This morning, the Calgary Flames announced that they have recalled winger William Stromgren and goalie Arsenii Sergeev from the Calgary Wranglers. These call-ups come after Devin Cooley and Brennan Othmann both sustained injuries during Wednesday night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.
What does this mean for the Calgary Flames?
Regarding the lineup, Sergeev will draw into the backup position behind Dustin Wolf, and Stromgren will likely find a spot on the fourth line, or as a scratch. Losing Cooley is a big blow to the Flames early on, as he was performing like one of the best goalies in the league thus far. However, this brings a great opportunity for a goalie like Sergeev, who has shown solid promise throughout the last few years. He received his first NHL start in the final game of last season, posting a fantastic .964 save percentage in his debut. Stromgren also had some reps in the NHL last year, playing 3 games in January with limited ice time. In the AHL this season, Stromgren has taken important steps, as he is currently scoring at a point-per-game pace with 11 points in 11 games.
For Sergeev, it will be key for him to show his potential at the NHL level if he receives any time in the Flames’ net during this call-up. He doesn’t need to steal the show as he’s likely AHL-bound again when Cooley returns; however, it would be great if he did. Stromgren is a bit different. He is at the age where a player is likely who he is, and if he is not an NHLer, he probably won’t ever be. Hopefully, Stromgren doesn’t get screwed with ice time again and is allowed to show his best at the highest level. If he performs solidly, he could very well steal a roster spot from someone on the fourth line.
