ColeMcD

@JasonGregor @spittinchiclets Well I think the point is that everyone knows who asked the question and what the person who asked the question is trying to accomplish here lol. Spector is an asshole and always has been.

Amazing how different things look when you play the entire clip. McDavid made a joke and then gave a good answer. @spittinchiclets should show full clip next time.

@MikeKellyNHL Understatement.

James Duthie, very good at his job.

@jackrichrdson Ghosts of bobby Cole this tourament. He has been brilliant.

How good has Chris Cuthbert been? What a call.

@ATRightMovies Jack Frost.

Without saying Batman, name a great MICHAEL KEATON role...

@FlamesNation Likely saved Giordano’s life.

Flames fans will never forgive these officials for breaking up an Iginla/Giordano fight 🎥: Sportsnet

@theScore If he’s smart it’s only 4

The Oilers GM is optimistic contract talks with Connor McDavid will ramp up in the near future. 🗣️ thescore.com/news/3318066

@PinderReport One word. Look out

@BodogCA IGGY!

Smash a ❤️ if you know what THIS means:

Tag an Oilers fan to ruin their day.

@PinderReport What an athlete.

Done 9🍺9🌭7.5⚾️3🚽0👨

9-9-9

@jackmac Riggs leaving and the @ryanwhitney6 response is easily the top.

Wildest cry in Barstool history? Riggs crying leaving golf course Doogs after winning R1 March madness Meek Phil after clinching WC appearance Keegs after learning Taylor Swift owns all her music Sound off in comments:

@Enezator @cdomso

@BuffaloSabres @FriedgeHNIC @Powsy33 @nolstarr

We have hired Eric Staal as special assistant to the general manager. Details → bufsabres.co/3RREz4A

@Bob_Stauffer @RussoHockey Is this AI?

📍Vegas

@PinderReport You knew. Peak sadness.

Flames eliminated. Will finish 9th in the West.

@H63691748 @DarrenWHaynes You’re right. Sorry La flare

Many want to liken Zayne Parekh’s situation in joining the Flames to Cale Makar’s situation when he stepped into the line-up for the Avs in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Firstly, dare to dream. If Parekh ends up anywhere close to Makar, what a cornerstone player he will be. Secondly, let’s set the record straight on two things: 1. Age Matters - Makar was 20.5 years old when he played his first NHL game. Parekh just turned 19 on Feb. 15. That 16 months of difference is not insignificant. 2. Level of Competition Matters - Makar joined Colorado after playing two seasons of NCAA hockey. Parekh is coming out of junior hockey. For context, in Makar’s final game with Massachusetts when they lost in the Frozen Four final, Minnesota-Duluth’s average age was 20.9. In Parekh’s final game with Saginaw when they got ousted from the OHL playoffs, Erie’s average age was 18.0. That’s a three-year difference in average age and it’s over that time that boys literally become men. So again, Makar’s readiness based on the strength and age of players he went up against all season would have been higher. More Historical Context The reality is going straight from the CHL to the NHL the year after you’re drafted is not something that happens very often for defencemen — and let me emphasize the position as it matters. Forwards will make that jump more often as they’re typically ready sooner. Defencemen take longer to develop. It’s a harder position. In the last 20 years, defencemen who made the jump for the full NHL season like Jakob Chychrun (2016-17), Aaron Ekblad (2014-15), Seth Jones (2013-14), Cam Fowler (2010-11), Dmitry Kulikov (2009-10), Zach Bogosian (2008-09), Drew Doughty (2008-09), and Luke Schenn (2008-09) all generally did so on bad teams. Only Fowler with Anaheim joined a team that went on to make the playoffs. Others that played another year of junior while also getting in a handful of NHL games made those NHL appearances at the start of the season before getting reassigned back to the CHL in October or early November. That was the case for Evan Bouchard (2018-19), Mikhail Sergachev (2016-17), Nikita Zadorov (2013-14), and Alex Pietrangelo (2008-09). Of course, there are others over that span that like Makar joined their NHL team immediately after their NCAA season concluded like Owen Power (2021-22), Quinn Hughes (2018-19), Charlie McAvoy (2016-17) and Noah Hanifin (2015-16), but we’ve already discussed how different that situation is. There are also those guys that made the immediate jump to the NHL, but did so after playing multiple seasons against men in Europe like Rasmus Dahlin (2018-19), Rasmus Ristolainen (2013-14), Adam Larsson (2011-12), and Victor Hedman (2009-10). This isn’t intended to be an opinion piece on whether or not Parekh should be inserted into the line-up of a team in the middle of a playoff race. The same Parekh whose first actual practice with the Flames is only happening today. For real, he hasn’t actually had a practice yet, just a couple game-day skates. But hopefully this provides some greater historical context into how infrequently such a jump has actually happened. Now should Parekh be an exception given how staggeringly ‘exceptional’ his 2024-25 junior season was statistically? Maybe, but with the Flames turning in one of their most complete efforts on Friday night to defeat Minnesota, don’t expect Parekh to play on Sunday night either. That’s just the reality, like it or not.

@DarrenWHaynes No but when you struggle to score goals he could be a difference of winning and losing a hockey game, no?

@ColeMcD Is he more skilled? Absolutely. But it’s not a shootout competition.

@DarrenWHaynes I understand all of that Darren and while I agree with your breakdown, do you not agree that he is more skilled than Jake Bean? Pachal? Miromanov?

If you believe that right here, right now, yet to have his first practice with the Flames, he is second on the D depth chart, then you will never understand the reason he hasn’t played yet because I’d suggest the main reason is nobody on the coaching staff agrees with you. 🤷‍♂️

@ssb_finesse @DarrenWHaynes I did not read that part Spencer. Thanks for pointing it out.

@ColeMcD @DarrenWHaynes I'm not sure you read the post, Cole. Point of calling him up: gets to practice with the team, he gets to acclimate with the boys, he gets to learn the system + talk details over with the coaches, he gets to see how the pros handle their day-to-day routines. Osmosis.