The Wranglers top the standings in the AHL, and rumors abound of an exodus of Flames veterans. Calgary should lean into playing their young core of prospects.
Sometimes you have to wake up and allow yourself to feel the way in which the wind is blowing.
For the Calgary Flames and their organizational depth, a full-fledged youth movement is on the horizon.
The Flames, mired in a 3-6-1 run and currently sitting at sixth in the Pacific, carved out a gritty win against the Montreal Canadiens last night in enemy territory.
22-year-old Connor Zary netted his third goal and pocketed an assist on Nazem Kadri's opening goal, finishing with a plus-two and 14:35 of ice time. Zary has six points in six games since being called up from the AHL, where he put up 10 points in just six games for the Wranglers.
Fellow call-up Martin Pospisil, in 11:55 of ice-time, assisted on Zary's 2nd-period marker, with a plus two, four shots on goal, and three hits. Pospisil has four points in five games played following a six through-six streak in the A.
With rumors abounding that gritty blueliner Nikita Zadorov has requested a trade out of Calgary, and with the futures of Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, and Nazem Kadri in doubt, the Flames would be wise to embrace a change in culture and scenery and lean into allowing a new breed of Flame to chew major minutes at the NHL-level.
In the AHL, the Wranglers have risen to a league-leading 9-1-1 through 11 games with 19 points. The club sits with a strong 40/26 GF/GA differential, with stellar goaltending from the tandem of Dustin Wolf (2.34 GAA, .924 SP) and Oscar Dansk (2.16 GAA, .940 SP).
24-year-old center and seventh-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2017 Ben Jones leads the team with 11 points in as many games. 21-year-old winger and 13th overall pick for the Flames in 2021 Matt Coronato, has seven points through five games with the Wranglers with 10 games punched at the NHL level.
23-year-old Prague native Adam Klapka, in his second season with the Wranglers, has five goals and nine points in 11 games, while 21-year-old Jeremie Poirier (72nd overall draft pick in 2020), has seven points in four games. Emilio Pettersen, a sixth-rounder in 2018, currently sits with seven points in 11 games in his fourth year in the Flames system.
In last night's 6-3 win over the maligned Condors, 21-year-old center Rory Kerins extended his point streak to five games by adding the game-winner. It was his first goal of the season and fifth goal of the year.
The pieces are in place, the cupboard is beginning to feel stocked for a long winter, and with more assets surely on the horizon from outgoing trades, it should be time for the Flames to embrace the youth movement that has done wonders for many a wayward club across the NHL.