The Calgary Flames are gearing up for the second half of the season and are calling in several reinforcements.
The Flames announced a trio of recalls today including Jakob Pelletier, Kevin Rooney, and Cole Schwindt, news that will surely bring a lot of joy to Flames fans.
Flames getting centre reinforcements
After assigning a number of players to the Calgary Wranglers prior to the NHL All-Star break, the team has made its initial roster choices to gear up before the NHL Trade Deadline.
Schwindt, who was with the team prior to the break, returns to most likely play in a third or fourth line centre role. He played in three contests before the break and didn’t look out of place. With the recent trade of Elias Lindholm, the team needs centers and they clearly want a good look out of Schwindt at the NHL level.
Continuing the theme of centres, Rooney also returns to the NHL after suffering a shoulder injury at the start of the year. He only appeared in 17 games last year with the team before being assigned to the Wranglers, but returns to battle for that bottom-six center role. Rooney is a UFA at the end of the season, and frankly, the team isn’t gearing up for a playoff run. If he can come in and play on the penalty kill and establish himself, maybe a team will take a flyer on him for some center depth come deadline day.
The return of Pelletier
No offence to both players, but the real news here is Pelletier returning to the NHL. Also recovering from shoulder surgery, which he suffered from a preseason contest against the Vancouver Canucks, Pelletier is absolutely going to be a shot of adrenaline in the arm for the team. The second-year pro was bound for a full-time NHL spot this year and is most likely going to start alongside Jonathan Huberdeau in the famous French connection.
Since returning from surgery in the AHL, Pelletier has been red-hot. He surely will continue that into his NHL stint and it would be unlikely he returns to the AHL until the end of the season for playoffs.
Gearing up for the final stretch
The team also announced a smaller transaction but putting A.J. Greer on injured reserve, after he suffered a broken ankle against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Time to gear up everyone, Pelletier is back!
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
