From playing a long-time depth role with the Vegas Golden Knights and winning a Stanley Cup in the process, to being acquired in the package for Rasmus Andersson. Zach Whitecloud’s world changed when he became a member of the Calgary Flames this past season.

What were the expectations for Zach Whitecloud?

The immediate thought was that the Flames were getting a depth middle to bottom pair guy, that could play for a little while as a professional body as Calgary started its rebuild.

He came on short notice, other seasoned vets were on their way out, and rookies were coming in to take jobs. There was not a lot of veteran presence patrolling the Flames blueline, especially after the MacKenzie Weegar trade.

Serviceable play that stabilized things for a younger player – that was the expectation for Whitecloud coming in.

How did Zach Whitecloud perform with the Flames?

There’s a theme with who I picked for report cards – all the players I chose met or exceeded their expectations with ease. Whitecloud was no exception.

He came in and took over a top pair role on this team. Sharing a lot of significant minutes with either Kevin Bahl or rookie Yan Kuznetsov to deal with the aftermath of losing Andersson and Weegar. He immediately showcased that he was much more than a depth third pairing defender and could easily take on a role with more responsibility.

He also integrated himself immediately within the community, wasting no time entering philanthropic activities around Calgary.

He did everything that was asked of him and then some, and then some on top of that. He went from a “Maybe they’ll flip him?” guy to a “What’s the rush in getting rid of this player?” guy.

What’s the future outlook for Zach Whitecloud?

I personally don’t think they should move on from Whitecloud. You need some stabilizing security back there for Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Yan Kuznetsov as they continue to learn. You can deploy him in your own end for face-offs and not be worried.

They traded a top four defenceman with no term left, got a very suitable replacement and at least one first round pick in return, possibly two if Vegas can win the Stanley Cup. (Go Ras!) A deal that might prove extra fruitful for both franchises.

Here’s hoping we can give Whitecloud a home for the immediate future. They can always choose to move on later or if someone blows the doors off with a trade offer, but there’s no urgency to move on from him right now. Whitecloud is a quality addition to the Flames team and community.

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What were the expectations for Zach Whitecloud?

How did Zach Whitecloud perform with the Flames?

What’s the future outlook for Zach Whitecloud?

This article is a presentation of Prairie Toyota Dealers

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