cliff

@RyanCluff

flames, jays, and chiefs

Calgary, Alberta

Joined January 2011

217 Following

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Darren Haynes

@DarrenWHaynes

15 days ago · Venice

Well, today’s Flames trade news has reached Venice, Italy, where tomorrow I’m literally taking a plane, train, and automobile in my return to Calgary. Five quick Prosecco-fuelled thoughts on the acquisition of 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-shot defenceman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils: 1. Collateral Effect Welcome to the left side, Zayne Parekh. While playing on the left for a right-shot player is more difficult to play in some respects, that’s not always the case. For the club’s prized dynamic 20-year-old, who will often have the puck on his stick, playing on his off-side — as Craig Conroy says is now the plan — means the puck will be closer to the middle of the ice when Parekh has it at the point in the offensive zone. That opens up the ice even more for the slick playmaker, creating additional pass/shot options. 2. But Wait, There’s More? Honestly, Simon Nemec + Viggo Bjork would make for a pretty good 77 hours for the organization, should that be how things play out. Why settle for just a young d-man or a young dynamic centre when you can get both. Does Conroy have an inkling of how things are going to unfold at the top of the draft on Friday? Is Bjork in the club’s crosshairs at No. 6? It makes you wonder. Rather than how the organizational depth chart looks now, I’m more curious to see it come Saturday night, once the draft dust settles. 3. All First-Round Picks are not Created Equal Let’s be honest. Draft picks never carry more cachet than right now, leading up to the draft. Rather than lottery tickets, projected first-round picks are all seemingly viewed right now as longtime impactful NHL players in waiting. Easy! Optimism in June always runs high about the future potential of the 17-year-olds who have had excited fans drooling over their YouTube clips for months, whether they’re expected to go No. 2 or No. 32. But the reality, as history repeatedly reminds us, is it never works out that way. There are always exceptions, obviously, but there’s a curve when it comes to the “sure thing” factor in the first round — and starting at No. 1, it can be a steep drop before it begins to flatten out in the late 20s and early 30s — and that’s where the two first-rounders Calgary has surrendered (one belonging to Vegas, the other to Colorado) will likely end up falling. So while trading away two first-rounders as part of the package makes for a juicy headlines, Morgan Klimchuk, Hunter Shinkaruk, and Emile Poirier are reminders — 13 years later — that late first-rounders are far from sure things. Nemec, meanwhile, with his second-overall pick pedigree, has already logged 155 NHL games. 4. Defencemen Develop Later, It’s Just a Fact I wouldn’t be too fussed about what Nemec is right now or any weaknesses in his overall game at this moment. It’s well known that defencemen almost always develop later than forwards. It’s just a harder position to play. Nemec, who just turned 22 four months ago, should be a top-four fixture on the Flames’ blue line for the next decade. That’s a pretty good get without sacrificing any of your own upcoming first-round picks. 5. Who Cares if He’s a RFA Yes, he’s a pending RFA, but for the Flames, that shouldn’t bother them one bit. The contractual situation seems to have fetched some attention, but it’s a non-story for me. He’s not going anywhere. Calgary has the cap space. Besides, players in these situations aren’t acquired without a sense of what the player is seeking, and the Flames are well-positioned to ante up an AAV and term that make sense for both parties. 6. “Bye, Bye, Mo (Cowboy)” I’ve had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time in Moncton over the past 2+ years and have seen Etienne Morin play a lot while he was patrolling the blue line for the Wildcats in the QMJHL. I’m not convinced that he’ll have any greater impact on the NHL scene than Mitsou had on the North American music scene in the late ’80s. Just my two cents… and now I’m yearning to watch MuchMusic!

DarrenWHaynes's tweet photo. Well, today’s Flames trade news has reached Venice, Italy, where tomorrow I’m literally taking a plane, train, and automobile in my return to Calgary.

Five quick Prosecco-fuelled thoughts on the acquisition of 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-shot defenceman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils:

1. Collateral Effect

Welcome to the left side, Zayne Parekh. While playing on the left for a right-shot player is more difficult to play in some respects, that’s not always the case.

For the club’s prized dynamic 20-year-old, who will often have the puck on his stick, playing on his off-side — as Craig Conroy says is now the plan — means the puck will be closer to the middle of the ice when Parekh has it at the point in the offensive zone. That opens up the ice even more for the slick playmaker, creating additional pass/shot options.

2. But Wait, There’s More?

Honestly, Simon Nemec + Viggo Bjork would make for a pretty good 77 hours for the organization, should that be how things play out. Why settle for just a young d-man or a young dynamic centre when you can get both.

Does Conroy have an inkling of how things are going to unfold at the top of the draft on Friday? Is Bjork in the club’s crosshairs at No. 6? It makes you wonder. Rather than how the organizational depth chart looks now, I’m more curious to see it come Saturday night, once the draft dust settles.

3. All First-Round Picks are not Created Equal

Let’s be honest. Draft picks never carry more cachet than right now, leading up to the draft. Rather than lottery tickets, projected first-round picks are all seemingly viewed right now as longtime impactful NHL players in waiting. Easy! Optimism in June always runs high about the future potential of the 17-year-olds who have had excited fans drooling over their YouTube clips for months, whether they’re expected to go No. 2 or No. 32.

But the reality, as history repeatedly reminds us, is it never works out that way. There are always exceptions, obviously, but there’s a curve when it comes to the “sure thing” factor in the first round — and starting at No. 1, it can be a steep drop before it begins to flatten out in the late 20s and early 30s — and that’s where the two first-rounders Calgary has surrendered (one belonging to Vegas, the other to Colorado) will likely end up falling.

So while trading away two first-rounders as part of the package makes for a juicy headlines, Morgan Klimchuk, Hunter Shinkaruk, and Emile Poirier are reminders — 13 years later — that late first-rounders are far from sure things. Nemec, meanwhile, with his second-overall pick pedigree, has already logged 155 NHL games.

4. Defencemen Develop Later, It’s Just a Fact

I wouldn’t be too fussed about what Nemec is right now or any weaknesses in his overall game at this moment. It’s well known that defencemen almost always develop later than forwards. It’s just a harder position to play.

Nemec, who just turned 22 four months ago, should be a top-four fixture on the Flames’ blue line for the next decade. That’s a pretty good get without sacrificing any of your own upcoming first-round picks.

5. Who Cares if He’s a RFA

Yes, he’s a pending RFA, but for the Flames, that shouldn’t bother them one bit. The contractual situation seems to have fetched some attention, but it’s a non-story for me. He’s not going anywhere. Calgary has the cap space.

Besides, players in these situations aren’t acquired without a sense of what the player is seeking, and the Flames are well-positioned to ante up an AAV and term that make sense for both parties.

6. “Bye, Bye, Mo (Cowboy)”

I’ve had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time in Moncton over the past 2+ years and have seen Etienne Morin play a lot while he was patrolling the blue line for the Wildcats in the QMJHL. I’m not convinced that he’ll have any greater impact on the NHL scene than Mitsou had on the North American music scene in the late ’80s. Just my two cents… and now I’m yearning to watch MuchMusic!

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