CALGARY, Ab. – The Flames entered the 2008-09 season with the priciest blue line in the National Hockey League. With over $24 million invested in their defensive corps, it’s easy to assume that great things were expected from a defensive standpoint this year.
That hasn’t exactly been the case, as the Flames currently sit in the bottom half of the league in terms of goals allowed. Netminder Miikka Kiprusoff can not possibly take credit for all of that. So where does the blame lie? Well, the group on defense certainly has to shoulder some of it. On paper, this team looks to have one of the best defensive corps in the league. Unfortunately, that hasn’t transpired into on-ice success. Luckily, the scouting staff has done a fantastic job at finding great back-end talent over the past few years. Many of these talented blue-liners are about to make the jump into professional hockey next year, while some are already there, others await the chance to showcase their abilities in the big league. Let’s delve into some of the most notable up-and-coming defensive talent currently in the Flames’ organization.
Flames prospect John Negrin at a Swift Current Broncos practice
Negrin is currently turning in a career season (8 goals, 45 points in 54 games) at Swift Current of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in what is likely the last season of his major junior career. Having already surpassed his previous high of 41 points set last season at Kootenay, Negrin is proving to NHL scouts that they made a mistake in overlooking him on draft day. Selected 70
th overall by Calgary in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 29 other teams passed over Negrin at least twice that day. The soon-to-be 20 year-old is primed and ready to make the next step towards the NHL. Having already competed in two NHL training camps with the Flames, Negrin is already considered well-experienced for a young defenseman who has yet to play a professional hockey game in his life. Not only has Negrin significantly improved his puck-poise in the offensive zone the past two seasons, he also continues to play responsible hockey in his own zone. Standing a tall 6’ 2″, scouts like the physical make-up that John possesses to excel at the NHL level, but he may need to slightly bulk up (195 lbs.) in order to accurately don the label of a physical specimen. There’s a lot to like about Negrin. The Calgary scouting staff has done a tremendous job recognizing NHL-caliber talent on the blue line in the past, and Negrin will prove he is no exception to this tradition. Negrin’s solid, all-around play in both zones projects him as a top four defenseman in the NHL.
2) Keith Aulie (WHL) Speaking of physical specimens, Keith Aulie fits that description to an absolute tee. The 6’ 6″, 222 pound defenseman out of Brandon (WHL) takes full advantage of his size and his game shows it. Aulie has said that his current favorite NHL player is none other than Calgary’s own Robyn Regehr. That may explain why Aulie’s game so closely resembles that of Regehr’s: He plays a solid, stay-at-home brand of hard-hitting, in-your-face hockey for a full sixty-plus minutes game in and game out. A player of his physical stature doesn’t come along very often. With that said, it’s hard to believe that Aulie fell late into the 4
th round at the 2007 draft, the same draft in which the Flames selected Negrin one round earlier. Aulie is a natural leader both on and off the ice. When he arrived in Brandon as a 16 year-old, he took it upon himself to let his actions speak for themselves. Apparently Head Coach Kelly McCrimmon took notice of this and named Aulie team captain at the onset of this season. Perhaps the tip of the cap came at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championships (WJHC). Playing for Team Canada was something Aulie had wanted to do for a very long time. In his final year of tournament-eligibility, he certainly did not disappoint. The Flames enjoyed his play so much that they inked the big defenseman to an entry-level contract. Aulie’s arrival in Calgary is inevitable. Imagine how tough it must be for opponents to deal with Robyn Regehr. Now imagine the troubles both Regehr and Aulie will give the opposition on a nightly basis. Just like Freddy Krueger, I’m certain that Aulie will be coming to a nightmare near you very soon.
3) T.J. Brodie (OHL) The 18 year-old T.J. Brodie (drafted 114
th overall in 2008) is emerging in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as the offensive threat the Flames hoped he would one day become. Having scored 11 goals and 49 points in 54 games so far at Saginaw this season, the Spirit blue-liner is looking to make a strong impression on the Flames’ coaching staff for the future. The smooth-skating Brodie has shown such significant improvements in his game since being drafted that he’s already being talked about as a possible steal in the draft. Brodie handles the puck with ease; whether he’s managing the powerplay, finding an open teammate with pin-point accuracy, or making that first pass out of his own zone. T.J. plays very well in all three zones. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of his game is his ability to hit. While not a huge player (6’ 1″, 173), Brodie never shies away from the physical side of the game. If Brodie can continue to show improved abilities in both ends of the ice, it will not be long at all before Calgary has another defenseman to man the point on the powerplay alongside Dion Phaneuf.
4) Matt Pelech (AHL) Pelech (6’ 4″, 220) is another example of many talented big, young defensemen in the Flames’ organization. The former 1st round selection (26
th overall) at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft plays a very mean style of hockey in his own end, as exhibited by the 420 (and counting) penalty minutes he has accrued in the past three seasons split between Belleville (OHL) and Quad City (AHL). While he doesn’t exactly excel in either end, Pelech easily plays well enough both defensively and offensively to garner considerable attention from the parent club. He possesses a long, fluid stride on his skates that allows him to move up and down the ice very well and very quickly. While he may not live up to the billing that comes with being a first round pick, the Flames like what they have in Pelech for years to come.
5) Brett Palin (AHL) At 24 years old, it’s make-or-break time at next year’s Flames’ training camp for Brett Palin (6’ 2″, 203). The right-handed shooting defenseman was drafted out of Kelowna (WHL) as a 6
th round, 173
rd overall selection in the 2004 NHL draft. While Palin has never truly been considered a top prospect in the past, Palin has gradually improved his game at the AHL level over the past couple of seasons. In fact, Palin has impressed with his solid defensive play so much this season that he was named to play for Team Canada at the AHL All-Star Classic. Playing primarily against every top line in the American Hockey League makes Palin’s plus 19 rating over the past two seasons that much more impressive. Playing a reliable brand of hockey in his own zone is something that Palin takes great pride in. His emergence as a plus-player at Quad City really speaks for all of the hard work he has put in over the years. While not a gaudy player, it’s the little things that Brett does right that earned him the right to play in this year’s All-Star game. It will be that same style of play that will eventually earn Palin a shot at the big club next year. If he has a strong training camp, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t set himself up for a chance to play with the big boys at some point next season, even if he has to start one more season at Quad City. Besides our top 5 prospects, keep an eye on Ryan Wilson (AHL) at Quad City. His puck handling, on-ice vision and offensive prowess is out of this world, but it’s his skating skills, or current lack thereof, that will determine his future in professional hockey. If he can significantly develop balance, stability and consistency on his feet in the AHL, Wilson may very well make for a top-notch powerplay specialist someday, at the very least. Another element of his game that could use some tweaking is his work in his own zone. While not ghastly by any means, Wilson’s play from behind the blue line could definitely benefit from a more responsible approach in his own end. Offense isn’t everything, but it will be what puts food on the Wilson family’s dinner table some day down the road. As long as Ryan can continue to work on the other facets of his game, his future will be looking rather bright in the NHL.
Final Thought: Darryl Sutter has been a firm believer of having a big, strong, physical corps of players patrolling the defensive end since arriving in Calgary in 2002. Based upon the draft picks the team has made over the past six years, it’s become evident that the new-found tradition that came with Sutter will not be broken anytime soon. Contact the author at
Michael.Paul@ProHockeyNews.comRelated
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