Recalled/Assigned: Flame Call Up Chad Billins, Reto Berra; Joey MacDonald Waived

Noori

Registered User
Jul 7, 2007
7,729
1
Calgary
@NHLFlames: The #Flames have recalled Chad Billins (@ChadBillins4) from the #AHLHeat


@FriedgeHNIC: Apparently, CAL told Joey MacDonald he will be going on waivers today. Always been a fan of his, maybe some teams that need help will look.


@FriedgeHNIC: Flames are going to call up Reto Berra to see him at NHL level and want Joni Ortio to play in AHL.
 

Noori

Registered User
Jul 7, 2007
7,729
1
Calgary
In a vacuum, it seem odd to be okay with losing MacDonald on waivers and bring up Berra, who has already been pulled twice with Abbotsford and is posting a mediocre .908 save percentage. If they wanted to give Berra a look they could have rolled with 3 goalies for a bit, but they chose against doing that.

I personally love the boldness of the decision and the message Flames management is sending. They've had enough time to evaluate MacDonald and determined he is not a short or medium term option in goal. So now they'll see what they have in Berra while they continue to evaluate Ramo. Once all the options have been exhausted, then either roll with the tank, try to acquire a goalie on the cheap, or assess Ortio and see if he is an option.

I also like the Billins callup. Smith has been 'meh' and can't seem to get more than ten minutes of ice time, so it's time to try a different option. He isn't signed beyond this season, and I doubt management wants to extend him. So let's give Billins a shot, see if he can be a Russell like find and maybe help the PP, because Baertschi/Butler on the 2nd PP is far less than ideal.
 

SmellOfVictory

Registered User
Jun 3, 2011
10,959
653
Hooray! Screw, you JMac! Watch as the Oilers pick him up.

I like this because we get one of two results: 1) the Flames find a good, younger goalie in Ramo or Berra, or 2) the Flames end up with a really good draft pick.
 

Volica

Papa Shango
May 15, 2012
21,391
11,074
I am absolutely fine with these moves.

Need some help on defence; Joey's inconsistencies have been become kind of annoying (two pad stacks vs letting goals in from behind the net).

Let's see what Berra can do, he's been pretty great in every other league he's played in, including international play.
 

DCDM

Da Rink Cats
Mar 24, 2008
38,094
6,426
Calgary
Holy crap, I did a double take when I read this. Waiving MacDonald? Madness.

But it is the right move. They've had time to look at him and decide he's not the direction the team should go in. Time to get that Ramo/Berra tandem going.
 

MuffinMerc

Come watch TV
Jan 23, 2013
4,065
0
Hope no one claims Joey Stacks since he could be a good goalie for the heat. Let's hope Berra is ready.
 

fallsviewafro*

Guest
Noooo... Joey Stacks!

I hope nobody claims him. I'm betting the Oilers grab him and Joey Mac beats us next time we play them.
 

1989

Registered User
Aug 3, 2010
10,361
3,865
Wouldn't the Oilers have to waive Labarbera or Dubnyk? I don't see that happening.
I'm fairly certain that MacDonald is a more reliable backup goaltender than Labarbera… But I would not be surprised if they did not pick him up to shore up their goaltending since I am pretty certain that they are terrible judges of talent in that position anyways.

Also I was kind of curious as to whether these comments had anything to do with the immediate demotion of MacDonald:
"The first period, we did a lot of standing around and watching," said MacDonald. "There wasn't a whole lot going on. We were watching (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Henrik) Zetterberg and (Todd) Bertuzzi pass the puck around. You can do that with guys like that. Look what happens - they find back doors, they find seams. In the second period, we were a lot better. Then in the third, you know what? I didn't think we had much. I know they got that lucky goal, but we've got to turn around and get some chances. I thought we just sat back and played the majority of play in our own end. You can't do that."
 

DFF

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
22,275
6,525
Wonder why the Flames didnt make a claim on Ellerby...Is he that bad?

Can't imagine its worse than their bottom pairings right now.
 

Noori

Registered User
Jul 7, 2007
7,729
1
Calgary
His comments weren't that bad, but show a little lack of accountability. Tatar's goal wasn't "lucky," it was a bad goal on Mac. I think his performance has everything to do with the demotion, not so much the comments. It also makes you appreciate the way Kiprusoff went about his business. Not once in nine seasons did you hear a complaint out of this guy. He didn't care if his own guys were screening him, he'd fight to see the puck. He'd always wear the blame after a post-loss interview and always gave the guys around him credit when they won. I don't miss Iginla at all, but I really miss Kiprusoff. Too bad we wasted the prime years of an elite goaltender.
 

DFF

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
22,275
6,525
I personally love the boldness of the decision . .

Honestly, there is no boldness in waiving Macdonald ....

There is no big loss there....he is a career AHLer. And the Flames is not going to get to the playoff....it may even help them to get a top pick but then he was doing a pretty good job with the drive for the number 1 pick
 

1989

Registered User
Aug 3, 2010
10,361
3,865
His comments weren't that bad, but show a little lack of accountability. Tatar's goal wasn't "lucky," it was a bad goal on Mac. I think his performance has everything to do with the demotion, not so much the comments. It also makes you appreciate the way Kiprusoff went about his business. Not once in nine seasons did you hear a complaint out of this guy. He didn't care if his own guys were screening him, he'd fight to see the puck. He'd always wear the blame after a post-loss interview and always gave the guys around him credit when they won. I don't miss Iginla at all, but I really miss Kiprusoff. Too bad we wasted the prime years of an elite goaltender.

Kiprusoff's is the only sweater I have gone out to buy at the replica $350-level price tag and I wear it very proudly. He was literally a man who let his play speak for him, and that was almost always an even keeled, high level of performance.
 

MarkGio

Registered User
Nov 6, 2010
12,533
11
Good move for Ortio. I guess this means that Ward thinks Berra is capable of being a back-up
 

Turning Mangiapanese

Registered User
Jun 18, 2011
1,551
618
Wouldn't the Oilers have to waive Labarbera or Dubnyk? I don't see that happening.

Labarbera really, really sucks and has pretty much lost his job to Bachman already. That being said, claiming MacDonald wouldn't make sense for the Oilers. What they need is a real #1 NHL goalie and fast. PIT, CAR are possibilities I guess. I'd be OK with Joey passing waivers too, Ortio/Brossoit is hardly a proven tandem for the Heat right now.
 

1989

Registered User
Aug 3, 2010
10,361
3,865
Honestly, there is no boldness in waiving Macdonald ....

There is no big loss there....he is a career AHLer. And the Flames is not going to get to the playoff....it may even help them to get a top pick but then he was doing a pretty good job with the drive for the number 1 pick
It's pretty interesting how you only really show up after a few losses in a row, in all the time that I have been here I don't think you're ever around for many wins. Not 100% sure why that is, if you don't want to celebrate at all as a fan then why are you a fan?

At this point I'm not even certain if you are even a hockey fan. MacDonald is certainly getting on in years now and his talent level is of a backup but he's been one of the most reliable backups in the league for the past decade.

By the way there is a lot more to English punctuation than just "....". I understand that all you have to write is crap, but it doesn't mean you have to write crappily. Are people supposed to take your comments seriously when you can barely communicate past a rudimentary level?
 

MarkGio

Registered User
Nov 6, 2010
12,533
11
His comments weren't that bad, but show a little lack of accountability. Tatar's goal wasn't "lucky," it was a bad goal on Mac. I think his performance has everything to do with the demotion, not so much the comments. It also makes you appreciate the way Kiprusoff went about his business. Not once in nine seasons did you hear a complaint out of this guy. He didn't care if his own guys were screening him, he'd fight to see the puck. He'd always wear the blame after a post-loss interview and always gave the guys around him credit when they won. I don't miss Iginla at all, but I really miss Kiprusoff. Too bad we wasted the prime years of an elite goaltender.

Iginla never complained and he's always accepted responsibility...?
 

St Wardo

Registered Prophet
Oct 16, 2013
895
0
New Brunswick
ramo hasn't proven to be a number one goalie yet. hartley will just ride the hot hand and wait to see if either of them step up to take it
 

Noori

Registered User
Jul 7, 2007
7,729
1
Calgary
Iginla never complained and he's always accepted responsibility...?

Those statements are separate. It was a comparison between Kiprusoff and MacDonald. And even though Iginla is the best player to have ever played for this franchise, I still miss Kiprusoff a lot more.
 

MC Ride

Feels bad man
Feb 4, 2009
2,544
0
I like the fact that this opens up chances for Ramo, Berra, Ortio, Brossoit without one of them having to play in the ECHL.

That said, if none of them prove capable, that could be pretty disastrous.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->