In response to the unfortunate injury to Calgary Flames forward Sam Honzek that has him out week-to-week, the team has made three roster changes.
Rory Kerins, who was called up just a few days ago and played well in an average of 13:16 TOI in his two games with the Flames, has been sent back down to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
Sam Morton and Dryden Hunt have been recalled to fill those roster spots instead.
An interesting decision
I simply do not understand why Kerins was sent down. In his two games with the Flames this season, Kerins has played exceptionally well and has put up incredible underlying numbers. Here are his numbers at 5v5 compared to the rest of the Flames forwards over that period.
| Statistic | CF% | xGF% | SCF% | HDCF% | OZS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Value | 56.94 | 78.29 | 75 | 90.91 | 62.5 |
| Rank among F | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
Among forwards, Kerins was operating at a clear top-six level, specifically highlighted by his 91% HDCF% and 78% xGF%. The Flames were a much better team when Kerins was on the ice than when he wasn’t.
Unless this is Craig Conroy committing to the tank, the move to replace Kerins with 29-year-old career-AHLer Dryden Hunt makes no sense. With the new NHL/AHL rules, Kerins has to now play a game with the Wranglers, and their next game is tomorrow night on the road against the Bakersfield Condors. This is not a simple paper transaction where the Flames would recall Kerins for their next game; that’s not allowed anymore
The best case scenario with these moves is that the Flames want to see what they have with Morton in the NHL, and Hunt will sit in the press box.
Morton has earned a shot in the NHL after a stellar start to the AHL season where he’s put up four goals and 12 points in 16 games. This comes on the heels of a phenomenal season last year when he put up 20 goals and 45 points in 70 games for the Wranglers.
The Flames will face the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night on the road.
