Flames make first cuts, return eight to CHL

The Flames have made their first round of cuts for training camp 2018, returning a few CHLers back to their teams before that season gets underway.

As expected, the eligible CHLers are the first to go. None were in serious contention for NHL jobs, and with all of these players lacking AHL eligibility and entry level contracts, there’s only one place for them to play.

Of those eight, only four are Flames property. C Milos Roman (4th round, 2018) will head back to the Vancouver Giants, who begin their season on the 21st. C Adam Ruzicka (4th, 2017) heads back to the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, and will also begin his season tomorrow. Baie-Comeau Drakkar RW D’Artagnan Joly (6th, 2017) and Rimouski Oceanic C/LW Dmitry Zavgorodniy (7th, 2018) will head back to the QMJHL, where their seasons will begin on the 21st and 22nd, respectively.

The other four, D Jacob Christiansen (Everett, WHL), D Igor Merezhko (Lethbridge, WHL), D Merrick Rippon (Ottawa, OHL), and D Brayden Pachal (Prince Albert, WHL) all went undrafted in 2018, though it’s possible the Flames still keep their eyes on them, as they did with Glenn Gawdin the year before.

The Flames have seven goalies, 20 defencemen, and 34 forwards left in camp. They’ll have to trim from 61 to 23 (or five goalies, 13 defencemen, and 20 forwards) during the next two weeks.