Yes it is relevant because it shows there were plenty of spots for kids to win.
I guess you and I have a different definition of plenty.
And one of those rookies was gifted a spot; he did absolutely nothing to win it. And Street of course, or maybe even Baertschi will be sent down once Cammalleri gets healthy. So really, just three spots.
Sieloff was not going to be in the top 6, he would have been the #7 if he made the team. What is better for his development? Sitting in the pressbox with the big club or getting a chance in the top 4 in the AHL? Call me crazy but I think at 19 him playing minutes is vital.
Maybe for the first few games. But when it becomes painfully obvious how bad a bottom 3 of Russell-Butler-O'Brien is at playing actual defense, Sieloff would work his way up the lineup pretty quick.
Berra is in a similar situation to Sieloff, he was the 2nd best goalie in camp, but what is better for Berra, riding the pine or getting the chance to start? I say starting.
Except Ramo isn't Kiprusoff and expecting him to play more than 50 games at a high level is expecting too much. Especially since the KHL season is a lot shorter than the NHL's. It was entirely possible for Berra to get in a high number of starts with the Flames in a tandem with Ramo.
Now let's get to Roman Horak, the single most overrated prospect in the Flames system. He is capable and not out of place in the NHL, but he is also not even close to being a stand out, hell after the first 10 games or so last year he wasn't even a stand out in the AHL, in fact he was downright mediocre. The guy is not good enough offensively to play a scoring role and isn't physical enough or gritty enough to be in a checking role. Going back to the AHL to try and develop his offensive game is exactly what he needs or he will be an AHL/NHL tweener for the rest of his career.
You like to complain about the kids not getting chances but the bottom line is if they were good enough, they would have made it. Filling a rebuilding team with a bunch of kids is not a good idea, you need a solid veteran base to bring them along properly. The Flames have that and the kids have a chance to move up the depth charts and earn more playing time. Having them have to work for it rather than just hand it to them is a good thing.
You realize you're contradicting yourself. You say Berra and Seiloff are good enough but aren't here because of contract status. Which is the entire point - for all the garbage people like to spew about the importance about prospects earning their roles and not handing out roster spots to rookies on a silver platter, at the end of the day it still comes down the contract status and systemic preference to vets. Even if the players earn their spots, they're still sent down.
And no one, anywhere is saying fill the roster full of kids or hand them anything. Rather, the Flames should try keep their word. If Horak worked his way onto the lineup only to have it snatched away at the last second because they brought in Colborne, who by most accounts, did not have a good preseason, what exactly is the message there? O'Brien had a fairly horrendous preseason but again, is he not slated to be in the opening day lineup?
Yeah, prospects (and even vets) should have to work for their spots. But if they do work for it, and eventually earn, they should be rewarded. Not demoted because management acquires a bunch of journeymen to pad out the roster or gets distracted by something shiny in another organization.
Nobody should be complaining about colburne getting a spot given his contract. The flames just traded a pick for him, they're not about to throw him on waviers.
Uh, that's exactly why people are unhappy with it - Colborne's got a spot on the roster, either as a regular or as the 13th forward regardless of how he plays. It's unlikely the organizations ego would be let them acknowledge that they essentially threw away a 4th round pick for waiver fodder, if that happens to be the case. At least, not anytime soon. Now, how does that exactly fit with the so called 'meritocracy' program the organization is trying to implement?