Hum in Flames, City of Calgary as training camp looms – TSN.ca

Jonathan Huberdeau When he first arrived in Calgary, he felt excited at the airport and with a renewed sense of purpose. To the MacKenzie Weegarthe same feelings came over him when he was shopping in one of the city’s malls. Nazem Kadri felt it immediately after signing his seven-year contract.

After an unprecedented offseason in which they lost stars Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew TkachukCalgary’s latest roster additions are feeling the excitement of fans as the team head into training camp for the upcoming season with arguably a better roster than the roster that shocked the hockey world in winning the 2021-22 Pacific Division before bowing out before Edmonton’s Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I’m excited,” said 29-year-old Huberdeau.

“I was in Florida for 10 years. It obviously wasn’t a hockey market…you walk around town and get recognized. That wouldn’t really happen in Florida.”

Huberdeau snuck into a Costco run without much recognition, but those days are probably rare for the Saint-Jerome, Que., native and his Calgary teammates.

“A lot of people came up to me around town,” Weegar said.

“They’re really looking forward to this season with Johnny, and me and Naz and some new faces… I’m just as excited as they are.”

For the past two seasons, the 28-year-old Weegar has ranked 15th overall for all NHL blueliners with 80 points. His plus 69 rating is only secondary Devon Toews the Colorado Avalanche. One of the most underrated blueliners in the league, he’ll now be putting his skills to the test in front of one of the league’s more passionate fan bases.

“I think I’m something of a hybrid defender,” the Ottawa product said.

“Plays well defensively, but can also get up in a hurry and contribute something offensively. My game is defense first. I don’t like getting hit and then just trying to help the strikers as much as possible.”

While Kadri and Huberdeau will be Flames well beyond this season after signing long-term deals this summer, Weegar’s status is still up in the air beyond 2022-23 as he is an upcoming unrestricted free agent.

“We’re trying to get something done and hopefully we’ll get something done soon,” he said.

3 fascinating storylines on the way to training camp

1. Where will the newcomers play?

Huberdeau appears destined to start as a top row left winger but who will be his centre? Elias Lindholm is one of the most defensively responsible pivots in the league. 31-year-old Kadri provides sandpaper and grit. Will head coach Darryl Sutter keep Lindholm as the No. 1 center or will it be a 1A-1B setup?

2. Which wingers will be promoted?

If there’s one weak spot in the Flames roster, it’s right depth. Multiple forwards can play at either side, but Calgary still needs at least one legitimate top-nine winger. Andreas Mangiapane is suitable to replace Tkachuk in the top line. In addition, the options include Tyler Toffoli, Blake Coleman, Dillon Dube and newcomer Jakob Pelletier.

“I think I can bring speed, be good at the forecheck, be good in both zones,” said Pelletier, Calgary’s first-round pick (26th overall) in 2019.

“Right now my focus is on the three games we have at the YoungStars showcase and it’s all about winning those three games. After that, it’s up to me to force them to play me in the NHL.”

3. Who stays and who goes to the backend?

Right now, Calgary has possibly the best depth of defense in the NHL, and there are eight blueliners who could crack their opening-night lineup: Weegar, Chris Tanev, Oliver Kylington, Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, Nikita Zadorov, Juuso Valimaki and Connor Mackeyas well as Michael Stone, who’s in town for a professional tryout. Could the Flames flip a blueliner to support that chord?

SPARKS FROM THE FIRE

– Pelletier certainly appreciates that the Flames have brought fellow Quebecer Huberdeau to the team. The veteran has already reached out to the rookie for an introduction.

“It’s also good for me to have a Frenchman who I can look up to and see that he’s one of the best players in the league and learn from him,” said the 21-year-old from Huberdeau.

– During his dinner with Flames general manager Brad Treliving and senior vice president of hockey operations Don Maloney in Montreal in August, Huberdeau spoke highly of the Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamko and his will to win. Huberdeau clearly looks up to his former Battle of Florida rival and will bring some of those lessons to Calgary this season.

“I don’t have a lot of playoff experience and I think I’ve learned a lot from that over the past few years,” he said.

“Your best players have to play defensively and that’s how you’re going to win the Stanley Cup. And when blocking shots, guys have to look at you and say, ‘This guy wants to win.’ You have to make the sacrifices. That’s why I talked about Stamkos, because that’s what he did during our series, so I think that’s what I want to focus on, and that’s what the best players have to do to win the Stanley Cup.”

– Medics are on Wednesday 21st September before the first on-ice sessions begin on 22nd September.