Flames coach Ryan Huska has made it known they have not received enough from their depth forwards of late, and Schwindt must provide something that has lacked up the middle
Cole Schwindt has skated in more than 100 AHL games for the Calgary Wrangler, biding his time for a shot with the Flames.
His opportunity has come.
Between the injury to Martin Pospisil, Dillon Dube taking a leave from the team and the ineffective play of Adam Ruzicka, the Flames had a spot for Schwindt to show his stuff in Tuesday’s clash with the St. Louis Blues.
“It’s awesome. It’s something as a kid you dream of, playing in the NHL,” Schwindt told the media after the morning skate. “To get that opportunity to step in the lineup tonight is exciting. I’m pumped.”
Schwindt, a 6-foot-3, 195-lb. centre who was drafted in the third round by the Panthers in 2019, was part of the crew acquired by the Flames along with Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and the first-round draft choice in the trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
But this is no freebie opportunity from the Flames to inflate the return of that swap.
Schwindt, 22, who played three games for the Panthers in the 2021-22 campaign, is auditioning to help remake a fourth line that has been lacking in effectiveness for a great while.
The Flames last week sent a struggling Walker Duehr to the minors and summoned Adam Klapka, and Ruzicka’s uninspired play has necessitated a change, not to mention a look at potential players beyond this season and where they are in their development. Schwindt arrives after collecting eight goals and 20 points for the Wranglers this season.
“We need someone in the middle on the fourth line to kind of grab the role, so the door is open and there’s opportunities there,” coach Ryan Huska said. “I think for him, that was kind of the message; don’t overthink it, just come and play, and use your size to your advantage, use your speed to your advantage, and be a hard guy to play against.”
Huska, who has no qualms about shortening his bench and barely using his fourth line when attempting a comeback or if they are not producing, has been consistent in what he is looking for from that group, which includes A.J. Greer at left wing.
“They have to be trustworthy and reliable guys that aren’t on the ice for chances against, and for sure not goals against,” Huska recently stated. “Then you flip it the other way, we want them to make life hard on the other team’s defence.
“Our fourth line has been missing over the last little while is some that energy, more of that physical play, more size in the offensive zone,” he added.
Enter Schwindt and his chance.
“He’s got a skill-set, too, that you can’t overlook," Huska said. "He’s a big guy that shoots the puck well, he skates well, but where we kind of envision him slotting is in one of those roles. Whether it’s fourth, third, some sort of role where you’re going to be relied upon to play against good players and to make sure you do a good job for our team. He’s trending in that direction and this is his opportunity.”
