Managing Flames netminders in Penticton
By Ryan Pike
6 years agoFor years and years, the Calgary Flames had a tough time drafting and developing goaltenders. Sometimes they drafted goaltenders, only to see their development fall off a cliff. Sometimes they drafted goaltenders that weren’t amazing, even after the development team put time and effort into them. Sometimes they traded pretty decent goaltending prospects to Edmonton for Ladislav Smid.
But finally, the Flames seemingly have found goaltending depth. Three goaltenders are part of the Flames’ roster for the Young Stars Classic tournament in Penticton: Tyler Parsons, Mason McDonald and Nick Schneider. The big question is how the Flames will manage the workload for the three netminders at the event.
A brief history
The Flames have sent three or four goaltenders to every Penticton tournament since Brad Treliving became general manager.
- In 2014, they sent McDonald, Joni Ortio and Matt Manica. McDonald started twice, Ortio once, and Mancina didn’t ever play.
- In 2015, they sent Jon Gillies, McDonald and Schneider. Gillies started twice, McDonald once and Schneider never played.
- In 2016, they sent Parsons, McDonald and Gillies. Parsons played one and a half games, Gillies a full game, McDonald half a game, and Schneider didn’t play.
The general pattern? The shiniest prospect plays the most. It’s not based on seniority, it’s seemingly based on which goaltending prospect the team is highest on.
Who are these guys?
This year’s trio of goaltenders features three players in different spots in their development.
- McDonald, 21, is entering the second year of his entry-level contract. He was in the ECHL last season with the Adirondack Thunder and was, to be charitable, Stockton’s third- or fourth-best goaltender.
- Parsons, 20, is probably going pro and will begin the first year of his entry-level contract due to his age regardless of where he plays. He was arguably one of the best goaltenders in the OHL last season (and the year before) and is a natural candidate to graduate to a higher level of hockey.
- Schneider, 20, is probably going back to junior but will begin the first year of his entry level contract due to his age regardless of where he plays. He was decent for Medicine Hat last year, but lost the net in the second half and was traded to the Calgary Hitmen in the offseason. He’s a natural candidate to stay in junior as an overager, because otherwise he’d head into the pros with zero momentum.
Options abound
Parsons is the top prospect in the organization, as ranked by FlamesNation. If the two goaltenders in camp were Parsons and Gillies, it’d be natural to give Parsons two games and Gillies one. But the other goalies are Schneider and McDonald, neither of which really seems to have a lot of heat as prospects these days. While it’s possible that Parsons could get all three games in net, I’d expect the Flames to give Schneider and McDonald a game to split just to keep Parsons fresh and to give them some action.
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