May 9, 2021 / 390 Comments / Sports / By

A lot of analysts, fans and onlookers had big expectations for the 2020-21 Calgary Flames, and one of the reasons was because of the team’s crop of young defensemen. But despite their promise, their young defenders collectively didn’t quite take the big steps many expected for them.

Here’s a snapshot of the team’s under-25 blueliners and how they’ve done this season.

Noah Hanifin

The 24-year-old Hanifin had the best season of his Flames tenure and one of the better on-ice seasons of his entire pro career to this point. Heading into this campaign, Hanifin was considered by many to be a really effective secondary defender whose occasionally defensive deficiencies could be covered up by playing with a smart two-way partner. He was used with Travis Hamonic in the past and the thought was Chris Tanev would be similar in that role.

Well, Hanifin and Tanev clicked exceptionally well from the get-go. Hanifin seemed to pick up things from Tanev over the season, and by the end of the year – before his injury – Darryl Sutter moved Hanifin to a pairing with Rasmus Andersson because he felt Hanifin was ready to drive a pairing of his own.

Hanifin was on pace for a 26 point full (82-game) season when he was injured, but the big progression was in his 200-foot game and his confidence in all aspects of his game. He’ll be someone to watch when the 2021-22 season begins, as potentially he can begin to take some duties away from a 38-year-old Mark Giordano.

Rasmus Andersson

Andersson played most of the season with Mark Giordano. When Giordano was put with Tanev, Andersson was placed with Hanifin. When Hanifin got hurt, Andersson began to play with Nikita Nesterov. This shuffling around is somewhat emblematic of Andersson’s whole season; the Swede hasn’t been awful, but he hasn’t been great, and the “disappointment” some analysts discuss when speaking about him is likely because many expected him to take the step that Hanifin ended up taking.

Playing with Giordano on the top deployment pair, rather than in a role that he could be sheltered in, Andersson was able to generate offense but struggled defensively at times. Plus/minus is a flawed statistic, but Andersson’s minus-11 – the worst active player on the Flames. Of all the defenders, he’s arguably the one that’s been challenged the most by the transition from Geoff Ward’s system to Sutter’s, and the team’s transition game struggles may have impacted him the most. (Andersson’s more of a “jump into the rush” guy than a big stretch pass guy, and the Flames forwards have often cheated into the neutral zone to generate offense and Andersson would often have those passes picked off.)

Andersson’s a good offensive player, but shoring up his defensive game may be the secret to unlocking his full potential.

Juuso Valimaki

In 2018-19, Valimaki went pro at the age of 20 and was limited to 46 games due to a high ankle sprain suffered mid-season. In 2019-20, he played zero games due to knee surgery. In 2020-21, he’s played 19 games in Finland and 47 (so far) for the Flames.

This is leading to the question: how much can we poke holes in the game of a 22-year-old defenseman who has missed basically a year and a half of development during some of the most formative years for a high-end defenseman? If you’ve watched Sutter’s post-game pressers, you’ve seen Sutter bristle at some penalties or turnovers that Valimaki has made. But Sutter’s also been complimentary of his game at times, and has emphasized that the mistakes Valimaki has made are symptoms of things like getting caught out of position or making the wrong decision with the puck.

With all the time Valimaki’s missed, he’s almost still an NHL rookie. He’s going to make mistakes, but hopefully the team is being patient with him and allowing him to work through those gaffes. He’s still playing a ton – he’s been a healthy scratch four times but has largely been a third line fixture otherwise – and hopefully those reps lead to improvements.

Oliver Kylington

If Valimaki is a 22-year-old who’s basically a rookie, Kylington is a 23-year-old who’s basically a veteran. Kylington is in his sixth season in the Flames system. He entered the season with 87 NHL games and 190 AHL games under his belt, and a reputation for being a great skater, whip-smart offensive player, but a guy who needs to use his skating to overcome occasionally defensive gaffes – he’s basically a Swedish TJ Brodie in that regard.

Has Kylington progressed much? Well, he’s been on the taxi squad for most of the season and he’s played just six games. It’s unclear where he fits in with the Flames long-term. On the left side, he’s behind Giordano, Hanifin and Valimaki (and probably Connor Mackey, too). On the right side, he’s behind Andersson and Tanev. At this point, he seems like an insurance policy depth player that the club seems completely fine not using very often. (It wouldn’t have made sense to throw him into the lineup when the team was playing so poorly on a collective basis, but he’s at worst a lateral move defensively from Nikita Nesterov.)

Connor Mackey

The 24-year-old Mackey has been a nice surprise this season. Sometimes, highly-touted college signings turn into Kenney Morrison or Josh Healey. But Mackey impressed. Initially used as a taxi squad player before the AHL got started up, Mackey played three games for the Flames on the third pairing. He didn’t look out of place, and that’s as a college player who hadn’t played a high-level game of hockey in months and who was making his first pro appearances.

He joined Stockton when they started up and emerged as the club’s top blueliner, noticeable on most nights in positive ways. He’s moved back to the taxi squad and seems a strong candidate to get more NHL games in before the end of the season. He was a little bit tentative in his first few NHL games, so it’ll be interesting to see if the swagger he developed with the Heat comes with him back to the Flames.

The other guys

The Flames had three early-to-mid 20s defenders on the Stockton roster. Alexander Yelesin (25) was a regular but spent most of his time on the second pairing, usually behind Alex Petrovic, and played with a rotation of players. He was fine, but his offensive numbers didn’t grow that much beyond his first AHL season. Colton Poolman (25) had a couple minor injuries, but otherwise always played and was a solid if unspectacular AHL second and third pairing player. C.J. Lerby (23) had a disappointing year, getting healthy scratched a few times and ending up as the Heat’s de facto seventh defender by the end of the season.

How would you like the Flames to manage their young defensemen through the end of the season? How should they be used next season? Sound off in the comments!

390 thoughts on “A snapshot of the Flames’ young defensemen”

  355. Aujikinels

    In an effort to assess the reliability of survey responses, we selected a stratified random sample by age, education, and deployment abroad—30 cells to identify a subset of 519 double respondents that was demographically representative of the total respondent population.
    Make sure you talk to a real person when you glucophage acidosis ? What are the drawbacks?
    Clay Callison, pulmonary medicine physician, discussed the causes and symptoms of lung cancer and how lung cancer is diagnosed.

    Reply
  357. WguuChief

    The vast majority of aortic aneurysms occur in the patient’s abdominal aorta.
    Customers satisfaction guarantee at lyrica coupon can be researched on a pharmacy website.
    Medical News Today “Faster And More Accurate Imaging Technique For Aneurysm Detection And Therapy Planning”.

    Reply
  358. AxxzDrups

    One distinction between seroconversion and a standard flu is swollen lymph nodes, a frequent symptom of acute HIV infection.
    Don’t wait in long lines, get a can i take advil with prednisone s online can be both safe and risky.
    Pay attention to pollen levels in your area, and avoid going outside when levels are high.

    Reply
  363. Agfnvinels

    If the appendix ruptured, you will stay in the hospital for several days, and you may need more than 1 surgery.
    Look no further for the most effective treatment and what does keflex treat at low prices, you need to compare online offers
    The condom dien’t break and it wasn’t perforated.

    Reply
  364. Anrhinels

    Unfortunately, my first treatment made me very ill and my stomach is burning a full day later.
    the best dealDon’t let your age control your sex life. Visit neurontin for depresion from honest online pharmacies when you really need reasonable
    I am going through another episode right now, so for the last few days I’ve called sick off work and have been in bed since.

    Reply
  365. WnenChief

    The cause of ALS is unknown, though some cases — in which there is a family history of the disease — are associated with mutations in the gene for an enzyme called SOD1.
    Embarrass no more. View this page how to pct with nolvadex with wholesale discounts
    It is best to discuss things with your sexual partner.

    Reply
  366. AngdDrups

    And since as many as one-third of people with diabetes also suffer from a diabetes-related skin ailment, investing in diabetes skin care products is another good choice.
    High quality service and low prices for cephalexin interactions with alcohol keep them away from direct sunlight.
    My boyfriend and I have been having unprotected sex for the past 4 months but he pulls out before he ejactulates.

    Reply
  367. WtmgChief

    Spring is the time of year when many people complain about seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny noses, congestion, rashes, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing—and just generally feeling miserable.
    Big discounts offered on sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension only after you have looked at competitive online specials
    The same is true if you suffer from a chronic illness, such as asthma, diabetes or congestive heart failure, which makes you more vulnerable to complications.

    Reply
  368. AncrDrups

    Sign up now SymptomsBy Mayo Clinic StaffReferences Fashner J, et al.
    Valuable treatment is available when you sildenafil alcohol at consistently low prices
    Up until today I was so sure I was pregnant, my symtoms ticked every box, tingling nipples, headaches, dizzy spells, full breasts, slight cramps at 8dpo, slight nausea… I was convinced.

    Reply
  369. Agxfinels

    I feel bloated… and i have sore nipples for past 5 days… Am i Pregnant?
    No driving and getting a zithromax pediatric , an effective treatment, at greatly reduced prices
    A main objective then is to get back into normal life, and to minimise the risk of a further MI.

    Reply
  370. Anvtfinels

    Cramping may also accompany spotting.
    yourself familiar with requirements for pharmacies that sell ivermectin 4 mg and prompt ED now! Exciting freebies awaits you.
    Seek treatment with antiviral medicines for yourself or others who are at high risk for flu complications.

    Reply
  372. AntnDrups

    Thus the disruption of the BBB, which can be detected by a MRI and CT, is regarded as the main diagnostic indicator for malignant gliomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases.
    Look no further for the most effective treatment and does lasix cause hyponatremia and not spend a lot of money.
    Marijuana and cannabinoids: effects on infections, immunity,and AIDS.

    Reply
  376. WbyuChief

    Kidney disease often has no symptoms until a lot of damage has occurred.
    It is now easy to get a ivermectin iv offered by a specialist low-cost pharmacy site
    PubMed Abstract Publisher Full Text totext Van Loo HM, Cai T, Gruber MJ, Li J, de Jonge P, Petukhova M et al..

    Reply
  377. ArnnDrups

    In this procedure, a small tube is threaded into the arteries of the lung.
    Fastest delivery and lowest prices for stromectol sold under different brand names.
    Although the exact cause of Chiari malformation is unknown, it is thought that a problem during fetal development may cause the abnormal brain formation.

    Reply
  379. AmddDrups

    In some cases, POTS postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome may be mold induced.
    When you buy geodon online pharmacy is a concern.
    Cancers in generalSymptomsScreeningTestsTreatmentClinical trials Causes of cancerSmokingAlcoholDietObesitySun and UV Coping with cancerManaging symptoms and side effectsCounselling and talkingMoney and travelDeath and dyingCancer Chat forum Health ProfessionalsCancer StatisticsLocal cancer statisticsBe Clear on CancerNational Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative NAEDI DonateMake a donationBy cancer typeDonate in your WillDonate in MemoryMore…

    Reply
  383. AmmyDrups

    For more information about diabetes, contact Diabetes UK.
    Valuable treatment is available when you how long does sildenafil last do I need a prescription?
    Medical abortion eliminates some of the risks associated with surgical abortion, but surgical abortions are one of the most common surgical procedures in Canada and are very safe.

    Reply
  385. ArnfDrups

    Learn More Enhance Fitness August 10, 2015 A fitness class specifically designed to help seniors develop strength, balance, endurance and flexibility.
    Embarrass no more. View this page generic tadalafil 20mg price contains all the details.
    Influenza is distinctly different from the common cold see Common Cold.

    Reply
  387. Afsdinels

    Patients with “flu-like” symptoms should also be aware that: There is no screening test available for the detection of anthrax disease in persons with few or no symptoms Nasal swabs have been used for research purposes only.
    Online pharmacy serves you at vardenafil tablets 20mg from reliable pharmacies
    Has he seen a plastic surgeon?

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *