What's better than a tournament with one team made up of fast, exciting players aged 23-and-under? How about a tournament in which all four teams meet that description?
While many of you are fixated on the impact Team North America is having at the World Cup of Hockey and they certainly have been fun to watch, the Young Stars Classic rookie tournament goes this weekend in Penticton with top prospects from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets all getting together in an entertaining round robin event.
It's a beautiful time of year to be going to the Okanagan and I'm excited to be headed out there for a third straight year, and why not. While the threat of snow was at one point in Calgary's forecast last night, a glance ahead to the weather in Penticton later this week and there is a lot of 25, 26, and 27 Celsius for expected highs. Nice.
For the latest happenings from the Okanagan, keep an eye on the blog, be sure you're following me on Twitter and while you're at it, why not take a moment to like Flames From 80 Feet on Facebook. Heck, if goes well, I may even pump out a podcast from Kelowna as another one is certainly do.
Calgary will play three games:
Friday, Sept. 16 vs Winnipeg, 5:00 pm MT
Saturday, Sept. 17 vs Edmonton, 8:30 pm MT
Monday, Sept. 19 vs. Vancouver, 4:30 pm MT
The Flames roster will be released in the next day or two but while you wait for that, here's a sneak preview to what I'll be watching for at the tournament.
Eight Storylines to Follow
1. Duelling Tre Kroners
On paper, Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington sound a lot alike. Two offensive-oriented Swedish-born defencemen selected seven picks apart, both by the Flames, late in the second round of the 2015 draft.
For me, they're also side-by-side in my latest Top 20 Flames prospect rankings. Unveiled on July 31, I have Andersson at No. 3 and Kylington at No. 4.
But that's where their similarities stop.
During their draft year, one was in Sweden, the other in Ontario. Last season, one was in California, the other still in Ontario. Going back to when they were in Sweden, they were never with the same club and rarely played at the same level. If one was playing U20, the other was playing second division with the men, etc. It appears they've played together a bit internationally, but not a whole lot.
They're built differently also. Similar in height, there could be 20-30 pounds difference between them. Kylington far more wiry, Andersson more stocky. Actually, make that a bit too stocky in the opinion of GM Brad Treliving in July, but even in better condition, Rasmus will always be thicker.
I'm fascinated to see them this year playing side-by-side, or at least sharing the same blueline and dressing room. With Andersson ready to turn pro after another tremendous season with Barrie, both are destined to be teammates in Stockton where we'll finally get a chance to see how they compare night in, night out, and against the same competition.
Who is the better prospect short term? Who is the better prospect long term? The answer to both is still TBD but seeing them together in Penticton again will be a chance to get that debate restarted.
2. Eyes Peeled for Jooris 3.0
I still remember it well, talking to Josh Jooris outside the Flames dressing room the first day of Penticton two years ago. A relative unknown at the time, he had just arrived with the rest of the players and while on the charter as he introduced himself to the new draft picks, he said he felt like an old man at age 24 while most of the others were 18 or 19.
Jooris also admitted he felt some urgency to make an impression starting right then and there given so much youth was coming in the pipeline. At the time, Jooris -- a free agent signing the previous summer -- was coming off his first pro season, spent entirely in the AHL.
Sure enough, he went out that night, scored twice on a line centred by Markus Granlund and in doing so, penned the first chapter in what would end up being a wonderful story. Jooris carried the momentum from his impressive rookie camp into main camp, was one of the last cuts by Calgary, and then one week after the regular season began, got called up and has been in the NHL since.
Jooris has since moved on, signing as a free agent with the New York Rangers this summer, but his legacy will remain and it's the question. Who will be this year's Josh Jooris?
Last year, it was Brett Kulak, who after spending much of the previous season in the ECHL, had a great tournament in Penticton to get himself back on the radar. Sure enough, four weeks later, he made Calgary's opening night roster.
Who will be the surprise this year that takes a giant step and threatens to unexpectedly make the Flames on opening night? Rasmus Andersson? Mark Jankowski? Andrew Mangiapane? Stay tuned.
3. Goalie Grapple Begins
You think the three-headed monster last year in Calgary was scary, how about a five-headed monster!
It was an unusual sight at development camp in July to see five goalies, all of them Flames property. Even more unusual is all five could be going to Penticton too. Typically if the organization has that many, you would expect at least one to be back overseas by now or perhaps one has returned to his U.S. college but nope, not in this case.
David Rittich stares down a shooter. (Photo by Rob McMorris)
Joining headliner Jon Gillies in the minors this season will be Czech David Rittich, who had some nice moments at development camp. Headed back to major junior will be 2016 second rounder Tyler Parsons and Nick Schneider, who went undrafted last year but signed a contract with the Flames after impressing at rookie camp and then main camp.
That leaves Mason McDonald. I know for a fact that the club's plan 'A' is for MacDonald to turn pro -- likely be the starter with Adirondack in the ECHL. But he doesn't have to. He could go back to the QMJHL as an overager. But given Calgary took him as the first goalie off the board in 2014, he is due to jump to the next level to continue his development.
So will the Flames bring all five to Penticton? Seems doubtful. There are only two nets on the practice ice. Even if they share a net, that still leaves one extra. Regardless, whoever gets time in net will have a lot of eyes looking over their shoulder and I'm curious to see how they perform.
There won't be much playing time to be had after Penticton either. Calgary has only seven pre-season games this season. With a fast start critical after last year's early stumbles became a death sentence, one would expect to see the regulars getting most of the work to get ready. Brian Elliott will surely get the equivalent of three preseason starts and I'd expect two or three of the games to go to Chad Johnson. That leaves 120 minutes or so of preseason minutes. Give those to Gillies presumably and maybe toss a half-game to Rittich or MacDonald? It makes the carving up of playing time in Penticton something I'm curious about.
4. 2020 Vision Up the Middle
The four centres to start the season seem pretty set. Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Sam Bennett and Matt Stajan. There's a possibility that they try Stajan on the wing but I'd be surprised if that happens immediately. But there will be changes coming because Backlund and Stajan each have two years left on their deals and then they will be free agents. For different reasons, I'm doubtful either are back.
At his age, Stajan will surely be done at that point and Backlund, based on the calibre of his game, could likely outprice himself for what Calgary will be able to afford for a third-line centre. That means opportunity is looming and it's time for young centres in the organization to make a statement that they want one of those jobs when they become available.
Two guys I'll be keeping an eye on that will be on the ice this weekend are Mark Jankowski and Dillon Dube. Jankowski is the team's first round pick from 2012. Dube is the club's second round pick from 2016. They're not two guys you'll get confused on the ice. Jankowski is a giant presence at 6-foot-4. Dube is a lot closer to 5-foot-10. They're not on the same timeline either. Jankowski, who turns 22 tomorrow, would be ready a lot sooner than Dube, who just turned 18.
But if you look five years out, say the 2020-21 season, and ask who else might be slotted up the middle at that time? Jankowski and Dube are both prime candidates.
Jankowski is a big guy that can control the puck. He's been a project but has come along nicely. Dube is a confident, highly skilled kid that can fly. There will be some prime top-six minutes available in Penticton playing alongside the likes of Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, let's see who gets those plum assignments and more so, who takes advantage of it.
5. Go-Time for the Other 2013 First Rounders
Monahan will make $6.375 million this season as he begins his second NHL contract. Meanwhile, also taken in the first round by the Flames in 2013 were Emile Poirier (22nd) and Morgan Klimchuk (28th).
Obviously, things have not progressed nearly as fast for the latter two and should they end up in Stockton again and that is the likely outcome, they will each earn $70,000 in 2016-17. That is 91 times less than Monahan.
Interestingly, despite Poirier having two years in the AHL and Klimchuk just one year of pro -- both are entering the second year of their three-year entry-level contract. Due to his birth date, Calgary got a bonus year of ELC with Poirier. So not only are their games a long way away from being NHL-ready, they're also two years behind Monahan on the contract clock.
Safe to say after a disappointing season for Poirier last year -- that started with a poor showing in Penticton -- he needs to rebound and make a favorable impression immediately. If not, he may not make it to the end of that contract still in the Flames organization.
Huska was complimentary of Klimchuk's all-round game last year, despite his struggles to produce. He finished with only three goals. But like Poirier, the pressure is on Klimchuk to get back to being a threat offensively this year. Huska was confident the scoring would rebound this season but seeing is believing.
For both guys, a shoulder check will reveal new prospects coming up fast behind them. The pressure is on to get the season off on the right foot with a strong performance this weekend, which will give them some swagger heading into main camp next week.
6. 'D' Depth Chart Battle
The Flames have three veteran defencemen that are on expiring contracts in 2016-17 in Dennis Wideman, Deryk Engelland and Ladislav Smid. Depending on how they play, their health and how the season goes for the team, the current GM has shown a propensity to trade pending UFAs for assets. Heck, even if all you can muster is a sixth round pick as the Flames got for David Jones, it still netted the team tiny dynamo Matthew Phillips so it was well worth it.
Even if the Flames are in a playoff race, it was Brad Treliving that nonetheless pedalled away Curtis Glencross two years ago. Calgary went on to make the playoffs anyway.
Also next summer, my earlier look at the implications of the Las Vegas expansion draft resulted in Jyrki Jokipakka being the most likely candidate to get plucked from the Flames. So that would make for another job opening on the blueline.
So if you're a prospect in the Flames organization right now and you play defence, exciting times are upcoming. With the 'big three' of Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie and Dougie Hamilton tying up over $17 million in salary, Calgary will not only be looking for new defence options soon, but also looking for cheap ones. i.e. Players on entry-level contracts.
So bring it on. Let the battle to be the top of the next-in-line depth chart begin. In the short term, Tyler Wotherspoon and Brett Kulak are probably 1-2 in some order. But Ryan Culkin -- as I wrote on Sunday -- is an intriguing player to watch and isn't someone to discount either.
Then we have the next wave. Brandon Hickey won't be showcasing himself this weekend as he's back at Boston University and Adam Ollas Mattsson is in Sweden, but Andersson, Kylington, where are they at? Can Kenney Morrison get himself back in the picture? What about Keegan Kanzig? His pro career is just getting going. Could he get himself into the picture.
I'm curious to see who stands out this weekend. Will it be the usual suspects or might there be a couple of surprises.
7. The Lore of Pick 166
It all began back in the olds days of the 21-team NHL when the Flames used pick No. 166 in the 1987 draft -- at the time, that came near the end of round eight -- to select diminutive junior scoring sensation Theoren Fleury. A member of the 1989 Stanley Cup champion team, Fleury went on to play in over 1,000 NHL games, collect over 1,000 points and score 455 goals.
Curiously, with that same pick 28 years later -- only this time it coming in the sixth round -- Calgary seems to have found another undersized offensive star-in-the-making in Andrew Mangiapane. The 5-foot-10 Barrie forward piled up 106 points (51 g, 55 a) in 59 games in 2015-16. He chipped in another 21 points (10 g, 11 a) in 15 playoff games.
But wait, there's more.
In June, the sixth round pick received from Minnesota for David Jones, was once again pick No. 166. Continuing the theme, Calgary used it to draft the tiniest player in the draft in Calgary native and highly-skilled winger Matthew Phillips, who led all WHL rookies in scoring with 76 points (37 g, 39 a) in 72 games last season with Victoria.
While Fleury played in a different era and was a lot more of a pit bull than the other two, the one thing in common with all three beyond their height or lack there of, they are all highly-skilled and very creative players. Watching Mangiapane and Phillips fly around the ice this weekend is going to be one of the most exciting parts of the tournament.
And in Calgary, don't you know, there's a soft spot for little guys that are highly skilled. In fact, it's Johnny Gaudreau's presence that leaves fans wondering/hoping/dreaming that these two other guys might also eventually find a home in the new NHL where speed, speed and more speed seems to be the direction the game is moving towards.
If you're heading to the South Okanagan Events Centre to take in the games in person, know that they'll sell you the whole seat but with these two guys, you'll only need the edge.
8. New NHL Coach, New System
Changes are coming to how the Flames play structurally with Calgary having a new bench boss in Glen Gulutzan. With assistant coaches Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard new as well, expect fresh approaches on the power play and penalty kill also.
What we also know is philosophically, it will continue to be the organization's desire to have Stockton mirror what the parent club is doing in all of these and other areas to make it easier and more seamless for AHL call-ups to transition into the NHL line-up. That means Ryan Huska, in year three behind the bench, will also have all new systems to implement.
Will we see evidence of a new approach by the team in Penticton? Doubtful, that's a tad early. Keep in mind the rookies will be jumping almost immediately into game action on Friday. That's just a couple days after they report for fitness testing. New defensive systems are not learned in a day or two.
As well, I'd estimate that half the players travelling to the Okanagan won't be with either Calgary or Stockton this season. A bunch will be returning to major junior and most of those on tryouts will end up released. So again, systems instruction is not likely to be the top priority at this weekend's game-day skates.
Nonetheless, it's a subplot to watch starting in Penticton and carrying over into the NHL preseason. While the changes may be subtle for the casual hockey fan and maybe even for the avid fan too, they will be a conversation topic. Can the team become more of a possession team? Will they de-emphasize blocking shots as Gulutzan hinted at? These are all things we'll begin to learn starting this weekend.
By the way, have you liked Flames From 80 Feet on Facebook yet? Go there and do so now. It's just another way to be alerted to new Calgary Flames articles that I've written.
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Recent Flames Reading:
Long Road Back: Culkin Ready to Roll After Overcoming 18 Months of Adversity - Ryan Culkin put himself in a position to maybe be the Flames next call-up when he suffered a wrist injury. Then he hurt his shoulder. Then he got demoted. But he's back. (September 11, 2016)
Put Up or Shut Up: World Cup a Chance for Gaudreau to Showcase Himself - Gaudreau is in the unique position of being able to upgrade his resume, all while in the middle of salary talks. In the World Cup, expect him to reinforce the impact player he is. (September 8, 2016)
Term and Money: Once and For All, Establishing the Marketplace for Gaudreau - Looking to narrow the scope of what Gaudreau could be asking for in a deal, I took 10 relevant contracts, did some triangulation, and came up with fair term/dollars. (September 3, 2016)
Found Money: Five Flames That Could be Pleasant Surprises in 2016-17 - There's no better feeling than reaching in your pocket and finding $20. Here are five Flames that could be pleasant surprises and end up being 'found money' for Calgary. (September 1, 2016)
FF80F Podcast: Episode 5 - Cruickshank Joins Haynes for a Look Ahead and Back -Longtime Flames beat writer Scott Cruickshank stops by. We looked back on 2004, talked some Monahan and history of homegrown centres, Gulutzan and Iginla. (August 28, 2016)