Flames Random Thoughts - Iginla as Pillar and Monument
Kent Wilson
March 05 2012 12:55PM
With the winter winding down and the city of Calgary blanketed in it's annual pre-spring snowfall, Flames fans moods have turned with the weather. Since breaking the surface of the West's top-8 for a single day in February, Calgary's fortunes have predictably turned with the team losing five straight on dome ice and sinking to 11th in the conference. They remain three points back of the San Jose Sharks for the final spot, but the gap between the two - both in terms of actual talent and true record - is greater than that. The Sharks are a legitimately talented club on a uncharacteristic slide who are a good bet to turn things around. They also have two games in hand on Calgary.
- The Flames are a good bet to miss the playoffs for the third straight season as a result. As the finger pointing begins, it's worth noting the Flames have been both lucky and unlucky this season. Lucky, in that Kipper's rebound, Jokinen's resurgence and Glencross uncanny 25 SH% were all unlikely, unpredictable events that have helped Calgary stay in the thick of things. Unlucky in that the bottom end of the roster has seen some career worst percentages (Jackman, Backlund in particular) and the spate of injuries that began some time in December has stripped the team down to it's bare bones more than once.
If Kipper doesn't rediscover his form and if guys like Jokinen and Glencross don't get the bounces, the Flames are no doubt fighting for a lottery pick right now. On the other hand, if the team had stayed healthy and if the Backlund's and Jackman's counting stats better reflected their underlying numbers, the Flames are probably comfortably in a playoff spot right now. That's the life of a bubble team though: if the coin lands on heads, you make the post-season. If not, you plumb the depths.
- Speaking of injuries, the Flames announced today they have recalled Desbiens, Kolanos and Greg Nemisz from Abbotsford. With Comeau and now Cammalleri and Bouma joining Jones, Backlund, Stempniak and Butler on the sidelines, Calgary has once again been forced to dip deep into it's depth chart. Not the best tidings for a team struggling to remain in the race.
As many know, the number of post-deadline recalls is capped at 4 in the NHL. The Flames already burned one on Leland Irving, so it's of note whether this mass of call-ups represents one, two or three of the final recalls. It will depend on how many of the Nemisz, Kolanos and Desbiens are considered "emergency" replacements I suppose.
- On Nemisz, it will be interesting to see where he slots on the big club. The sophomore has been frequently passed over by other options this year when the organization has gone looking for guys from the Heat. He's had a decent although hardly eye-popping season for Abbotsford (12g-13a-25pts in 41 games) and has always looked completely overwhelmed during his prior cups of coffee. He beat out Paul Byron for a recall this time, so the team is clearly intersted to see how he fares against the big boys.
- On a completely different topic, I have a growing anxiety about Jarome's remaining time in Calgary.
There's no question Iginla is an iconic athlete in this town and one who will probably be fondly recalled years after he's left the game. On the other hand, I wonder if the team continues to falter and strain under perceptions of under perfomance if his halo will be...tarnished somewhat.
He's been a pillar on the club forever - a cornerstone player, the bedrock upon which the rest of the roster was built upon and around. That task, those expectations, will soon be beyond Jarome (if they aren't now) simply because, at some point, time and wear take their toll. Iginla turns 35 years old this coming July and unlike Steve Yzerman he hasn't been allowed to decline gracefully with a team of heir apparent superstars grown up around him.
The Flames have made it clear they don't intend to trade Jarome, ever. It's a sensible tact in some regards: nobody wants to be the bad guy who moves one of the team's most beloved players of all time. Further, one wonders how the organization would market the team absent a marquee personality like Jarome. Unfortunately, in keeping him through his sunset seasons, the ever present expectations that he remain the leader and offensive fulcrum may prove to be a burden too great for the captain. In fact, it's a weight under which the entire team may groan - in effect, Jarome is converted from support pillar to unwieldy golden monument if he stays and the franchise struggles reinforce the team around him. He becomes not the cornerstone of the roster, but a millstone around the necks of coaches and team mates alike.
As long as Iginla remains, the team remains "his", even if the task of carrying them has grown beyond his capabilities. And if the club continues to struggle or further declines, questions about Jarome's leadership, personality and fitness as the Flames captain will grow around water coolers and in messageboards.
I haven't been shy in criticizing Iginla's performances the last three years or so, but only because I think the perception needs to match the reality of his true abilities. I will nevertheless find it altogether unpleasant if Iginla and the team sink together and the esteem the city and fans accord the man sink with him.
@RexLibris
I don't think it's fair to compare Hemsky and Grabovski to Jokinen. I mean both those players are 5yrs+ younger and don't sport a NMC in their contracts. They both are potentially going no where but upwards in terms of point production as they come into their late 20's/early 30's while Olli is on the decline with age after one outlier year this year. Not to mention, if you want the Glencross NMC, you take the Glencross haircut in pay.
One could argue Kipper's done more for the organization than Iginla. While I know Kipper's are most valuable asset... it's a shame we have screwed up the organization that we have to move him. He'll probably be as good as he is, with say 10 fewer games played a season, until he's 40. He's that type of keeper.
Of course, Irving has earned a shot at the #1 spot. Karlsson has not. Not even sure Karlsson's an adequate 2-guy.
The thing is... I don't trust Feaster moving Kipper. Or with our re-build. A savvy GM would not have kept this team together after missing the playoffs last year. The moves should have happened off-season, this past summer.
If Feaster's the man, I don't think the return for Kipper will be what another GM could parlay. Just my opinion. Feaster's had some luck w/Jones... Stempniak for Langkow... But one must never forget the offer to Richards, and the PL3 for a fifth. Nor the re-signing of Babchuk. Nor the return for Regher. I sometimes think Darryl would have parlayed more for Regher than Feaster. And Comeau has not produced points. He's not hurt us, nor really helped us...
As for Jokinen, he wants to be here. Family-centered reasons. He'll sign for discount. He's not looking at the market. At least that's how I see it. I like Jokinen, hope they re-sign him, as well. He's shown more heart in more games than most.
If Joker signs a Glencross type of deal, I will be happy. I could handle a 3 year NMC as long as the cap hit is around the same as GlenX.
Darryl put us in this situation of having to trade one or both of our only true stars as they ride into the sunset. Cant blame Feaster for these decisions. We can blame him on return & I do expect what ever he gets will be second guessed. It's a no win on that poor guy. If he keeps it to rebuild type of returns, well known top prospects & 1 or 2 first rounders, he'll come out OK. If its a parts deal like Phaneufs, God help us.
Rex: The only other player who loved to cherry pick was Mario Lemieux & yes he got away with it a lot.
@everton fc
ha
based on like 5 games? no.
I'm starting to not blame any of our past or current GMs. I don't think Feaster is the sharpest knife in the drawer either and I also agree that Darryl went completely insane, but it's all in a vain attempt to keep up this 'win now' nonsense.
Murray Edwards through his hatchet man King are the ones truly running this team.
@xis10ce
Those three players aren't really comparable on the ice, but since when has reason and fact had any impact on what a player agent demands?
And yes, if Jokinen wants a NMC then that should be used to reduce cost.
@everton fc
I totally agree that any Flames fan who wants a rebuild should be very nervous about Feaster being the one in charge during the dismantling. He hasn't shown an aptitude for it in the past.
@Kevin R
I think the only template Flames fans could use right now is the Cammalleri one, but with the ages of the two principal players reversed, should Kiprusoff be moved.
That isn't altogether reassuring for some, I assume, but given Feaster's history of moving out big players and the resulting return I don't think fans will necessarily get all that they would like.
As for Mario, yeah he cherry picked. But I believe a lot of that came later in his career, and with all due respect to this forum and the Flame in question, Mario had earned much much more than Iginla, both through his personal life (injuries, illness, etc) and professional career.
I've never been the biggest Mario fan of him as a personality in hockey, sometimes he seemed so disinterested and other times he'd open his mouth when he really ought not to have, but as a hockey player he was second to one. ;-)
Aaaaand, a hat trick.
Mario constantly cherry picked, until the playoffs, when suddenly he became the best defensive (and offensive) player on the ice. He knew he had the luxury of such a talented team behind him to do that. Iginla does not.