Earlier this week Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Calgary Flames were looking to "rattle the room" by placing a veteran player on waivers.
From Friedman's latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet:
7. An exec from another team said he heard that the Flames might rattle their room by putting a veteran player on waivers. That obviously hasn’t happened.
- Elliotte Friedman
Flash forward to today and the Flames have done exactly that... well... kinda.
Earlier today, the Flames announced that they have placed 31 year old defenseman Jordan Oesterle on waivers.
Again from Friedman:
No offense to Oesterle, but I don't really think his removal from the lineup is going to rattle anyone in Calgary. He's a quality enough depth defenseman, but I don't think anyone is too shocked to see him on waivers. The defensive defenseman has zero points in four games with the Flames to start the season. He managed two goals and 11 points in 52 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season and parlayed that into a one year deal worth $925,000 with the Flames this past offseason. If he clears waivers then it's expected he'll be assigned to the team's AHL affiliate Calgary Wranglers.
As you might expect, Flames fans aren't reacting well to this news on social media. After all, they were expecting a more significant move to 'rattle the room' and this is what they get? The expectation was more that someone like Blake Coleman or Dan Vladar might get made an example of instead of a depth guy like Oesterle. Don't get me wrong... I think waiving any capable player from this lineup is a bad idea, but it's clear that something has to change in Calgary and fast if this team wants to salvage the 2023-24 season.
I mean... just look at some of these reactions on social media to today's news:
Now, obviously Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau aren't going to be on waivers anytime soon... but the team does need its two highest paid players to step things up significantly to avoid further speculation on their future(s) with the team. The fact is that neither player has been good to start the Flames' season and they simply don't have depth players stepping up to fill the void. Something's GOT to give.
