Grading the Calgary Flames season | Blasty Banter
[Music] [Applause] welcome everyone to blasty Banter my name is Peter kin thank you very much for tuning in today uh it’s been a minute but uh don’t think I’ve forgotten we still have to do player grades today uh so we’re going to look at player grades for a lot of the key players on the Calgary Flames plus going to look at some potential picks now that we know the Flames are going to be drafting from in the upcoming NHL draft or at least we assume we know a lot can change between now and when the draft gets going so thank you guys so much uh for tuning in let’s get right into it looking at player grades and we will start right at the top with Jonathan huberto I gave him a C+ this year um at the beginning of the Season it would have been a d down toward an F probably but he was close to a point per game um once the calendar flipped over to 2024 after just a dreadful December and he at least proved that he can be carried which is not something that even we thought like there I still think there is something there for Jonathan huberto and I think this upcoming season is going to be crucial for him to see if he can really get this back on track or if it really is one of the worst contracts in the history of the NHL like it’s it’s already one of the worst contracts in the league today uh Pierre Luke dupa doing God’s work and making sure that it’s it’s not the Undisputed one but that there’s some major concern there but I I do like I said I think you started to see some glimpses we’re never going to get back to 115 Point Jonathan huberto those those days are gone but there is something there with Jonathan huberto that I think the Flames can build on going into next season um nazam Kadri gets an a I thought he was great in helping along the kids this year he brought the best out of Conor Zari and Martin ppol and he has shown those leadership qualities that you’re expecting from a guy when you bring him in as a Stanley Cup champion so there was this was a huge bounceback season and I think you could very clearly see that the issues he had a season ago a lot of them were coach related right I think we can kind of agree on that now um he didn’t like the coach coach didn’t like him didn’t seem to really work so um he bounced back this year with a just a tremendous season and gives you some hope going into next year for Andre man japani it’s a d for me um you guys know I’ve been hard on man basically since the Inception of this podcast and on any microphone that people will allow me to talk into I’ve not been a big fan of of his Play Over the the last couple of seasons and again as we get further removed from that 30 goal year the more that it’s very obvious to me that that is the exception and not the rule he has lost all scoring touch Around the Net and really the only time I found him to be effective at all was when he was with backin and Coleman who just are everyone’s effective with backin and Coleman so I I have a tough time really being like yeah no this is the guy um going forward and he would absolutely be someone who I would be trying to trade whether it’s a move to Toronto with with Brad sh living who we know believes in him or whatever it is I I would be throwing him in um into some deals and hoping that there’s a team that still thinks there’s 30 goal potential in this guy uh for kusenko it’s a B+ his playmaking ability was not something I was anticipating I loved what I saw from him um his passes are tremendous he has a shot that is a weapon as well when he is going he’s the most talented player on this Flames team no questions asked and it leads to a lot of interesting discussions about what the Flames are going to do with him next year but I think it comes up just short of an a because there was some inconsistency at times and that has plagued him throughout his career if he can get the most out of if you can get Peak kzo for 82 games I’m not saying he’s one of the best players in the league I’m saying he’ll get like a couple of heart votes like just one of the ones down at the bottom of the list but like he he he can be that good I think um I I love everything about the kid and what he brings and the timeline of everything is really wonky with what they’re going to do with him next year but I am fully on board with keeping with the Flames long term uh for Michael backin it’s a B+ as well this one would be an a if he had scored more than once in the last like quarter of the season but you didn’t really notice it because of all the little things that he does and he continues when it’s him and Coleman it is doesn’t matter who’s on the other side they are the best line on the team and one of the best lines in the league that is how good Michael backin can be with all of these dudes and he he continues to show that and I thought as far as a captain is concerned I thought he handled the zadorov stuff really really well Blake Coleman gets an a this was an amazing season for Blake Coleman I I thought he played his best hockey as a flame and I don’t know if it’s particularly close um what he was able to do offensively his work in helping out on the penalty kill and getting so many short-handed opportunities and then again he and backland making life easier for some of the young players who were coming up into that role I can’t think of one more thing you could ask for for Blake Coleman this season uh so he gets an a same thing with Igor Sharon goic um he was um the focus of a lot of frustration with flames fans this season because because of uh what they didn’t get in a Tyler to fley trade but Sharon govic just absolutely he turned that into the Sharon govic trade um his ability to score from distance is incredible you’re not going to get many Sky votes for the kid him or KZ mko but his scoring touch is some of the best in the league I think just pure goal scoring um there’s a few things he could work on absolutely and that’s why it’s not an A+ but for what you were expecting it’s A+ plus plus plus plus plus plus um but there there is some work that needs to be done on a couple of things but that that’s those are nitpicky that this kid was tremendous all season long in scoring goals at times and this Flames team needed them for Rooney it’s a c injuries definitely derailing things for Kevin Rooney this season um he was certainly a player that I wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of but then once he came in I thought he played the role of fourth liner really well and I I I liked what I saw from him and if you want to bring him back on like a one-ear whatever then fine go for it like he he he fits a a depth role really well Conor Zari gets a be from me um when he came in it was a house of fire it was him and posol and cadri and they were great and then there were a couple of times where it starts to dip a little bit and the longer it goes the more teams have kind of figured him out um I I think he will get that figured out now I think this next year is going to be really important for him now that the league is not going to be caught off guard by this particular player I do think that there is um a chance that there’s maybe a bit of a step back but he showed how talented he can be he showed the awareness that he has and I think he grew next to nasam Cadre um with his ability to see the ice he just makes he he seems to always make the perfect pass and the perfect play to set his teammate up and I think he got that um obviously through years of playing the sport but I think nasam Kadri helped him out with that as well and I I think there is another layer that Zari can get to for posil it’s a B+ um he was so much better than what I was anticipating honestly I kind of thought he was going to be Walker doer with a less hilarious name um just a fourth line guy can come in Crash bang boom maybe Hammer the puck in a couple of times but he’s just going to be out there and just be a um ju just be a bit of a pest and he was awesome he was a pest for sure and that’s the reason why it doesn’t get into the A’s is because there were a few too many sloppy penalties um in this one and and a really really a few frustrating times where it’s like man wish you wouldn’t have done that but the shot is excellent the skating ability is Miles Beyond it’s so good it’s knocking the mic over uh it’s it’s miles beyond what I thought he had and um I think I don’t know if there’s another level for him to get to but if he just kind of stays at this level he’s going to be a really productive player for this Flames team for a long time uh last one for the forwards is AJ Greer I give him a beat I liked what I saw from him all long the speed that he’s able to play with the pace that he can bring to that fourth line he is obviously very aggressive and there’s a a there’s a nose for the net that he has he gets himself into really good scoring areas a lot he doesn’t necessarily have the touch to take advantage of it but he gets himself into good spots out on the ice rather consistently and so I I really liked that from his game and he is another one where you’d love to bring him back in a fourth line role if for no other reason then you hope he’s healthy by the deadline and you can flip him for like a fifth or a fourth or something like that but I I really liked what I saw from him in a fourth line spot moving to the Blue Line uh Mackenzie weager gets an a he found that other level that I was talking about last year where like that there is an offensive upside to this kid that we haven’t necessarily seen yet and there might even be a little bit more but he found so much this year his skating ability is excellent his offensive awareness is great and I thought defensively he played well we did see there are some limitations when he’s not with Rasmus Anderson but there it was also a lot was getting thrown in and there were nights where he wasn’t necessarily playing with uh top four defenseman in the National Hockey League and going up against some of the best players in the world so I I don’t know if I’m holding that too much against him but overall I loved it uh for Rasmus Anderson it’s a B+ again he found a lot this year and when he and weager were together I thought you could trust them quite a bit and they they were a a legitimate top pair in this league and he had the shot that can be a weapon um again there are a couple times where you would just you would like him to calm down a little bit but I I love everything about him and um I I think once back Lin’s time is up one both of these guys that we’re talking about are going to have letters on their chest it’s just a matter of which one’s the C and which one’s the a for Oliver Shillington it’s a b um it’s A++ Plus+ plus plus just getting back to the NHL after the mental health issues that he was dealing with um once he got back here that the skating was still there the offensive instincts abs absolutely still there couple times defensively where you would see man these guys have been hemmed in for a second and you would turn around be like oh shington um so it it wasn’t perfect but I think having a full regular offseason and getting back into the swing of things this year is going to help him out a lot and I hope he stays in Calgary as he is a free agent um denil Miram manov gets a b from me I we didn’t get a ton of viewings of him with the Calgary Flames but he absolutely worked his way honestly maybe even into a top four spot um next season I think there is going to be a real battle for um the the six seven spots on this blue line next year for the Flames I think if Shillington stays three of them are locked in and then after that we have no idea Miram manov is as close to locked in as that at that four as the Flames have again the skating was fine um defensively a couple things that you maybe you don’t love but offensively he was over there on the power play to start some things so um I thought he was good Gilbert it’s see he kind of was just there at times and there were a lot of different players that were cycling through that just seemed to push him lower lower lower he had some moments where he was like oh hey this guy’s this guy’s doing some stuff but those seemed to fade away the more that you entrusted him going to uh the goal tending position um Jacob markstrom was an a he bounced back from whatever was ailing him a season ago and was legitimately one of the best goalies in the league and he did not have a whole lot of help at times and there were some nights where the like it would be oh yeah three on 19 it’s like yeah but 11 of those were high danger chances like he was excellent and that the numbers do not do him Justice I think he’s played his final game as a Calgary flame personally but I I loved what I saw from him Dan Vadar gets a c um there were times last year where he was the Flames most consistent goalie those times were non-existent this year there there were a few bad goals that that he allowed and you just you never felt really comfortable with him between the pipes Justin wolf it’s a c minus I I want to like what he did this year and uh interviewing him on the fan he was good kid um not exactly Mr electricity in a radio interview but few in this league are um but the inconsistency of the opportunities this year and the bouncing up and down and all of that had to affect him but judging from the play on the ice it wasn’t great there were issues there are absolute issues he’s going to need to clean up those are issues that he’s only going to be able to address at the NHL level he’s not getting better at playing at the AHL he needs to be up with the NHL team next season um and with the uh the coaching staff Ryan Huska gets a B+ I I thought he did great um I thought he held his players accountable I didn’t love the line Blender at times but that eventually led to um Zari Kadri and ppol and that was one of their better lines all season long so how pissed can I be really um I thought he was really good and I I don’t think it is a coincidence how many players had really really good years under him especially some of the young kids and for Craig Conroy it’s an a I know some people were frustrated with a couple of Trades and um the the better 10 of has played throughout these playoffs the worse it looks for Craig Conroy that particular trade but he acquired basically an entire other draft class like an entire bonus draft class and some really intriguing young prospects along the way and so I I think the job he did was tremendous and so he gets an a for me some of the players that he’s going to be looking at with those draft picks um looking at potential picks that the Flames could get now that we know they’re going to be drafting with the number nine slot or at least the Flames pick is the ninth pick in the draft uh so these are a few players that they can um Target and the first one is obvious it’s tjla it felt like his under 18 tournament pushed him Out Of Reach but as more distance has kind of been created from that tournament just with how calendars work um he that that that buzz is starting to die down a little bit and it’s starting to just fold into the overall pie which is still great um but it does feel maybe a little bit more realistic that he is going to be there for the flames and look I get there is the obvious tie-in with the name this kid could be named John Smith and I think fans would still be pushing for him with how good of a player he is uh kayen Lindstrom staying in the the dub out of the Medicine Hat um if Montreal does go ainla at five this could be a really good forward to to fall back on top six forward potential he was going to have an unbelievable season if injuries didn’t get in his way out in medison hat um cona helenius out of uh ukrit apologies for the the pronunciation A lot of people saying he’s NHL ready already which isn’t necessarily A selling point for the Flames who I don’t think are going to be good next year but this is a guy who could fit into the lineup right away and be another one of those good young players with the flame Berkeley Ken is another one out of Spokan 50 goals this year high skill player really good skater potential second line Center maybe creeping into that first if you got a couple Wingers um but this is a guy who could play in your top six and you’d feel very comfortable with Cole Eiserman pure goalscoring Winger and I think the Winger thing has kind of set him back as the process has gone on a little bit he had a roller coaster year where he was like up really high to start and it’s kind of people just kind of keep passing him and I I don’t think it’s anything he did wrong necessarily it’s just the strength of some of the players in this draft class and if the Flames do go defense um Carter yakimchuk from the Calgary Hitman could be a player that they target um big kid obviously the local ties as well defends well and is also a weapon on the power play like this would be a top two or three pick like 15 years ago in the National Hockey League given his size and his offensive ability um I I do think that like he is still going to be I think a strong defense defender in this league for quite a few years but I I yeah if the FL I would be surprised if the Flames go defense I know best player available in all of that but as we talked about earlier they have a ton of defensive prospects in the system now I think they may want to round that out with a little bit more high-end offense and there are a lot of defensive prospects early on that if teams want to go that way I think the forwards get pushed down into where that the Flames are going but a lot of interesting moves to be had this year um given that the Flames I think have a few trade pieces that they may want to to utilize going into the draft and um a lot of talented players out there as well so anyway that is going to do it uh obviously that this isn’t uh part of the weekly blasty banters anymore uh we’ll be picking them up again as we approach the draft hoping to have a few people on to talk some draft stuff with y’all and uh then we’ll do some offseason things and then the season will be here before you know it quickly if you want um all of my Calgary Flames takes next season game over Calgary is back go over to uh just search game over Calgary And subscribe to that channel now so that we can go live when the season kicks off next year uh that is going to do it for me you guys can follow me on social media Twitter Instagram and Tik Tok I’m at prime timec twitch.tv/ prime time PK uh and you can email the show Couch Potato diary at yahoo.com thank you guys so much and I will talk to you later I’m out [Music]
In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the Calgary Flames’ 2023-24 season. Peter Klein provides comprehensive player grades for the key Calgary Flames players and evaluates their performances throughout the season. Peter also explores potential targets for the Calgary Flames in the upcoming NHL Draft.
Twitter: twitter.com/primetimeklein
IG: instagram.com/primetimeklein
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Couchpotatodiary
Twitch: twitch.tv/primetimepk
Email: couchpotatodiary@yahoo.com
Music: instagram.com/wxstedtxlent
instagram.com/tommyfreshmusic
We Had No Idea: every Wednesday morning,
instagram.com/wehadnoideapodcast
