It has been a pretty exciting last week if you are a fan of the Calgary Flames. The team somehow continues to win games, and they made a splash in the trade market last week when they acquired Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Philadelphia Flyers.
So far, both players look to be gaining their footing with where they have slotted within the lineup. Frost has centred Yegor Sharangovich and Martin Pospisil, while Farabee has been riding shotgun with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri.
However, the Flames are still without one of their most important players in Connor Zary, who is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in January. He has begun to skate, but there is still no timeline for his return.
This has begged the question, what will the Flames lineup look like once Zary is fully healthy and ready to go? I will try to put together a roster that will hopefully make a run for the playoffs when he is back.
Calgary Flames forward lines with Zary back in the mix
| Huberdeau | Kadri | Farabee |
| Zary | Frost | Coronato |
| Coleman | Backlund | Sharangovich |
| Lomberg | Pospisil | Klapka |
There is a lot of change here, but I think there could be a method to all the madness, so let’s take a look and see what each of these lines could bring.
The top line stays together
Thus far, early returns have not been great for the trio of Huberdeau, Kadri, and newcomer Farabee. That said, the sample size is still very small, so I would not worry too much about it. Huberdeau and Kadri played their best hockey with Pospisil on their wing with him getting to the dirty areas to make things happen. Farabee should be able to bring what Pospisil did but with a lot more skill attached to it.
I do want to see more from this trio, and maybe time will tell if they need to be broken up. However, I think this line could have major success down the stretch if they can find the right chemistry and get rolling. It would be a huge boost to this team if Farabee, in particular, could get his form back from last season and put the puck in the net. We all know the Flames need as many goal-scorers as they can possibly get.
A new look second line
This is where I think things can become really fun. Zary has proven he can drive a line and bring some real excitement to the Flames for the first time since Johnny Gaudreau was on the roster. When Zary is healthy and ready to rock and roll, his skill will be needed. With the addition of Frost, he will be headed back to the wing. He has played some of his best hockey in the NHL on the wing, so he gets back there when he returns.
Frost will play down the middle, as it is his natural position, and he has done a really good job so far with the Flames. His defensive prowess and his top-notch skating ability will let him anchor the line while Zary and Matt Coronato do their work offensively. Coronato has spent a lot of time on a defence-first line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, but I think it is time for him to get on a line that will be fully focused on the offensive side of the game with some more skilled players.
They will probably have to be sheltered a little bit, but with how young the line is, that will be okay. Frost and Zary are both good on the defensive side of the puck, so I would not be too worried about them getting in trouble in their own end. Let the young guys cook; I think they could really spark some offence together as a trio.
Sharangovich gets the Backlund and Coleman bump
To say this year has been a major letdown from Sharangovich would be an understatement; he has had a truly horrid year up to this point. The best way to fix that? Put that player with Backlund and Coleman. Those two have proven to be able to prop anyone up with how responsible they are and how they both can drive the play.
Sharangovich will need all the help he can get, and a lot will be taken off his plate playing with Backlund and Coleman. All he will need to do is be responsible enough defensively and get open to get his shot off. If he does all of that, then he should do just fine and hopefully get his confidence back up. The Flames will need him to start scoring in bunches again if they have any chance at making the playoffs.
The fourth line gets a boost
With the additions of some more skill in Frost and Farabee and the return of Zary, Pospisil, unfortunately, will get moved to the fourth line, which I think will be best for him. Pospisil will move back to the middle—where he saw some success early on—and play with two other guys who love to crash and bang.
In his first full season, Pospisil has looked overwhelmed playing in a top-line role. He has tried to play way over his head, and it has led to him not being as effective as he was a season ago. What I think he needs is to play a role where he can go out and just do his thing without feeling the need to score. Playing on a line with Ryan Lomberg, their job will be simple: go out and make everyone’s life a living hell. Give the team a jolt of energy, and don’t take any bad penalties; it could be what that line needs.
On their flank will be Adam Klapka, who has been better since his call-up, it may not be a long-term fix, but he has been able to hold his own and he brings major size to the lineup which coaches always look at as a plus. In this scenario, Kevin Rooney is the team’s extra forward, which will probably never happen but is fun to think about.
The right lineup for a playoff push
Now, will these lines actually become a reality? Probably not. However, I think this could be a recipe for the team to score more goals than they have all year. Some more offensively-minded line combinations could just be the key to success, but only time will tell.
Zary might still be a little while out from becoming healthy and ready to play, and that most likely isn’t until after the break in a week’s time. Hopefully, when he does get back, he can be the spark the team needs.
Photo by Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP
