The Flames Should Claim Mark Arcobello

The big hockey news out of Toronto this morning is that the Maple Leafs have decided to waive veteran center Mark Arcobello. For many reasons, I don’t think he’ll make it through the waiver wire – he’s got several qualities which National Hockey League clubs seem to value.

And I think the Calgary Flames should claim him.

Mark Arcobello is several things. He’s 27. He’s inexpensive, with a $1.1 million cap hit. He’s right-handed. He’s a center. And while he doesn’t generate a ton of points, he’s a rock-solid 200-foot player that helps keep the puck out of his end.

Of course, the “doesn’t generate points” part is why Toronto is waiving him. And it’s also why he’s probably headed to his sixth NHL club (after stints with Edmonton, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Toronto) over the past two seasons. Heck, he was with four teams last year.

In terms of Calgary’s depth chart, Arcobello is definitely better than Brandon Bollig and potentially an upgrade over Josh Jooris right now. He’s not the world’s most physical player, which may bode poorly for him within the Flames line-up given Bob Hartley’s decision-making, but he drives play the right way and the Flames absolutely need somebody like that right now.

And if he doesn’t work out, he’s dirt-cheap and can easily be (a) traded or (b) buried in the AHL without much worry. It’s a very low-risk opportunity for the Flames to shake up their roster and add an asset that could help them win games. And heaven knows they’d like to win games at some point this season.