and soul into this game and has instantly built a reputation as a man's man. So when the first two shots hit the post followed by a poke check on Leon Draisaitl, you had to know that Rittich had something special in store for his celebration to end the game. David Ritttich throwing his stick adds fuel to the Holy War known as the Battle of Alberta. 

Conclusion

The NHL would not have it any other way; they have wanted the rivalry  back for some time. They might have every official they could think of there making sure the game does not get out of line, but they're like a parent scolding their kid in public for beating up the bully, but in private jumping up and down celebrating it.

Randy

What to do a couple of million?

So everyone but the kitchen sink is wondering what the Flames are going to do. They sent Frolik to Buffalo to clear cap. So the Flames are obviously shopping for a forward to add some scoring punch. All I know is that the Flames are looking to add a top-6 forward. Secondarily, maybe a number 5 or 6 dman. So what are people guessing? I will give you my insight on the top three names I have heard suggested. 

1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau

A lot of people figure Pageau will be on the Flames watch list. Pageau makes a lot of sense because he is a sniper, which the Flames are in dire need of. I also feel the Flames are weak down the middle in the Centre position. Thirdly, Jean-Gabriel is versatile; he is also capable of playing wing.

The downside: Pageau would be a straight rental. The Flames would like to grab a player with cap left.

2. Tyler Toffoli 

Toffoli is a big forward who would be a perfect fit for Monahan and Gaudreau. He is a sniper that can find space for others to pass to him. Tyler can distribute the puck very nicely. He has a rep for his smarts, and finally, he could be the right winger the Flames have been missing. 

The downside: The major problem is that Toffoli is known as a selfish player. There is a worry about whether he will fit in with the Flames. Again, he would be a straight rental. 

3. Chris Kreider

A gifted winger, Chris would fit in nicely. Chris has one thing above the other two players, and that is grit. The Flames really need grit. Kreider has the hands to get the ugly goals. He is not bad defensively and will add character to the Flames line-up.

The downside: Last year, the Flames tried to acquire Kreider and were told he was on their no-trade list. The Flames would have to convince him to waive his no-trade clause. Another rental player.

Randy

The honeymoon is over

The Flames are falling into the same bad habits as were evident when Peters was in charge. The team clearly got a boost with a new coach, and boom seven wins in a row.  Unfortunately, this honeymoon ultimately came to a crashing end. 

I don't want to go over why the Flames let Peters go. Everyone assumed that it was because of the system. But Coach Ward gave players more freedom, more say in the game. It worked for the first seven games. But when you let the inmates run the asylum, sooner or later you get anarchy, because sooner or later, a player does not get what he wants. That is what is happening now. Players are not happy. Ward can't please everyone, and right now, he is dying trying. So how many players are complaining?  No one knows, but I will tell you this; it only takes one. 

What makes this hard is that the Flames wanted the players to have a say. So how can they fix it? The Flames have probably told the players if they don't like what is going on, they should play themselves into the lineup.

When you have unhappy players, it affects their play. This team has to function as a team to succeed.

Unhappy players are not the only problem; the team is not working. The ones who are happy are still not doing what it takes to win. Either Coach Ward is not getting his message across, or the players don't care. Either way, there is a concern; the Flames are not putting in a full sixty minutes. 

Sam Bennett

One of the players who seems to get the message lately is Sam Bennett.

I see glimpses of what Sam can do. Bennett must continue to get in opponents' heads. He has to stop taking penalties.  Everyone takes penalties, but Sam has to limit the stupid mistakes. He can be an excellent pest. He can also be smart, which makes him a valuable asset.

T. J. Brodie

Another player that seems to be getting the message is T.J. Brodie.

Brodie has been one of the best Dman down the stretch of late. He is learning when to pinch and when to stay back. More importantly, he is getting his legs back. Brodie is playing like the young Brodie in his early years.

So there are some positive signs. The problem is inconsistency. Previously, they would take a vacation during the second period. Lately, it has been the first period. The Flames must get back to basics. The leaders have to lead by example. It's time to buckle down.

Randy

Now what?

Now that the Flames have lost Hall and, even worse, they lost him to the Coyotes. What is the next step? The knee-jerk reaction would go ahead and bring in our own hired gun. But let me caution you on that move. Never trade in a response to a trade from another team.

We know the Flames were the "mystery team" that almost acquired Hall.  We know that if Hall had signed long-term, the deal would have gone through. The Flames are now asking questions on Kovalchuk. So we know the Flames are not happy and they're trying to change that.  And we know they are targeting the forwards. 

Does this mean the defence is off the hook? Not at all. I think our defensive play needs to improve too. The Flames are still too loose in their own end.  I saw signs of weak defence even in the seven-game winning streak. The Flames must play a full sixty minutes. No easy games.  I have preached this all season; the team cannot afford to take any nights off. It is going to be a dogfight to get into the playoffs.

Ward has given the responsibility to the players and let them run with it. The team is beginning to slip back into its old ways. The Flames can't take these brain farts anymore. Taking 10 minutes off in a game cannot be tolerated. This might be the very reason the Flames management are not standing idly by.  Whether or not they  make a trade is immaterial. They have the ability to make changes. Let the fight for a playoff spot begin.