We've already fiddled with the forward combinations so I guess its time to look at the blueline. Calgary currently has 8 defenders signed, although chances are at least one of Warrener or Eriksson won't be around in October (preferably both in my mind).
Last year the common duos were -
Regehr - Sarich
Phaneuf - Eriksson/Vandermeer
Aucoin - Hale
Warrener
Aucoin began the season in the top 4 at ES, spending most of his time with Phaneuf, before it became clear that role was a little beyond him. Of course, Anders Eriksson wasn't capable of it either, creating a bit of an obvious hole filled by an unsatisfying revolving door of lackluster partners for the Norris candidate.
Unless something major happens, the Flames will be facing a similar issue this season. While pretty much anyone outside of Cory Cross would represent a leap up from Bubba, none of the remaining candidates represent more than a marginal improvement. I say that without knowing the degree to which Mark Giordano developed overseas last year, of course. I've heard he was a top pairing defender for his club with Danny Markov and his selection to Team Canada in the World Championships this spring was a good sign. However, without really knowing who he played against or how he played (and the degree to which that will translate to the NHL), it's difficult to confidently and rationally project him in a top role 4 next year.
Here's what we got:
Regehr - Sarich
Phaneuf - Vandermeer (?)
Aucoin - Giordano
Warrener (?), Eriksson (?), Pardy (?)
Here's what I'd like to see:
1.) Regehr - Phaneuf.
Im going to assume for now that Jarome Iginla goes power v. power next year. If so, one would also assume that he'll mostly play with the shut-down pairing (Reggie/Sarich). However, Keenan made a habit of playing Phaneuf behind Jarome previously, likely in an effort to maximize ES scoring.
I therefore think it's possible that Dion is paired with Regehr and they play the toughest competition with Iggy at ES. This would also place Phaneuf in very good surroundings (ie; highly capable linemates) so he could take some steps forward in terms of playing against quality competition. This is the first year of Dion's new deal (6.5M), so Phaneuf has to start delivering more than just big hits and PP scoring. He has to start taking on the big boys if the team is going to garner value from that contract.
2.) Sarich - ?
That leaves Cory Sarich anchoring the 2nd pairing with the big question mark. Who's it gonna be? Probably 2.3M Jim Vandermeer to start the season I'd imagine. If so, that's not a 2nd pairing that overly impresses me. Then again, while offensively inept, it'll probably be better defensively than the chaos duo of Phaneuf/Eriksson last year. However, if Vandermeer falters in the manner he did towards the end of the season and the play-offs (or if Gio excels beyond expectations) I can see him being dropped into the 3rd pairing.
3.) That leaves Aucoin and Giordano for the final pairing. Both will be getting PP time, neither will be killing many penalties and they should be capable of handling the nobodies.
I'm also interested to see how the PP assignments shape up. Last season, Calgary had a decent first PP unit (Langkow-Iginla-Huselius, Phaneuf-Aucoin) and a laughably bad second unit (Conroy-Nolan-Tanguay, Eriksson-Regehr). The latter was terrible partially due to the ho-hum forwards and partially due to the fumbling back-end.
Robyn Regehr is an elite defenseman in many ways. Most of them start - and stop - at his own blueline. In the offensive end, his painfully slow wind-up is easy to block or disrupt while the shots that do get through are often too high or well wide anyways. Then there was Anders Eriksson, a man with the uncanny ability to allow almost any puck that comes near him to escape the offensive zone. Certainly one of the more consistent and galling features of his boobery.
The Flames have actually added two new blueline PP options this off-season: Mark Giordano and Mike Cammalleri. I think this ups the probability that the 2nd PP team won't totally suck ass next year, given that both units might actually have someone worth a damn (offensively speaking) running things at the blueline. Does Cammalleri get time with Phaneuf on the first unit or is he better reserved as the one-timer option on unit 2 with Giordano?
Questions abound!
7 comments:
Our only hope is a step forward for Giordano. I'd love to see capable as a top 4 paired with someone who plays a really simple game. I think he's got some speed and his outlet passes are not bad.
Phaneuf needs to be better defensively. Period.
Pardy isn't listed on the Flames development roster. Neither is Prust, but Boyd is. I have no idea what that means, if anything.
You're headed the right way on the pairings, MG. I noted this before, but in the last four years, Regehr's best work came with Leopold and Stuart, i.e. guys that can skate. Phaneuf has the potential to fit that model a lot better than Sarich. Whether they can actually matchup on-ice is another story. I seem to remember them both playing the right side last year, although that may have been driven by necessity.
Sarich is a better candidate for second unit work. It was a bad match with Regehr from the get-go. He needs the same sort of puck moving partner, BTW. Vandermeer isn't likely to be it. I'll stick with what I said when he signed. One of Pardy, Pelech or Negrin has a good chance of passing him on the depth chart this year, and only his new ticket may keep him around. He's a seventh defenceman.
Giordano, OTOH, could be good for Aucoin. Good feet, good passer, good second PP partner. Aucoin on the first PP isn't as good a fit because he and Phaneuf are both more comfortable being the anchor guy on the blueline doing the shooting. Cammalleri moves better, and the Flames PP was often quite stagnant last year. Regehr should only get PP time when protecting a late lead.
ngthagg, I know Pardy is still an unsigned RFA. As for Prust, no clue.
I dont know about a rookie passing Vandermeer this year, but I think Giordano has a good chance to make the leap. That's what Im hoping for.
Also, if Negrin makes the Flames this season I'll eat my shoe, Sutter's bluster notwithstanding. There's no room for a 19 year-old defender with no pro experience on this club...particularly one that can't be sent to the AHL should he sputter out half way through the year.
As for the development camp - I think any player past his entry level deal in excluded. That would make Prust and Pardy ineligible, but not Boyd.
MG, I hear you re: rookies, but were all those rookies that played defence for Dallas last year considered to be sure things coming out of camp? I guess all I'm getting at is Vandermeer looks to be a guy whose ceiling is in the bottom pair. I'm not convinced he'd be that hard to surpass except for that silly contract. Giordano was better than him before he left. Only Sutter's bloody-mindedness about him last year drove him away, and I think Sutter pretty much admitted it this off-season. All that said, if Vandermeer and Giordano are in the line-up, and Warrener, Eriksson and Hale aren't, that isn't all bad.
I guess all I'm getting at is Vandermeer looks to be a guy whose ceiling is in the bottom pair.
Can't argue with that.
With an Aucoin/Vandermeer bottom pairing, the Flames will be spending 6.3M defending 3rd and 4th lines.
Sigh.
I don't know why all this trash talk about Vandermeer. He's top four in the corners plus he's one of our toughest guys. His out-let passes are desent and his overall consistency is right up there. I'd pretty much put Eriksson as our main reason for sucking...considering he'd play close to 20 minutes a game. What was Keenan thinking?
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