2010-2011 Flames Depth (or lack thereof) Chart

In late August, hockey fans can only speculate and anticipate. So what’s the best way to do that?


That’s right: by drawing up your very own depth chart. You get to look at your hometown team subjectively, without having to abide by any rules whatsoever! What you’ll find below is primarily driven by my own personal preferences, so feel free to chip in with feedback in the comment box that follows.

Assumptions being made:

Kotalik does not wear a red jersey in North America

Langkow does not start the season, and is placed on Long Term Injury Reserve

Younger options such as Backlund, Sutter, Stone and Pelech make the big club

The team is not able to rid of any older, slower d men with sizable cap hits

The club remains somewhat intact come Oct 5 – which is impossible, given the cap situation. But who wants to wait ‘til then to construct depth charts? Nobody!

Tanguay Jokinen Iginla

Hagman Stajan Bourque

Glencross Backlund Moss

Sutter Stone Jackman

Extras: Conroy, Ivanans, Langkow (LTIR)



Regehr White

Bouw Giordano

Sarich Pelech

Extras: Staios, Kronwall, Pardy


Kiprusoff

Karlsson


While I’m a huge Daymond Langkow supporter, and cross my fingers for a speedy recovery, injecting Langks back into the line-up certainly has some interesting ramifications:

Tanguay Jokinen Iginla

Hagman Stajan Bourque

Backlund Langkow Glencross

Sutter Stone Moss

Extras: Conroy, Ivanans, Jackman



… which would make the additions of Ivanans and Jackman almost completely useless.

Everyone take a moment.

Okay, moving on:



Regehr White

Bouw Giordano

Sarich Pelech

Extras: Staios, Kronwall, Pardy



Kiprusoff

Karlsson



100% completely preference-driven PP and PK line-ups, assuming Langkow is healthy:

PP – 1

Bourque (in front of net)

Iginla (off-wing/faceoff man)

Tanguay (off-wing)

Bouwmeeser (left point man)

Jokinen (right point man)



PP – 2

Langkow (in front of net)

Backlund (left side/faceoff man)

Hagman (off-wing)

White (left point man)

Giordano (right point man)



PK – 1

Langkow Glencross

Regehr White



PK – 2

Stajan Sutter

Giordano Sarich



Regardless of how you see the team shaping up come October 5, there are still multiple unknowns. We’ve all heard “you can never have too many centreman” and “you can never have too much depth on defense.” My belief? You can have too much of both, especially when your 6th/7th defensemen earn between 2.7 and 3.6 million dollars annually, and you’re paying your second and third line centremen 3.5 and 4.5 million dollars respectively. On this team, the cost to maintain depth at either position has proven hefty, especially at the expense of quicker, younger talent.

Having said that, we can’t do anything about the unanswered questions; All we can do is formulate our own ideas behind a computer in late August, in eager anticipation for the start of the NHL season.

So get to it! Assumptions in-tact: If you were in charge, how would the 2010-2011 Calgary Flames line up on opening night?