Trevor Neufeld: Five Thoughts as Preseason Concludes

Thank you Trevor!!

Thank you Trevor!!


- LordHumungous

Cheers!

This sucks they are to good to finish bottom 5 but will prob miss 2nd wild card by only couple points !! But I can’t condone coilers motto of loose till gifted good players !! Go flames go

Saying the Flames have six potential NHLers in the AHL on defence is a stretch unless you're just saying all AHLers are potential NHLers. None of them are banging on the door for a spot yet and no other teams thought Solovyov was close to being an NHLer either.

There will be injuries, and Barrie and Andersson will probably be gone in the spring. There will plenty of room for any of the defencemen to earn a spot.

Thanks Trevor!

I am really interested in watching how Pospisil and Zary do with their new roles this year.

Also Klapka is huge. I wish they could teach him how to fight.

@squeaky
Hey I agree with you on this. Let the kids dominate in the A, once Andersson, and Barrie are traded, they’ll be some spots. Injuries play a big role as well, Flames aren’t going injury free this year. Can’t say enough about how Conroy has stocked the Dcorp, future looks great.

Thanks Trevor!

I am really interested in watching how Pospisil and Zary do with their new roles this year.

Also Klapka is huge. I wish they could teach him how to fight.
- DuranDuran

Loving Klapka’s game, looks like he’s got it figured out how to stick.
I wouldn’t worry too much about sandpaper, Lomberg will drag him into it, not a chance the 6’-7” Adam stands around while Lomberg runs around stirring poop.

Man Trevor, I look at this lineup and am worried we won’t be a bottom 5 team. That should be our focus, Flames need to draft a potential superstar and chances go way up with top 5 picks.

Let’s hope Connie sends some more vets packing. I can see Andersson, Barrie, Mantha, Kuzmenko and possibly Coleman ( he’s probably not scoring 30 again).

Loving Klapka’s game, looks like he’s got it figured out how to stick.
I wouldn’t worry too much about sandpaper, Lomberg will drag him into it, not a chance the 6’-7” Adam stands around while Lomberg runs around stirring poop.

Man Trevor, I look at this lineup and am worried we won’t be a bottom 5 team. That should be our focus, Flames need to draft a potential superstar and chances go way up with top 5 picks.

Let’s hope Connie sends some more vets packing. I can see Andersson, Barrie, Mantha, Kuzmenko and possibly Coleman ( he’s probably not scoring 30 again).
- K-man25

Backs has two years left on his contract. Could he be traded this year? I think the whole idea of having Zary play with him is to learn how to be a two-way centerman.

I am just thinking with Kadri's age and length/amount of contract Backs might be the easier guy to trade, especially to a bubble team that needs some veteran leadership.

Can't blame backs for wanting to chase cups.

Nonsensical moves by Conroy today. Keeping 8 defencemen on the roster and choosing to expose Pelletier and Schwindt over Hanley and Rooney is just bad GMing any way you look at it.

Does the team even have a plan? These aren't moves a rebuilding team does, and they haven't done enough to try and win either.

Waiving Valimaki at least made sense at the time.

Nonsensical moves by Conroy today. Keeping 8 defencemen on the roster and choosing to expose Pelletier and Schwindt over Hanley and Rooney is just bad GMing any way you look at it.

Does the team even have a plan? These aren't moves a rebuilding team does, and they haven't done enough to try and win either.

Waiving Valimaki at least made sense at the time.
- Squeaky

Please, cmon, Pelts is D+6, he's small & after getting rocked a few times plays small. He's been leap frogged by Klapka, Coronato & Honzig. In fact i like Morton over Pelts as well. Lavoie will get picked off before Pelts, in fact him being a centre the Flames should pick him off the Oilers.
Schwindt is nothing but a depth player. If you have injuries you can call him up & he's very serviceable. Thats it, a depth player. No one is picking him off. We still have to waive one more & my bets are Hanley is probably the last to get waived.

Please, cmon, Pelts is D+6, he's small & after getting rocked a few times plays small. He's been leap frogged by Klapka, Coronato & Honzig. In fact i like Morton over Pelts as well. Lavoie will get picked off before Pelts, in fact him being a centre the Flames should pick him off the Oilers.
Schwindt is nothing but a depth player. If you have injuries you can call him up & he's very serviceable. Thats it, a depth player. No one is picking him off. We still have to waive one more & my bets are Hanley is probably the last to get waived.
- Kevin R

It doesn't matter if Pelletier is any good. It's an awful GM move to waive him. The team isn't going to be competitive so every move should be looking towards the future. There isn't a single meaningful downside to keeping Pelletier on the roster for a month to see if he can do anything. What's the worst thing that can happen if Pelletier is on the roster until January? Klapka, Coronato, and Honsek don't have to pass through waivers. Playing in the AHL for a few weeks isn't going to ruin them.

A team claiming Pelletier and then making him a productive NHLer is a possibility. We just saw it happen with Valimaki. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't, but there's no reason to even make that a possibility. They chose to keep Hanley and go with 8 defencemen. That directly exposes Pelletier. There was no decision to make between exposing Pelletier and exposing a useful player. Is Hanley that important? Hanley isn't getting waived. The deadline to waive players to set your opening lineup is today.

Schwindt is 23 and is a decent enough player that he could get claimed. Rooney is 31, adds nothing to the team, and is far more suited to be a depth guy who bounces back and forth. The only way any of it makes sense is if the owners suddenly really want to tighten the purse strings since Pelletier and Schwindt are only making 100k if they're in the AHL.

Please, cmon, Pelts is D+6, he's small & after getting rocked a few times plays small. He's been leap frogged by Klapka, Coronato & Honzig. In fact i like Morton over Pelts as well. Lavoie will get picked off before Pelts, in fact him being a centre the Flames should pick him off the Oilers.
Schwindt is nothing but a depth player. If you have injuries you can call him up & he's very serviceable. Thats it, a depth player. No one is picking him off. We still have to waive one more & my bets are Hanley is probably the last to get waived.
- Kevin R

I say keeping Pelts over either Coronato or Klapka sends the wrong message. Those 2 came prepared for camp and earned their spots. Pelletier hasn’t shown enough to bump even Honzek, he had to know this was an important camp for him.
Im all for “you earn it motto”.
No ones taking Schwindt, he needs to go to the Wranglers and force a call up. I hope he’s pissed, maybe it will be the motivation he finally needs.
Rooney, love him or hate him is an excellent penalty killer, he not getting bumped yet. Perfect 4th line center. Playing with Lomberg and Klapka, he’s looked effective.
Not everyone is going to agree with the decisions, that’s why we’re just fans.

I say keeping Pelts over either Coronato or Klapka sends the wrong message. Those 2 came prepared for camp and earned their spots. Pelletier hasn’t shown enough to bump even Honzek, he had to know this was an important camp for him.
Im all for “you earn it motto”.
No ones taking Schwindt, he needs to go to the Wranglers and force a call up. I hope he’s pissed, maybe it will be the motivation he finally needs.
Rooney, love him or hate him is an excellent penalty killer, he not getting bumped yet. Perfect 4th line center. Playing with Lomberg and Klapka, he’s looked effective.
Not everyone is going to agree with the decisions, that’s why we’re just fans.
- K-man25

Yep. Pelts had several chances & hasnt stood out. Just because he was taken late in the 1st round doesnt mean jack & a reason to keep him. Totally agree, wrong message to keep him over the other kids. Wasnt Savoie a 9th overall pick by Buffalo? He got waived, is that a horrible management decision because he was a 1st rounder?

I wonder if Shar is injured & going to be put on IR, why they didnt send Coronato or Honzig to the Wranglers?

Yep. Pelts had several chances & hasnt stood out. Just because he was taken late in the 1st round doesnt mean jack & a reason to keep him. Totally agree, wrong message to keep him over the other kids. Wasnt Savoie a 9th overall pick by Buffalo? He got waived, is that a horrible management decision because he was a 1st rounder?

I wonder if Shar is injured & going to be put on IR, why they didnt send Coronato or Honzig to the Wranglers?
- Kevin R

Again, it's a team going nowhere. They aren't keeping the other kids over him. They're keeping Hanley over him... as an 8th defenceman. Hanley didn't do anything to keep a spot on the team. They're also not 12 years old. Adults don't worry about what message is being sent. They all understand how things work. If they went to Honsek and told him he was going to start the year on the Wranglers because he's waivers exempt and they wanted to see him play a major role on the Wranglers after his rough year last year, he'd get it. He's not going to cry about it because his last two weeks were better than Pelletier's.

It's also pretty clear you don't understand how the waiver system works. Pelletier has to clear waivers to go to the AHL. Any team can claim him and the Flames get nothing. Savoie was a 9th overall pick in 2022. Players drafted recently don't have to clear waivers. They can send him to the AHL without losing him to another team. Buffalo also traded him to the Oilers. See, it's not horrible management because neither Buffalo or Edmonton risked giving him up for nothing. It's a pretty simple concept. Many analysts are calling it horrible management by Adams for selling low on Savoie, but you still get something for selling low.

The other thing about Honzek is he's still eligible for another slide year, but I won't even bother trying to explain that to you.

Again, it's a team going nowhere. They aren't keeping the other kids over him. They're keeping Hanley over him... as an 8th defenceman. Hanley didn't do anything to keep a spot on the team. They're also not 12 years old. Adults don't worry about what message is being sent. They all understand how things work. If they went to Honsek and told him he was going to start the year on the Wranglers because he's waivers exempt and they wanted to see him play a major role on the Wranglers after his rough year last year, he'd get it. He's not going to cry about it because his last two weeks were better than Pelletier's.

It's also pretty clear you don't understand how the waiver system works. Pelletier has to clear waivers to go to the AHL. Any team can claim him and the Flames get nothing. Savoie was a 9th overall pick in 2022. Players drafted recently don't have to clear waivers. They can send him to the AHL without losing him to another team. Buffalo also traded him to the Oilers. See, it's not horrible management because neither Buffalo or Edmonton risked giving him up for nothing. It's a pretty simple concept. Many analysts are calling it horrible management by Adams for selling low on Savoie, but you still get something for selling low.

The other thing about Honzek is he's still eligible for another slide year, but I won't even bother trying to explain that to you.
- Squeaky

The squeak is shrieking over a player that hasn’t proved he belongs so it’s time to move on it’s that simple, other kids took his spot it’s that simple and if he gets claimed and becomes something good for him it’s just not working the team can see it smart fans can see it but you can’t see it. Happens everyday in the NHL

Again, it's a team going nowhere. They aren't keeping the other kids over him. They're keeping Hanley over him... as an 8th defenceman. Hanley didn't do anything to keep a spot on the team. They're also not 12 years old. Adults don't worry about what message is being sent. They all understand how things work. If they went to Honsek and told him he was going to start the year on the Wranglers because he's waivers exempt and they wanted to see him play a major role on the Wranglers after his rough year last year, he'd get it. He's not going to cry about it because his last two weeks were better than Pelletier's.

It's also pretty clear you don't understand how the waiver system works. Pelletier has to clear waivers to go to the AHL. Any team can claim him and the Flames get nothing. Savoie was a 9th overall pick in 2022. Players drafted recently don't have to clear waivers. They can send him to the AHL without losing him to another team. Buffalo also traded him to the Oilers. See, it's not horrible management because neither Buffalo or Edmonton risked giving him up for nothing. It's a pretty simple concept. Many analysts are calling it horrible management by Adams for selling low on Savoie, but you still get something for selling low.

The other thing about Honzek is he's still eligible for another slide year, but I won't even bother trying to explain that to you.
- Squeaky

Fck off goof, I dont need you to explain Jack sh!t to me, so quit being patronizing.
Conroy was very clear to the young players, if you come prepared you can win your spot on the roster. Its that simple. & news flash Mr Expert, the only way Honzigs ELC slides is if they send him back to the WHL. That aint happening, worst case he gets some games in while Shar is week to week injured & if need, he goes to the Wranglers of which his contract doesnt slide.
Pelts did not earn a spot & it sends a real bad message if you let waiver eligibility dictate your roster spots. Hanley is a Dman & Pelts is a forward shouldnt have to explain that to you, they obviously have other plans & things going on on the backend, unless you sit in the GM/Coaches meetings & know for sure that was a bad call.

Yep. Pelts had several chances & hasnt stood out. Just because he was taken late in the 1st round doesnt mean jack & a reason to keep him. Totally agree, wrong message to keep him over the other kids. Wasnt Savoie a 9th overall pick by Buffalo? He got waived, is that a horrible management decision because he was a 1st rounder?

I wonder if Shar is injured & going to be put on IR, why they didnt send Coronato or Honzig to the Wranglers?
- Kevin R

Sharky on the IR.

Sharky on the IR.
- DuranDuran

Yeah but that sucks, I was hoping to see Sharky have another big year.

All this freaking whining & Pelts clears waivers lol. So did Cooley which no sh!t. I think Bruins took more risk waiving Bussi.

I really have to laugh that Vegas picked off Lavoie, hahaha they're losing their young depth left & right. Remember when they used to call us Old Balls, well Im smelling crotch rot blowing down from Northern Alberta as they are the oldest team in the league. Hahaha love it.

Was shocked Vegas picked off Schwindt as well. Maybe payback for Pachal? Vegas depth is really taking a hit, might make that unconditional 2026 1st just a little bit more valuable

The squeak is shrieking over a player that hasn’t proved he belongs so it’s time to move on it’s that simple, other kids took his spot it’s that simple and if he gets claimed and becomes something good for him it’s just not working the team can see it smart fans can see it but you can’t see it. Happens everyday in the NHL
- Hockeyfan4life14

Wound up being Schwindt getting plucked by Vegas. Interesting. I like Morton better anyways. Lavoie getting plucked by Vegas is pretty hilarious as well. Oilers lose Broberg, Holloway & now Lavoie. All 1st round picks. Thats gotta hurt the future depth.