Cultural Impasse

October 3rd, 2014 | Posted in Game Takes | By: D'Arcy McGrath

Have the Calgary Flames painted themselves into a corner?

Jettisoning local hockey heroes and starting a team anew without a particularly deep prospect base forced the club into stripping the team down to the bolts and building a foundation from the ground up based on hard work, accountability, and effort.

They hired a head coach that seemed to work better with the threadbare roster, than he did with the veteran club he started with.

They anointed an undrafted, unwanted defenseman as their captain, a guy that lead by example and verbage as the left for dead franchise attempted to start a new chapter, building from the ground up.

The club did as expected and finished near the bottom of the standings, but along the way earned a moniker for out working opponents, leaving everything on the ice, and pleasing a Calgary crowd that had grown weary of overpaid over promised rosters that never delivered.

When the dust settled it was clear to everyone that the team had established a culture, a brand name, that would prove to be the most valuable asset in rebuilding a franchise in a way that could be sustainable for years to come.

The right things were said, the right things were done to buy patience, and push expectations well into the future. A scheme brilliant in both design and its honesty.

Now, however, that honesty is about to be put to the test.

“Meritocracy”
“Always earned, never given”

It doesn’t take Jack Button to rise from the grave to assess the Calgary Flames camp, and the battles we are seeing for spots with only one game to play on the preseason schedule. Too many young players have outplayed veteran players, the same veteran players that set the work ethic mark last winter to the delight of ticket paying patrons.

Outplayed yes. Replaced? That’s the sticky question.

Veterans are given more room to slowly move their game towards 100% by opening night. They feel they have spots and therefore don’t have to kill themselves as they shake off summer rust and let the young guys go through a wall in order to secure roster positions. This has to be taken into account.

Another factor that can’t be ignored is the role that is played by each veteran and how unique the skillset required to play such role is within the organization.

Brian McGrattan for example, would lose a speed race to likely 30 prospects, won’t display a better shot, or the ability to lead the team on the powerplay. He’s the NHL heavyweight champ and his role is well defined.

Similarly, a fellow like Matt Stajan can lean on the fact that he’s the club’s only experienced pivot, that he’s versatile up and down the roster, doesn’t mind doing the dirty work, and is heralded as being great in the room.

But what about the other veterans on the Flame’s roster?

Curtis Glencross and Jiri Hudler are veteran upper six roster players with a proven track record of production. They may not have had the best of camps, and in Glencross’ case may be coming off an injury plagued season but they are in no danger of losing their spots.

Mikael Backlund and Joe Colborne are perfect roster tweeners on great development archs that are taking larger roles this season and fit strongly in the Flames future plans; they are safe.

Sean Monahan is 19, bigger and ready to add to his 22 goal total of last season, and clearly looking for an expanded role and not his first venture into the American Hockey League.

Lance Bouma, though a bottom roster player, is the poster child for the hard working culture they have built, and looks to have actually improved in the off season, nobody is taking his job.

Mason Raymond had a great year in Toronto last year, and was the club’s big forward signing on July 1st. His injury in camp has kept him from doing a whole lot, but his production last year will certainly give him the benefit of the doubt.

That’s 9 spots on a roster that is likely to feature 14 forwards when the final roster is named for opening night. This is where things get hairy.

The rest of the veteran forwards are in a much more precarious situation if “never given” is truly the mantra of the 2014-15 Calgary Flames.

Bubble Battle

Veteran guys that have to watch their backs for one reason or another would include Brandan Bollig, Paul Byron, David Jones, and Devin Setoguchi.

Bollig seems the least at risk as he was Brad Treliving’s first NHL trade transaction, and fits the mantra of the Flames having more muscle on their roster. If you consider Bollig in comparison to Kevin Westgarth he’s an upgrade and likely in no real danger when it comes to opening night. The debate of how many of these guys are needed is fair game, but a different argument.

David Jones has been injured and therefore could be given a pass much like Mason Raymond, save for the fact that he’s been a disappointment since coming to Calgary and doesn’t really fill a need on the roster. He’s big but doesn’t play big, he’s a scorer that doesn’t score, and he certainly doesn’t have shut down abilities. A man without a role, and getting pushed.

Paul Byron has had a good camp, great at times, but when compared to Johnny Gaudreau for the small guy that can produce role he comes a distant second. When compared to size and speed talents, he might edge out Josh Jooris in speed but not by a country mile, and he doesn’t hold a candle to either Jooris or Ferland when it comes to girth. For the time being I’d give Byron the edge on Sven Baertshi in camp.

Setoguchi hasn’t done a thing in camp. He’s either played poorly or hasn’t been noticed at all. He was a reclamation project signed for a smallish NHL salary, and wouldn’t require any executive to admit mistake in just sending him to the AHL. The Flames ownership is deep pocketed but sporting the lowest payroll in hockey, so they can afford the expense. He’s been out played by Gaudreau, Sam Bennett, Jooris and Ferland … the writing is on the wall.

Outside of the this discussion from the kid side is Markus Granlund, a gifted young player that has missed most of the preseason schedule with a concussion. If he was healthy I think he would have topped Jooris and been in the Gaudreau battle but for the time being put a pin in him.

“Always earned, never given”

Culture and mantras are important. They set a bar, they set a tone, and help set a foundation for a franchise. They act as effective tools for keeping people on the same page, pulling the rope in the same direction and at the same time.

They are however, fragile.

A failure to live up to a message given to youngsters and veterans is a dangerous move with huge consequences.

Young players up in Edmonton were given roles without earning them, and because of that you have a coaching staff pulling out hair trying to get them to play a 200 foot game. In Calgary last season there were never any passengers and they all bought it.

“Always earned, never given”

Hartley and co. have discussed long nights and heated quarrels about roster decisions, and I believe him.

It’s crunch time, the youth of the Flames have responded to the notion that spots are available if they earn them. They have. So now it’s up to Brian Burke, Brad Treliving and Bob Hartley to keep their side of the bargain.

There really isn’t any choice.



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