10 Things to Watch: Defensive Depth

When the Flames made their run at the Stanley Cup in 2004 they showed a surprising amount of depth on the blue line. Even as injuries mounted, the supporting cast stepped up their play to keep the Flames in the post-season. This year the defensive depth cannot be questioned. Here’s a quick rundown of who is currently on the roster:

Adrian Aucoin - a big shot and good offensive zone awareness make Aucoin a good two way player. Rumours abound that Sutter would like to deal him to Los Angeles to shed his $4M salary.

Anders Eriksson - A minus-5 last season, Eriksson was rather inconsistent in his play. At times his defensive zone play was outstanding, but other times he seemed to disappear. He is a career plus-41, though, suggesting that he gets the job done in his own end of the rink.

Mark Giordano - Giordano showed great promise with the Flames two seasons ago, but departed for Russia last year as a restricted free agent after not coming to terms with the Flames. He is another young defenceman with good skating ability who can score the odd goal; a good player to have providing depth.

Dion Phaneuf - Calgary’s premier defenceman begins the first year of his new contract this season. Phaneuf has quickly become the cornerstone of Calgary’s blueline, quarterbacking the powerplay, scoring goals with his big shot and strong skating, and using his size to throw huge hits.

Robyn Regehr - This guy is the reason the Theo Fleury trade was totally worthwhile. Consistently in the 20 point vicinity and in double-digit plus-minus, Regehr is a solid two way player who can play in any situation.

Cory Sarich - If you don’t hear about Cory Sarich, he’s doing his job. I hear a lot of negative about Sarich, but I think it has mostly to do with him not putting up offensive numbers. We’ve got Aucoin, Phaneuf, and Regehr doing that, folks; Cory Sarich is a defence-first player who serves well in penalty killing roles or in a tight game. Oh, and he can throw a hit now and then as well.

Jim Vandermeer - Or as we call him: “Vandeneuf”. Vendermeer is another former Red Deer Rebel who has a physical presence on the ice. This guy won’t put up scoring numbers, but he will make life miserable for the opponent in Calgary’s zone.

Rhett Warrener - Warrener has the dubious track-record of losing in the Stanley Cup Final with three different “Cinderella” teams (Florida, Buffalo, and Calgary). A veteran presence comes with him, but he has averaged 25 games missed per season in his time with the Flames. Given Calgary’s depth and Warrener’s injury frequency, buy-out talks were rampant this summer. Evidently, the team still sees him as a valuable member of the team, and you can bet he’ll be out to prove them right.

Obviously, even beyond the star defencemen (Phaneuf and Regehr) the Flames are carrying a bevy of talent on defence. If these guys can stay healthy, Calgary’s defence should be among the best in the league. Remember too that TJ Brodie, John Negrin, Adam Pardy, and Matt Pelech are among the promising prospects that are currently developing in the CHL or AHL.