Fifteen different defencemen?! Flames nearing little-known club record

Article content material

Arduous to consider, but it surely’s not a franchise document … but.

The Calgary Flames have dressed 15 completely different defencemen throughout the 2023-24 marketing campaign. The leaguewide common is 10.

Article content material

“I truthfully didn’t know that we’ve used that many. That’s loopy,” mentioned MacKenzie Weegar, the one Flames rearguard to swimsuit up for each sport up to now this season. “There was loads of turnover and clearly loads of new faces. However I feel, in a method, you will get a spark from that. As a result of they’re so excited to play, proper?”

Article content material

Calgary’s present blue-line brigade contains simply three dudes who began the season with the membership — Weegar, Rasmus Andersson and Dennis Gilbert.

Oliver Kylington returned in late January after an prolonged depart for mental-health causes, whereas Brayden Pachal was plucked off the waiver wire in early February.

Over the previous week and alter, they’ve claimed Joel Hanley by way of waivers and welcomed Daniil Miromanov and Nikita Okhotiuk in separate trades.

The Flames now have one of many NHL’s most inexperienced defence corps. Their three in-season farewells — Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin, who visits the Saddledome on Thursday with the Vegas Golden Knights (7 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) — had mixed for upwards of two,000 profession appearances. Among the many additions, solely Hanley has performed greater than 100.

“You gotta cope with what you’re confronted with. And what? We’ve carried out that,” mentioned Flames assistant coach Dan Lambert, who heads the division of defence on the Saddledome. “In the event you would have requested me what number of, I wouldn’t have mentioned 15. I don’t know that quantity. However to me, it doesn’t matter what number of it’s. You must coach the gamers that you’ve got.

Article content material

Article content material

“There is no such thing as a doubt we’ve had a couple of accidents, however that’s sort of regular. Now clearly, with the modifications, that’s a bit bit completely different, however that’s the best way it’s. So we’re going to cope with it. I feel it’s essential that I’m affected person, the teaching employees is affected person, with a few of these new guys. And hopefully we’ll get ’em dialled in right here faster than not.”

Okhotiuk, acquired in a deadline-day swap with the San Jose Sharks, was the newest to log his group debut.

The preliminary plan was to provide this latest arrival a couple of days to settle in earlier than he can be pressed into motion, however that modified when a few forwards — Andrei Kuzmenko (upper-body damage) and Andrew Mangiapane (sickness) — had been dominated out for Tuesday’s conflict with the Colorado Avalanche.

The 23-year-old Okhotiuk, simply hours after he was introducing himself across the locker room, registered three hits, two blocked photographs and an excellent ranking in 8:23 of ice time throughout a 6-2 shellacking from the Avs.

Article content material

“We’re hockey gamers, similar as warriors. Any time, you must be prepared,” Okhotiuk advised reporters after Wednesday’s apply. “After warmup, I bought undressed and bought advised I’d play, so I began dressing slowly after which I used to be advised I’m enjoying.

“It’s essential, what’s proper right here,” he added, tapping the brand on his jersey. “So simply play for the group, do my finest and present what I can do.”

On Tuesday morning, throughout a one-on-one assembly, Lambert was exhibiting Okhotiuk a few of the particulars of the Flames’ defensive construction. It was a crash course, much like Lambert’s meet-and-greets final week with each Hanley and Miromanov.

“I feel the very first thing is you need to make ’em really feel comfy,” mentioned Lambert, explaining his technique for onboarding any of the brand new blue-liners. “It’s introducing your self and simply having that quick dialog, seeing how they’re doing, seeing how the transition has been for them and attending to know them a bit bit that method.

“After which I’ll put collectively often round 10-12 video clips of various issues that we do. I often deal with the defensive zone, the impartial zone after which breakouts. These are the issues which might be most essential for the D. After which it creates dialog. You usually ask how did they play the place they had been, and the way completely different is it? It’s a bit little bit of a course of. You don’t need to overwhelm them as a result of then it’s paralysis by evaluation, and I feel you must watch out with that.

Article content material

“And you must be affected person. I feel that’s essential. There can be some small corrections alongside the best way. It took us some time as a group to get higher at (the system), so you must perceive that there are going to be some bumps alongside the street.”

It’s actually been bumpy of late.

The Flames have suffered three straight lopsided losses, outscored by an 18-5 rely over that span.

Whereas head coach Ryan Huska careworn that the brand new faces “usually are not the difficulty,” there have been moments of confusion in their very own territory.

That’s to be anticipated.

It may be a problem to interrupt in a just-arrived blue-liner, not to mention a number of on the similar time.

For perspective, contemplate that it has been three a long time for the reason that Flames deployed this many defencemen in a season. In the course of the 1993-94 marketing campaign, they tried a complete of 16 completely different dudes on the back-end. That’s a franchise document that may quickly be matched, since this present regime will undoubtedly need a peek at prime prospect Jeremie Poirier — now again in motion with the Wranglers after recovering from a scary skate laceration — throughout the stretch run.

Article content material

(All for a visit down reminiscence lane? Calgary’s posse of point-patrollers in 1993-94 featured, in alphabetical order: Peter Ahola, Kevin Dahl, Chris Dahlquist, Len Esau, Dan Keczmer, Al MacInnis, Brad Miller, Frank Musil, Lee Norwood, James Patrick, Michel Petit, Brad Schlegel, Gary Suter, Kevin Wortman, Trent Yawney and Zarley Zalapski. In the event you’re already shedding monitor of this present crew, it has additionally included Nick DeSimone, Yan Kuznetsov, Jordan Oesterle and Ilya Solovyov.)

“It’s clearly a younger defence core now that’s keen and impressive, which I like,” Weegar mentioned previous to Tuesday’s loss to the Avalanche. “They’re excited to play in these video games. They’re large video games. They’re getting extra ice time. They’re getting extra alternative.

“The massive factor is that they’re going to make some errors right here and there. It’s a brand new system. It’s a brand new group. However simply transfer on from that, neglect about it. I’m going to make errors too, and we’ve got to be there for one another. I feel communication is vital. For me, it may be constructive criticism or it may be optimistic reinforcement — , ‘Maintain making these performs. Maintain doing all your factor. It’s enjoyable watching you.’ It goes the identical for me. I would like them to stand up within the rush, which implies that I’ve gotta make a play within the defensive zone. Simply little issues like that to make them have time and revel in it right here. I need to preserve setting, tradition.”

WHO’S ON BLUE?

To this point this season, 15 completely different defencemen have suited up on behalf of the Flames. The whole checklist …

MacKenzie Weegar, 65 GP

Rasmus Andersson, 61 GP

* Noah Hanifin, 61 GP

* Chris Tanev, 56 GP

Dennis Gilbert, 33 GP

* Nick DeSimone, 23 GP

Jordan Oesterle, 22 GP

* Nikita Zadorov, 21 GP

Oliver Kylington, 18 GP

Brayden Pachal, 16 GP

Ilya Solovyov, 6 GP

Joel Hanley, 4 GP

Daniil Miromanov, 2 GP

Yan Kuznetsov, 1 GP

Nikita Okhotiuk, 1 GP

* Not within the Flames group

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

Article content material