During the excitement of the Calgary Flames’ signing of James Neal, an interesting quote popped up from general manager Brad Treliving. In the context of adding depth to the Flames’ NHL roster, Treliving noted “it’s gotta be hard to get on the team.”
While a lot of attention has been paid to the bodies that will be fighting for NHL ice time, a similar accumulation of players with big-time experience has been going on at the American Hockey League level as prospective NHLers fill the Stockton Heat’s roster. While there are a few players knocking on the door for NHL duty – we see you there, Andrew Mangiapane – the summer additions have made it clear that nobody’s just going to be handed the first call-up (or the first open job).