Confirmed with Link: Flames sign David Rittich (G)

[Johnny Hoxville]

This is who I wanted all along.

 

[Rangediddy]

So begins the Chronicles of Rittich

 

[HansSachsFan]

 

[MonyontheMoney]

Czechcellent

I assume this means Gillies/Rittich in the AHL, McDonald in the ECHL? I also assume this is the writing on the wall for Poulin.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Czechcellent

I assume this means Gillies/Rittich in the AHL, McDonald in the ECHL? I also assume this is the writing on the wall for Poulin.

Or Ortio?

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Or Ortio?

Or Ortio will back up the big club, while Gillies & McD play AHL.
Why are people already penciling him above McDonald, and even Ortio?

 

[Calculon]

Pretty safe bet Poulin isn't coming back. With Burke calling Ortio a good backup, it's more likely he's back next season.

But still a chance he's traded as part of a package for a younger potential starter like Kuemper/Pickard/Neuvirth and then the Flames sign Enroth as the 1B.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

McD in the ECHL, is so he gets a bunch of starts. Not because he's necessarily worse than Rittich.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

McD in the ECHL, is so he gets a bunch of starts. Not because he's necessarily worse than Rittich.

But I don't see Gillies being a heavy starter, more like a 60/40 split, which is still good for McDonald.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

But I don't see Gillies being a heavy starter, more like a 60/40 split, which is still good for McDonald.

Your probably right on that. Rehabbing his hip + rookie in the AHL.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

But I don't see Gillies being a heavy starter, more like a 60/40 split, which is still good for McDonald.

McDonald faces a ton of shots in Charlottetown. A full season in the ECHL is what he needs IMO. Let him be 'the guy' for a year before he competes for AHL games next year.

 

[MonyontheMoney]

Or Ortio?

Unless Ortio has some outrageous contract demands I don't see a reason to replace him, especially with a an unknown in terms of performance at the NHL level.

 

[MonyontheMoney]

Or Ortio will back up the big club, while Gillies & McD play AHL.
Why are people already penciling him above McDonald, and even Ortio?

I really don't think anyone is pencilling him in above McDonald. McDonald and Gillies are undoubtedly the likely future in our net, but what's best for both of their development is to get playing time. That is best accomplished by having one in the AHL and one in the ECHL

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I really don't think anyone is pencilling him in above McDonald. McDonald and Gillies are undoubtedly the likely future in our net, but what's best for both of their development is to get playing time. That is best accomplished by having one in the AHL and one in the ECHL

I disagree. As I mentioned I think the back up gets a lot of games this year, and at some point AHL experience is better than ECHL experience. If he was only going to get in a couple games/month, then yeah I'd agree with you. But that won't be the case.

At any rate, I'm expecting a lot of movement of our goalies between the 3 teams.

 

[DFF]

Unless Ortio has some outrageous contract demands I don't see a reason to replace him, especially with a an unknown in terms of performance at the NHL level.

Goalies are hard to judge...the more the better. Ortio has done nothing to show that he is anything more than a backup.

He was horrible when the pressure was on.

 

[DFF]

I really don't think anyone is pencilling him in above McDonald. McDonald and Gillies are undoubtedly the likely future in our net, but what's best for both of their development is to get playing time. That is best accomplished by having one in the AHL and one in the ECHL

Gillies had a year off...who knows what he is now.

McDonald I am totally not sold on.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Gillies had a year off...who knows what he is now.

McDonald I am totally not sold on.

Coulda had Demko.

 

[MonyontheMoney]

I disagree. As I mentioned I think the back up gets a lot of games this year, and at some point AHL experience is better than ECHL experience. If he was only going to get in a couple games/month, then yeah I'd agree with you. But that won't be the case.

At any rate, I'm expecting a lot of movement of our goalies between the 3 teams.

We are in a somewhat unique situation because Stockton is one of the AHL teams that plays fewer games than the rest. The proposed 60/40 split would really be a 41/27 split. I don't think that's a high enough number for either goalies development. Even a 50/50 (34/34) split is not ideal in my mind.

50+ games in the ECHL is better for McDonald than 27 in the AHL. Similarily, 50+ games for Gillies in the AHL with Rittich playing limited games, is better than 41 or 34 or whatever if he is running tandem with McDonald.

Goalies are hard to judge...the more the better. Ortio has done nothing to show that he is anything more than a backup.

He was horrible when the pressure was on.

Rittich has done nothing to show that he is anything more than a Czech league goalie. I simply don't see how the Rittich signing means Ortio won't be back.

Gillies had a year off...who knows what he is now.

McDonald I am totally not sold on.

Gillies did not have a year off. The return from his surgery was 4-6 months, and IIRC, he had a pretty quick recovery, granted I can't find any details online. He likely would have started rehab before the 4 month mark, and back on the ice right around that time. He'll have the entire summer to train and rehab. It's not like he had a calendar year of doing nothing.

Regardless, I find it hard to believe that a blue-chip prospect would forget how to play hockey after 4-6 months.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

But I don't see Gillies being a heavy starter, more like a 60/40 split, which is still good for McDonald.

Or why they'd want a solid Euro tender like Rittich to back him up. Whatever you think of McDonald, even if you think he's the second coming of goalie Jesus, you have to admit that he's at least raw. He didn't light the Q on fire, so why throw him into the AHL immediately and have him get less ice time against better players? The ECHL is a more incremental step, and he can start nearly every game down there to get more practice in.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

He didn't light the Q on fire, so why throw him into the AHL immediately and have him get less ice time against better players? The ECHL is a more incremental step, and he can start nearly every game down there to get more practice in.

Fully agree, and mind you I think McDonald will be a superior NHL goalie to the Gillies.

 

[Bouma Fett*]

And they can also reall McDonald to Stockton and give him some game every so often to see how he does. It wouldnt be too hard to recall him when they want him, send him back when they don't so he keeps playing.

 

[MonyontheMoney]

There will definitely be opportunities to get McDonald into some AHL games.

I think we are in a better position if both Gillies and McDonald can start at least 50 games each than if they split time in Stockton.

 

[Bouma Fett*]

There will definitely be opportunities to get McDonald into some AHL games.

I think we are in a better position if both Gillies and McDonald can start at least 50 games each than if they split time in Stockton.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Go through December with Rittich as backup to Gillies, if he isn't performing well enough, from January on you can switch to McDonald. Otherwise call up McDonald every so often to give him a couple of games, and let him work with the coaches in Stockton a bit then send him back down to play in the ECHL.

Also, it doesn't really matter how it starts, injuries will likely happen. Just because we'd start with Gillies/Rittich in the AHL and McDonald in the ECHL, doesn't mean it stays that way long.