2022 Draft: Calgary Picks

Calgary doesn't have a first-round pick in this year's draft. The Flames will be exploring different ways to get into the first round. Could Monahan be shopped? Andrew Mangiapane? Then the dreaded question that I don't even want to ask — could the rights of Johnny Gaudreau be up for grabs? Flames have lots of options if they want that first-round pick. With the Flames' salary cap problems, they may very well seek different options to make room for Matthew Poitras, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk's contract under the salary cap. I am hearing they would love for Johnny to sign but aren't sitting back and will be aggressive in the free-agent market. 

Going into this draft, the Flames need a second-line forward with some scoring skills. They really need some help with the secondary scoring. Quite often, if the top line did not score, the Flames laid an egg. They need a sparkplug, someone who can put some energy into the lineup. They should add another dman who is good in the defensive game. The Flames still are hanging their goalies out to dry. They need to be more defensive and responsive this season. A stay-home dman would be nice. Those are the two biggest concerns to be addressed this season. 

 

If things stay the same, the Flames will have a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and the seventh-rounders. 

My suggestions are:

59 Matthew Poitras  

Centre 

Poitras is a reliable two-way centre whose defensive play improves his offensive paralysis on the ice. Matthew will win his share of battles with the puck. His strength is taking advantage of other players' mistakes. He will get into players' psyches. Scouts love his hard work and stable influence in the dressing room. 

155 David Moravec 

Defense 

David is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of player. David is a stay-home defenseman who will be a great penalty killer. He bails out other players' mistakes and does not panic with the puck. He has no fear. He plays like a big man and will have to bulk up, as he is kind of small. His intensity makes up for the lack of size, a typical stay-at-home dman. 

219 Ben Hemmerling 

Right-Wing

Offensive upside. Hemmerling has the potential to be a solid third-line forward. A solid skater who works without the puck. A good wrist shot with some zing to it. Ben could develop into an NHL'er, but it will take some patience.

See my full mock draft here.

2022 Draft: What does a scout look for?

I often wondered what Scouts look for in a prospect, especially this time of year. I decided to go the horse's mouth and ask expert Russ Cohen. As we get ready for the draft, the Scouts are earning their paycheques. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Russ Cohen. 

All scouts look for different things. They all have a numeric system to apply to attributes like speed, as an example. They file the reports electronically after games. Some teams look for toughness, some are hard to play against. some speed, some playing the right way. Sometimes a scout can look at a player a few times and know his team has to get that player and then the rest of the visits is about confirmation before he recommends that player. Scouts' jobs depend on getting at least two players in every draft. Hopefully, they play 100-200 NHL games. You can't build a team through free agency in the cap world. Scouts are careful to use phrases like "generational talent". When the talent pool compresses as players move up that's when things either click or many times go sideways. Amateur scouting is vital to a team's future success.

I'm Russ Cohen. My website is www.sportsology.com. My Twitter handle is @Sportsology. It's there I push the other outlets I work for. The first draft that I covered was in 2001 and I've been covering everyone ever since then.  

I want to thank Russ for his time; he is a great Twitter follower and a wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend following him. He will make it worth your while. 

See my full mock draft here.

RIP Bearcat Murray

 

My heart is a little saddened today to hear of the passing of Bearcat. I remember him jumping on the ice, often helping an injured player. That injured player did not have to be a Flame; I saw him jumping off for the other team player if he could get there before their trainer. That was just the man; he was all class. I will never forget his manner, always smiling.  

Bearcat had a heart of gold. He was there for anyone who asked for help. He would have given the shirt off his back. He had his finger in many charities,  offering his time to help in any way he could. He will permanently be attached to the Calgary Flames. The man, the myth, the legend, Bearcat Murray. 

My sympathies to his friends and family. May God be with them at this time. 

Flame out: What went wrong

I could just copy other blogs of what went wrong and paste them here. Year after year, disappointment, and then the Flames make minor adjustments for the next season. After this year, I think small changes have come to an end.

The first choice was Tyler Toffoli's trade. Was it a complete failure? He was great during the regular season but went pretty quiet in the series lost to the Oilers. A rather expensive first-rounder, to say the least. He has one year left on his contract, so it might still be a little early to make a judgment on the deal. 

The first line did not come through during the crunch. I know it is not fair, but often, the stars get the blame when the team fails expectations. The Flames need more players who can perform under pressure instead of panicking. This core has not come through, so changes have to occur. But who goes?

First on the block is Johnny Hockey. I know losing him would suck, but in reality, what has this core done since they've been together? Early exit after early exit. Then there is the demand for the ten million dollars plus cap it will cost to keep him. Do we pay out the money? I don't see the Flames doing that (but I don't have any inside info on that.) Johnny's tenure with the Flames will be known for not being able to come through during the playoffs. I am not sure he wants to stay in Calgary; I think he has made up his mind about testing free agency. My gut tells me that if he wanted to stay, he would have signed by now. Johnny is one of the best players in the NHL. No one can doubt his talent, and someone will pay what he wants. He is one of the best Flames players ever.

Tkachuk is going to cost the Flames $9.9 million to qualify him. Yes, he is coming off a career year, collecting over 100 points. He scored 40 goals this season, another career-high. I could recite all the stats backing up his worth until I grow blue in the face. Tkachuk brings a lot of character to the dressing room, he gets into the teams' heads, and he throws off other teams' superstars. What he does without the puck might be more valuable than what he does with the puck. But can he get 100 points without Gaudreau? And will he stay when Gaudreau leaves?

Is Darryl Sutter too loyal to his players? Is the system at fault? Is it time to bring a new philosophy to the Flames' thinking? 

The Flames beating up along the boards has to change. It's a faster game now. Calgary's defence is too slow to compete with the faster teams in the league. It is time to get quicker and younger on the blueline, whether the Flames find the answers on the farm through the Heat or wheeling and dealing in the trade market. The number one guy I have been pushing is Connor Mackey I think he is ready to play now.

Randy

Are They Good Enough

 

So, did the Flames do enough? 

I know they are probably the best team in the Pacific Division. Apparently, they tried to get a depth defenceman, but couldn't make it work. The reason was there were not many options left by that point. I wonder if the Flames could have started earlier if they had made more cap room? They had to put Richardson on waivers just to be able to tinker in the final hour. 

The Flames could have made a cap casualty trade. Now bear with me—they could have traded Monahan for a cheaper third-line centre. If they are going to use Monahan as a third-line centre, they might as well use an actual third-line player to do the same thing for cheaper.  

One of my contacts has expressed how he feels about their use of Monahan: "They frankly misuse the talented centre."  I know Flames fans are often frustrated with Monahan, but is it his fault? When a team undervalues a player, can he help but think less of himself? 

The second part of this question: Should the Flames have considered making room for the Tkachuk and Gaudreau extensions next season? Could they have made a cap casualty trade without hurting the team? 

One contact explained why they couldn't dump any cap: "When you have the chance at the cup, you have to go for it." I countered about having to lose Tkachuk or Gaudreau next year. Another contact agreed with not changing anything before the playoffs: "You can't mess with a team's chemistry when it is one of the best teams in the League."  

With this discussion, I learned precisely what goes through a General Manager's mind at the deadline. They have to consider every option and then judge the likely result. Who knew?

Randy

This is a different kind of team

Yesterday, I talked with my source. I expressed my concerns about the Flames vs Oilers and how the Oilers had owned the Flames in the past. He said, "I wouldn't be worried; this Flames team is a different kind of beast."   

The Flames have had some near-perfect teams. What makes this Flames team much more dangerous than teams from yesteryear?  

Top First Line

Maybe one of the best lines in the game. Believe it or not, there is more than just Johnny Gaudreau to this line. Lindholm might be one of the best playmaking centres going right now. The puck-between-the-legs specialist, Tkachuk, is a highly talented goal scorer who plays with the best of them. Yes, the hated Tkachuk, who gets in teams' heads and gets teams off their game. 

Vezna Goalie Candidate

Markstrom has been outstanding; he gives the Flames a chance to win every night. What makes Marky so good is his vision; his puck vision is one of the best in the League. Markstrom rarely gets caught out of position. 

Supportive Scoring

The Flames have more than just a first line. A few names come to mind... such as Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli. Mangiapane has 29 goals, and Toffoli has been fantastic since coming over in a trade with the Habs. 

All of that being said; I hate to be a Negative Nelly, but I don't think the Flames are good enough to beat the major contenders. I think they still are two players away from where they need to be. The problem will be finding an imaginative way to circumnavigate the cap to find a solution that works. 

Randy

What's in Store for this Sizzling Hot Team?

 

Where do the Flames go from here? I have been discussing Johnny Gaudreau a lot lately; how about the rest of the team?

The Flames have shown us that they are "all in." The Flames feel they have an opportunity here to win the cup. From what I have been told, the Flames would love to add another defenseman for depth. Sutter is not completely satisfied with the defense yet. There have still been a lot of mental mistakes in the defensive zone. 

They have scouted a lot of Seattle games, adding to the speculation that they are bringing home their old captain. The Flames would have to do another deal to make room or bring in a third team to make the cap fit. I have a hard time believing that will happen, but you never know. 

The team has signed  Rory Kerins. A skilled playmaking centre from OHL Greyhounds. 

There may be another forward for depth on the bottom six if they don't pick up a defenseman. Sutter would still like to add some scoring. The Flame's bottom six has to pitch in on the offensive game. Again, this will take some maneuvering because of cap constraints. I am not expecting much. Sutter wants to improve this team at the deadline. Cap management will have to come into play to make this work. 

The fans would love to see the Flames bring up Matthew Phillips, who is lighting it up in Stockton. The smooth-skating forward is becoming a star with his playmaking abilities. He is proving that he has what it takes to make in the show. Jakob Pelletier is also showing why he is considered one of the best prospects for the Flames. The two players might be worth keeping track of, as the Stockton Heat is one of the best teams in the AHL. 

The Flames are committed to improving the team, whether they bring up some bodies from Stockton or go the trade route. 

Randy