Despite trying to temper the city’s enthusiasm for its pre-season poster boy Brad Treliving said the words every Calgary Flames fan wants to hear.
“Dillon Dube is going to play for us,” said the Flames GM of his training camp sensation, Dillon Dube.
“It’s not ‘if’ he’s going to play for us, it’s ‘when.’ I thought that a year ago. He’s going to play in the league because of his package, the way he can skate, the way he thinks the game. He’s very competitive and responsible on both sides of the puck. We’ll see. If he’s ready to be here at the start, then he will be.”
Following a pre-season performance that included a team-leading four goals, two assists and plenty of excitement in five games, the second-round draft pick from nearby Cochrane is on the cusp of surprising everyone but himself.
With an eye on the possibility of making room for the speedy centre on the big club to open the season, the Flames played him on the wing Monday night.
With Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Derek Ryan and Mark Jankowski plugging up the middle, the 20-year-old is aware his best shot at an opening night assignment is on the flank.
So good was the youngster alongside Elias Lindholm and Spencer Foo he was the first player head coach Bill Peters put on the ice to open overtime. He deserved it.
Hardly surprising given he took on wing assignments at each of the last two world junior tourneys, including last year’s gold medal-winning team, which he captained.
“We all get excited and good for him – he’s done well,” said Treliving, well aware Dube’s only service as a centre came the last two seasons in Kelowna.
“He looked good against (Bryan) Little and (Mark) Scheifele the other night and he keeps passing all his tests. He can play anywhere and he’ll do anything to play anywhere. He’s built depth into his game at a young age.”
[relatedlinks]
His biggest test will come Thursday in San Jose where he’ll undoubtedly get one last look before the team decides whether to take him to Edmonton for Saturday’s pre-season finale where the roster there will essentially be the club’s opening night crew.
Expect him to be on it.
At this point it would seem 11 of the 12 starting forwards are settled, with Dube and Andrew Mangiapane fighting for a fourth-line or press box gig, while Garnet Hathaway is the favourite for the fifth right wing spot.
That could very likely leave Spencer Foo on his way back to Stockton and Curtis Lazar en route to waivers with the purpose of sending him down too.
Mangiapane has been solid with two goals and a helper in five games, and would most logically get the nod to start with the big lads.
Versatility was a buzzword all summer long as the Flames added depth to their forward ranks, and Dube fits that bill too.
Could he benefit from time in the AHL? Absolutely.
But it’s also important for clubs to send messages by rewarding stellar camps with roster spots.
He deserves an NHL spot, period.
A quick walk around the rest of training camp:
BLUE LINE LIKELY SET
Still too early to tell how the chemistry is developing between the reunited Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie pairing or the Travis Hamonic/Noah Hanifin duo.
Safe to say those pairs are set in stone, as Brodie has fit in well alongside the defence partner he flourished alongside three and four years ago.
Debate all you want about who should make up the bottom three defencemen heading into the season, but the reality of it is that contracts will largely dictate who stays.
Michael Stone is a fixture given his three-year, $10.5 million deal and he’ll likely start in Vancouver Oct. 3 alongside Brett Kulak, his partner last year.
Dalton Prout, like all the aforementioned blueliners, has a one-way deal, making him the most likely candidate to fill the seventh spot.
Juuso Valimaki, the Flames first round pick in 2018, has played in all but one pre-season game and acquitted himself well. A nifty goal Monday from the high slot was his second of the silly season, giving him four points in five games to sit second behind Dube.
He could certainly start in the bigs, as he hasn’t looked out of place at all.
Question is whether the Flames think he would benefit from some seasoning in the AHL, or would he be better served as a sixth/seventh defenceman with the Flames?
Like Valimaki, American Hockey League standout Rasmus Andersson has also had a good showing this fall, but the reality is both can be demoted without having to clear waivers.
Both have likely shown enough during camp and last year to demonstrate they’d be capable call-ups when injury dictates.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Noah Hanifan’s skating is reminiscent of Jay Bouwmeester’s smooth stride, and Elias Lindholm comes with some size, flexibility and scoring prowess that will likely knock Michael Frolik down a line or two.
James Neal gives confidence the top line will have support to go with the leadership the team hoped to bolster with his signing.
Austin Czarnik’s hat trick in his Saddledome debut has fans hyped about the possibilities for the bottom-six forward whose speed and shot have people excited about his role on the second power-play unit.
An argument could be made Derek Ryan, another free agent signing, was the Flames best skater in China, which bodes well for a third line that was likely the NHL’s worst last season.
Solid showings from all during the pre-season, giving hope the scoring depth that Treliving aimed to address on the free agent market and by trading Dougie Hamilton is in place.
THE NOT-SO GOOD
Goaltending will be the Flames biggest question mark all season by virtue of starter Mike Smith’s age and injury history.
Despite being 36 he’ll be counted on to shoulder a heavy load on a squad that has massive concerns about its backup situation.
A trade is actually a possibility (hey Kyle Dubas, got any extra netminders?) as expected backup David Rittich struggled in the pre-season. At one point Tuesday against a scrub squad of Sharks he allowed goals on four of six shots.
Left in Calgary as the main crew went to China, Rittich allowed six goals his first game before bouncing back with a two-period shutout. Far too inconsistent for management to feel comfortable the second-year NHLer will be capable of faring any better than he did down the stretch last year when a Smith injury essentially ended the Flames playoff hopes.
Yet, he’s the most logical choice as backup.
Jon Gillies has been better – in China and at home – but keeping him over Rittich would mean exposing the latter on waivers – and they’re not ready to give up on him yet.
Tough to judge how Smith’s preseason has gone, as he was still shaking off the effects of a 14-hour flight back from China, stunting his save percentage at .897.
His start last year earned him an all-star nod, which is why there’s still plenty of reason for optimism the fitness freak is capable of silencing critics. Again.
