Development Camp Scrimmage

Today I was able to take in the Flames prospects red vs lack scrimmage. This was the first time I got to see a lot of the prospects first hand. Here's who stood out.

The Stand Outs:

Johnny Gaudreau

Is this shocking anybody anymore? The kid can flat out play. Gaudreau skated on a line with Monahan and Van Brabrant for the game. The trio dominated puck possesion and was by far the best line on the ice. The lines offense was directly channeled through Gaudreau, who basically was able to do as he pleased out there. Johnny was primarily responsible for the first goal which saw him stick handle behind the net, get it out front where Monahan ended up finally burying a rebound. Gaudreau scored his only goal by darting out from behind the net and picking a corner.



Gaudreau was head and shoulders above every other player on the ice. His vision was incredible. Throwing cross rink passes on the tape, and generally stick-handling his way out of trouble. He embarrassed defenders on multiple occasions and was generally everything you could hope for him to be. Yes, I'm gushing but he was that good.

Interesting to note is Gaudreau was playing his off wing, he lined up on the right side for the entirety of the game. Given Calgary's lack of RW prospects this is a development to keep an eye on.


Turner Elson

Elson was the guy who your eyes kept getting drawn to. Throughout the game he would drive the net with speed and generate a surprising amount of offense. It was the 3rd period where he really turned it on though. He ripped a shot low past Brossoit and had several other scoring opportunities, including a between the legs dangle to drive the net.

Patrick Sieloff

Patrick Sieloff is a dick.

He better be a good guy in the dressing room because he's the most hated player on the ice. Sieloff made sure to take a shot at a guy after every whistle, during every scrum, and during every minute he was on the damn ice. His skating was still very solid if not above average and he was very willing to rush the puck. His decision making and puck skills do need a fair bit of work. He was prone to turn overs and his outlet passes didn't have the crispness you'd expect from an NHL D-man. If he ever makes the Flames roster, he will be the player you love to hate.

John Ramage

Ramage was a guy who really surprised me. He was more mobile than I expected and has definitely shown a ton of improvement since last years camp. He was very solid in the defensive zone and on the break out. Scored a goal on a wicked slap shot from the point. Not to mention a play where he almost ended Emile Poirier's career before it started. Ramage missed Poirier by an inch crossing into the offensive zone, which left Ramage out of the play but to no penalty. His performance today has really altered my opinion of him.

Markus Granlund

Granlund was another guy whose game got better as the scrimmage went on. Like last camp he plays a quiet game. Its generally difficult to know when he's on the ice until he has scored. I will say he has taken a big jump forward since last years camp. Granlund's best asset is his shot and hockey IQ, which he was able to put on display. Granlund scored a nice goal by cutting across the middle and ripping it blocker side on Brossoit. His shot was also very good in a shooting practice after scrimmage. One huge plus, is I don't actively remember him losing a face-off. A year in Abbotsford will make or break his NHL potential.



Other nuggets:

There is a lot of players at the camp, its difficult to keep an eye on everybody. Tim Harrison showed some fight out there. He threw a couple nice hits and scored on a penalty shot he earned after Sven Baertschi crosschecked him in the face. Unfortunately, that cross check was the only time Baertschi was noticeable on the ice. He was paired with Jooris and Penner all game so that may have had something to do with it, but I expected much more out of a guy who should be a top 6 NHLer this season.

Speaking of NHLers, Roman Horak should likely be in the Flames line-up this season. Calgary has finally given him a big boy number (from 51 to 21) and his decision making with the puck was quicker than anyone else's out there. Unsurprisingly Keegan Kanzig is very big; However, he is a much better skater than I anticipated. He has a strong powerful stride and although it's a little choppy he can haul that 6'7'' frame around the ice. Kanzig definitely needs some work, but I believe there is hope he becomes more than just a goon.

Ryan Culkin was the other standout defenseman along with Ramage and Sieloff. He showed a willingness to jump up into the play and was the recipient of a nice give and go scoring chance from Johnny Gaudreau. The Flame two newest centers, Monahan and Knight both were solid. They didn't do anything to completely wow you, but you definitely noticed them on the ice. Both Knight and Monahan came back out after the scrimmage to work on faceoff's (joined by Jankowski, Horak, Granlund and others).

Mark Jankowski was a definite disappointment. After so much positivity coming out of practice, something just did not translate in game. He was easy to knock off the puck and until the 3rd rarely kept his feet moving. Much like the rest of team black, he did flash some skills in the 3rd. He hit the post on a penalty shot against teammate Jon Gillies and sparked a few other scoring chances. I just expected better.

Those are the big notes from mondays scrimmage. A last bit of proof to how much these players stood out: