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Saturday, September 4, 1999
Lots of holes to fill
One defenceman.
That's what's up for grabs as eight goalies, 19 defencemen and 39 forwards get into action beginning this weekend at the Flames training camp.
So who will emerge from this camp with NHL jobs?
Who are the potential surprises, the veterans who may be in danger of losing their jobs?
Let's break it down by position.
WINGERS
Overview:
This is where the bulk of the team's scoring came last season and it will be no different this season. But there are a couple of spots open and a number of capable players ready to move in. Note that Jason Wiemer could be moved to centre, thus creating another opening.
Right wing
The locks:
Jarome Iginla, Valeri Bure, Steve Dubinsky.
The contenders:
Travis Brigley and Chris Clark will try to make the jump from Saint John but are in tough. Rico Fata is a first rounder who automatically gets a good look, while Rocky Thompson is the team's enforcer and needs a spot in the lineup.
The longshots:
Fata showed very little as an 18-year-old last season, but hopefully benefited from a long playoff run upon his return to junior last season. Great skater.
Prediction:
Fata will get his shot at redemption, but Thompson will also be carried as an extra forward for spot duty against teams that carry enforcers.
Left wing
The locks:
Rene Corbet, Andrei Nazarov,
The contenders:
Hnat Domenichelli, a great minor-leaguer, is looking to finally stick. Dave Roche will need to improve on last season to keep his spot against challenges from young kids like rookie first round pick Oleg Saprykin and Sergei Varlamov.
The contenders:
Sergei Varlamov. Was a good scorer in his first pro season last year after putting up prolific numbers in the WHL. Teammates chastised him for not showing up consistently last season. But scoring like what Varlamov is capable of providing is what this team needs.
The contenders:
Domenichelli will finally have a good camp and win a spot while Roche will take the other one. If Wiemer moves to centre the team could keep Varlamov for a look.
GOAL
Overview:
This is the most wide open competition in camp.
The departure of veteran Ken Wregget to free agency has left three young goalies in a battle for the No. 1 spot.
Depending on how they play in camp the team could choose to keep all three in Calgary and let them play their way in or out of the lineup.
General Manager Al Coates won't hesitate to pick up veteran help to shore up any perceived weakness here if no one emerges as a bonafide starter. Grant Fuhr, Ron Hextall and Glenn Healy are still the names most often mentioned in rumours.
Fred Brathwaite probably has the inside edge going in after his Cinderella story comeback last season. But Tyler Moss has shone in the minors the past couple seasons and was only held back by an injury last season that allowed Brathwaite to come in and steal the job away.
Everyone has been waiting for Jean-Sabastien Giguere to arrive as a NHL-calibre goalie and he'll once again be given every chance to win a job.
The locks:
There isn't one.
The contenders:
Andrei Trefilov is the only other goalie in camp with any real NHL experience.
The longshot:
Trefilov. Remember Treffy, the fun-loving Russian goalie who went down with a groin injury after being picked up as an emergency fill-in last season for his second stint in Calgary? He can get red hot and if he does he may break up the expected competition among the triumvirate of Brathwaite-Giguere-Moss.
Prediction:
Tyler Moss will emerge as the No. 1 starter with Brathwaite as the back-up.
CENTRE
Overview:
This is an intriguing decision for coach Sutter.
His choice for the fourth centre will tell us a lot about how he's approaching the season.
Several young kids will push hard for that final spot.
But Sutter could also continue to use Jason Wiemer down the middle and that would likely freeze out the young kids from any full-time spot.
The locks:
Cory Stillman, Marc Savard, Jeff Shantz.
The contenders:
Daniel Tkazcuk, Steve Begin and Benoit Gratton are all capable of wining a job at camp, but will be hardpressed to unseat the veterans,, especially if Jason Wiemer moves to the middle.
The longshot:
Gratton was a great scorer in the minors who is moving into a new organization and has a lot to prove.
The longshot:
Sutter moves Wiemer into centre and the team carries Tkaczuk to start the season.
DEFENCE
Overview:
Defence is the strength of this team.
Look for some of this depth to be included in a trade at some point as the team tries to shore up its relatively weak forward unit.
The locks:
Phil Housley, Derek Morris, Steve Smith, Todd Simpson.
The contenders:
Tommy Albelin is a veteran who has often been in coach Brian Sutter's doghouse and he'll need to impress to avoid being packaged in a trade.
Denis Gauthier should be a lock after his performance last season, but he'll need to show the same type of improvement that made him one of the team's best during the final injury plagued weeks.
Cale Hulse can be a solid player and can also be a physical presence.
But his play has been inconsistent and like Albelin could be dealt to make room for a challenge from several other prospects.
The longshot:
Chris St. Croix is a rookie out of Kamloops who was overshadowed by teammate Robyn Regehr but he's a solid player with a great upside. Toni Lydman from Finland is a wild card.
Prediction:
Depending on how many defencemen Sutter wants to carry, it should include Housley, Smith, Morris, Simpson, Albelin, Gauthier and Hulse, with Wade Belak, Eric Charron and Lee Sorochan all ready for the call-up whenever the expected trade materializes.
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