Tobias Rieder knew it might have been his last chance to prove he’s still NHL-worthy.
He responded with an effort that will very likely see him offered a two-way contract by the Calgary Flames in the next few days.
One of four PTOs still in camp with the Flames, the 26-year-old German winger has done well to earn a shot at joining Milan Lucic and Cam Talbot in the southern migration from Edmonton to Calgary this fall.
On Thursday night in San Jose, Rieder was one of the best players on the ice in a 4-1 loss that mattered far less than the process he finds himself in.
A 12 to 16-goal scorer in each of his first four seasons in the NHL, Rieder was scoreless in 67 games as an Oiler last year, leaving him a free agent with nowhere to sign.
During his pre-season look-see with the Flames, he has used his tremendous speed as an asset to not only create scoring opportunities but to kill penalties.
The Flames are looking to up their speed this year and replace short-handed ace Garnet Hathaway. Rieder can help with both goals, spending Thursday on the first PK unit for almost three minutes while also generating plenty of energy and chances alongside Derek Ryan and Andrew Mangiapane.
It capped an impressive couple of weeks that most certainly has Flames brass contemplating adding the five-foot-11, 186-pound winger as a depth signing, who would be sure to start the season in the minors.
“All I’ve heard is the comments in interviews and other than that, I don’t know,” said Rieder of feedback during a camp in which the coach has praised his speed and spirit.
“It is nerve-wracking but I think I’m pretty good at focusing on what I can control. Whatever happens, happens. At least I can say I left it all out there. Obviously you think about it. It’s your future, right?”
How did the fourth-round draft pick end up here?
Well, the inability to play in the dirty areas led to a goose egg he’s hell-bent on proving was an outlier.
“It had a lot to do with confidence I think – towards the end of the season I had zero confidence,” said Rieder, who set an NHL rookie record by scoring two short-handed goals 58 seconds apart in 2014.
“Every time I was out there I was almost scared to have the puck and almost scared to make a mistake and that’s how you can’t play. I think I learned a lot from it. Just my mindset going into game and on the ice – I want to be out there, I want to be in big situations and I want the puck.”
That was evident Thursday, especially midway through when some solid penalty killing led to a shorthanded breakaway that was stopped by Martin Jones.
He was a big part of shutting down all four power-play attempts a stellar Sharks lineup had.
If he can learn to stop limiting himself to the perimeter, he’s bound to score his first NHL goal in ages as a veteran call-up when needed.
“I think I did it earlier in my career – trying to beat the defenceman wide and then crashing the net,” he said.
“I’ve noticed that in my game too last year. I was a lot on the outside and not on the inside. I’m trying to get back to that.”
QUICK HITS
• Cam Talbot got the start and was brilliant, stopping all 24 shots he faced over two periods to prove he is ready for regular-season action as David Rittich’s backup for Game 1. Russian Artyom Zagidulin played the third period, allowing his first goal in North America a few minutes in when Evander Kane redirected a point shot past the AHL-bound free-agent signing. Three other redirects wound up beating Zagidulin out of the 12 shots he faced in a hard-luck appearance the 24-year-old won’t soon forget.
• Because they are so snug against the cap, the Flames will likely open the season with 13 forwards instead of the traditional 14. That means Alan Quine or Dillon Dube will likely be sent to the minors to open the year. Quine would have to clear waivers, but Dube can be demoted without risk of being snapped up elsewhere.
• The Flames summoned eight bodies from Stockton for the game, including Byron Froese (C), Justin Kirkland (LW), Andrew Nielson (LD), Matthew Phillips (RW), Luke Philp (C), Buddy Robinson (RW), Rinat Valiev (LD) and Zagidulin (G).
• While Rieder is on the odds-on favourite to sign with the Flames, there’s still a chance one or two of the other PTOs could also be signed to two-way deals that could also help the Flames AHL affiliate.
Zac Rinaldo’s speed and tenacity caught the attention of the coaching staff early, and veteran defenceman Andrew MacDonald could also provide back-end depth for a club that puts a premium on just that. Devante Smith-Pelly has hit everything that moved throughout the pre-season, but is in tough in a league that puts a premium on speed over brawn.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Flames host Edmonton Saturday night to wrap up their preseason slate, promising to ice something almost identical to the lineup they’ll open the season with on Thursday in Colorado.
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