Latest news with #WesGilbertson
Calgary Herald
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: In-depth look at the Flames centre positon
The Calgary Flames season may have ended in April and with the NHL draft coming up in June, Postmedia sports reporters Danny Austin and Wes Gilbertson take a deep dive into the team's centre position and what could be needed and what some of the strengths are. Article content There's no position on the ice where the Flames need to add more depth than at centre, but where do they actually stand? Article content Article content Article content Hopes should still be high for Morgan Frost. Acquired alongside winger Joel Farabee in the deal that sent Jakob Pelletier and Andrei Kuzmenko to Philadelphia, the 25-year-old could be a fixture on the Flames power-play and a middle-six pivot for years to come … but the early returns didn't exactly blow anyone away. Frost had only three goals and nine assists in 32 games with the Flames and those numbers don't exactly fill you with confidence, do they? Were those numbers the result of a tough, confidence-draining end to his time in Philly under John Tortorella? Could a good summer and a full training camp with the Flames bring out the best in him? He's a restricted free agent this summer and it's going to be interesting to see how much the Flames are willing to offer him. How much do you pay for potential? Article content Article content As they search for long-term solutions at centre, they can't afford to not find out. They should be reminded of that whenever Sam Bennett scores a big goal — or throws a big hit — on behalf of the defending champion Florida Panthers. Article content Article content However, he may also have the most upside of any of Calgary's potential pivots. He spent about a month and a half at that position this season, an audition that was halted by injury. Article content It's an experiment that the Flames can't abandon, even if there's not an obvious opening in the short term. There are several ingredients that could point to success as a centre, his natural position as an up-and-comer. (This lefty would be the first to admit he'll need to improve his work at the dot. He has won just 39.4% of his draws as an NHLer).
Calgary Herald
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Five reasons for Flames fans to watch the IIHF World Championship
Article content Article content My colleague Wes Gilbertson wrote an interesting piece on this topic earlier in the week, and I strongly recommend you read his story for a bit more of a deep dive. Article content But the gist of it was that Honzek may have to play at centre for the Slovakian national team during the world championship. Article content That could be fascinating. Article content After a dazzling training camp, the 20-year-old started the season with the Flames before spending most of 2024-25 with the Wranglers in the AHL. The 2023 first-round draft pick has mostly been used as a left-winger, but the Flames have little depth in the centre of the ice right now, so it could be intriguing to see how he looks. Article content Article content Czechia will be looking to defend the gold medal they won on home ice at last year's IIHF World Championship and Adam Klapka is going to be a big part of that quest. Article content Article content The towering winger has been on the rise over the last year, going from an intriguing AHL prospect to a guy the Flames were playing on their first line down the stretch. He finished the season with six goals and four assists in 31 NHL games, but three of those lamp-lighters and three of those helpers came in the Flames' final eight games. Article content How will his game translate onto the big international ice? We'll see, but it speaks to how much his stock has risen this season that he scored an invite to the team. Article content Dan Vladar is one of three goalies on the Czechia roster, too, providing Flames fans with another reason to tune in as they look to repeat. Article content Article content Look, most fans probably aren't going to tune in to watch games just because a coach happens to be on the bench. We get that. Article content But with Matt Coronato pulling out of the U.S. squad after an MRI last week, we're just going to highlight Huska's involvement and leave it at that. Article content Huska worked wonders on the bench to help the Flames exceed all expectations and stay in the playoff fight right until the end and it's only going to be a good thing for him to be working with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. Article content
