Breaking down both sides of the Flames decision to place Jakob Pelletier on waivers
The Calgary Flames placed Jakob Pelletier on waivers. That news is dominating conversation among Flames fans on social media on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Was it the right decision? Are the Flames going to regret this in the future?
Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument and we’ll let you decide whether or not the Flames made a good decision.
Why putting Pelletier on waivers makes sense
Pelletier didn’t earn a spot on the NHL roster
The Calgary Flames have always preached to young players that they need to earn their way on to the Flames NHL roster. That all starts in training camp.
And when it comes to Pelletier, he did not earn his way on to the roster based on his performance in the preseason. He made little to no impact on any game he played in. The stats show it. (All stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick).
The Flames had 16 forwards play 40+ minutes in all situations in the pre-season. Pelletier was the only forward not to record a single point. He was the only forward not to record a single individual high danger scoring chance. He was last in ixG (individual expected goals). He was tied for last in shot attempts. He didn’t even block a single shot.
The same goes for his numbers at 5-on-5. 16 Flames forwards played at least 33 minutes at 5-on-5 in the preseason. The Flames were outscored 3-1 with Pelletier on the ice which is the worst goals for percentage on the team. Pelletier was last in expected goals for percentage (xGF%) by a wide margin. Pelletier was 13th in high danger chances for percentage (HDCF%).
As you can see, his production was terrible in the preseason. The eye test was a little better than the numbers indicate. There were a couple games where Pelletier was decent on the forecheck and worked hard. But when you’re trying to make an NHL team, working hard isn’t good enough.
The AHL is the best place for him to develop
If Pelletier does make it through waivers, and that’s a big if, the best place for him to get his confidence back and continue his development is the American Hockey League. He can play first line minutes at 5-on-5. Play on the first power play unit. And play in the most important situations. He won’t be able to do that in the NHL. At best, he’ll be the 13th forward this season and play on a 4th line when he is able to make it into the Flames lineup.
Other wingers have passed Pelletier on the depth chart
Sam Honzek led the Flames in pre-season scoring. Matt Coronato was second in scoring. Adam Klapka led all Flames forwards in hits with 23. The next closest player had 9. You could even make an argument Dryden Hunt passed Pelletier with his strong performance throughout training camp.
On top of all that, the Flames have quite a bit of depth on the wings in their prospect cupboard. Honzek, Coronato, Matvei Gridin, William Strömgren, Andrew Basha, Aydar Suniev, Jacob Battaglia, and Luke Misa have all showed a lot of promise. Losing Pelletier on waivers is not going to significantly hurt the Flames long term.
Why putting Pelletier on waivers doesn’t make sense
Flames should prioritize young players over veterans
The Calgary Flames are in a rebuild. They are in a position where they should prioritize the long-term outlook of the team ahead of win now decisions.
But that is not how the Flames are approaching this decision with Pelletier.
It’s not official just yet, but it’s looking like the Flames are going to start the season with veteran players on the NHL roster like Joel Hanley, Tyson Barrie, and Kevin Rooney. All three of those players are not going to be part of the future of the Calgary Flames. They are players who are likely to be around for one season.
Why would a rebuilding team prioritize veteran bubble players over a first-round pick like Pelletier? It feels like a short-sighted move by the Flames.
Don’t give up on a young player coming off a season full of injuries
Pelletier’s 2023-24 season was derailed by shoulder injuries. It was essentially a complete write off for the young winger. Because of that, the Flames should give Pelletier another opportunity to find his game and get his confidence back.
Young players have bounced back from injury riddled seasons. There are three examples on the Flames roster.
Connor Zary dealt with injuries throughout his first season in pro hockey in the 2021-22 season. He was able to bounce back with a 58 point campaign in the AHL in 2022-23. He turned that into a full time roster spot on Flames the following year.
Sam Honzek had multiple injuries in the WHL last season. He played at less than a point per game pace with the Vancouver Giants as a 19 year old first round pick. Not ideal to say the least. But just like Zary, Honzek has been able to bounce back. He was the best player for the Flames in the 2024 preseason and has earned a spot on the opening night roster.
Martin Pospisil suffered multiple concussions and dealt with other injuries throughout his first few years as a pro. It was looking like he was never going to make it to the NHL. But he was able to recover and turn into one of the better forwards on the Calgary Flames last season.
The Flames should learn from those three experiences and give Pelletier another chance to show he is an NHL player when he is healthy.
Asset management
In Craig Conroy’s introductory press conference back in May of 2023, he talked about the importance of asset management. And in his short time as GM, he’s put on a masterclass in asset management. You have to give him credit for that.
But losing Pelletier on waivers for nothing is an example of poor asset management. It’s reminiscent of the Flames losing 2017 first round pick Juuso Valimaki on waivers to the Arizona Coyotes in 2022. Valimaki dealt with injuries just like Pelletier. But the Flames gave up on him. And he has turned into a solid NHL defenceman.
Giving up on young players coming off injury riddled seasons doesn’t make sense to me. Especially a player and person like Jakob Pelletier. I like his character, energy, and leadership qualities. He should be given another chance to show if he can be an NHL player.
I would have liked to see him as the 13th forward in the NHL. He could continue to practice with NHLers and work on his game. And once an injury arises or someone is underperforming, then you could get him into the lineup to give him another shot to show he is an NHLer.
Hopefully Pelletier goes unclaimed and can go down to the AHL and find his game again. It’s the best place for him to develop. But you have to clear waivers first and I could see at least one team taking a chance on Pelletier and his incredible character.
