First (of the most recent) of all, Leland Irving was called up to replace the injured Calgary Tower. It's unlikely he'll get any playing time at all unless Kiprusoff gets hurt (and because of this, Karlsson's injury is actually better for Joni Ortio than it is for Irving). We can hope, though, for a Corey Crawford type breakout.
Second, LW Michael Ferland was signed to an ELC late yesterday. Details here. This makes him the 2nd player from the Flames impressive 2010 draft class signed to a contract (the first was C Max Reinhart).
LELAND IRVING, G
HOMETOWN: Swan Hills AB, Canada
HEIGHT: 6'0"
WEIGHT: 176 pounds
DRAFTED: 1st round, 26th
ACQUIRED: 2006 draft (1st selection)
Irving is what you might call a "meat and potatoes" goaltender. His style is not dissimilar to that of Carey Price, in that it relies on impeccable positioning and makes every save look routine--this to the point of making Irving very boring to watch when he's on his game. Now before anyone starts crying foul on the Price comparison, I'll just say right now that Irving isn't nearly as talented as Price. Irving is a technical goaltender who, when on his game, is very hard to beat because he's always in position.
Therein lies the problem. "When on his game." Irving's main issue is consistency. He'll have stretches--such as the one that had him named AHL goaltender of the week--where he stops 95% of the shots he faces. He'll have other lengthy stretches where his sv% is closer to 85%. Thankfully though, these dry spells have become less and less extended over the course of his development path. Irving also has a rather small frame, and thus doesn't cover much of the net. This can cause problems on wider shots, especially when his positioning is a little off, because he doesn't quite have the reflexes of a more talented goalie such as Joni Ortio.
All that said, Irving is certainly the best of the 3 goalies the Flames currently have outside the NHL (Irving, Ortio, and Laurent Brossoit), and he has the upside to be a decent intermittent starter (a 1A if you will) like Dwayne Roloson or Jean-Sebastian Giguere. Of course, he could be a total bust, as well. The only way to really tell is if he plays an NHL game or 2.
MICHAEL FERLAND, LW
HOMETOWN: Swan River MB, Canada
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 208 pounds
DRAFTED: 5th round, 133rd
ACQUIRED: 2010 draft (5th selection)
Ferland has put up some nice numbers for the Brandon Wheat Kings so far this season. The fine statistics (as well as his gritty playing style) have earned him an invite to Canada's WJC selection camp. Though it should be noted that Ferland possesses fairly soft hands, especially for a player who uses them so frequently for fighting, it is Ferland's grinding physical game that drives his value--as well as his pest-ish qualities. If he makes team Canada, it will be because they want to bring in a physical, agitating element to replace that of the departed Stefan Della Rovere and Zack Kassian. I could see Ferland as a 4th line winger on the team, but honestly I don't think his chances of making it are all that great. On top of an advanced physical game and some good hands, Ferland also has a fairly good shot, and a decent passing game.
While his stats, especially this season, look quite impressive, it should be noted that he's been playing on a line with Senators prospect Mark Stone, who's been something of a point factory this season. Ferland has cooled off mightily of late, as well. Ferland also has a habit of taking stupid penalties, though that seems to have abated somewhat with his increased scoring role.
His counting numbers in the WHL have given some Flames fans hope that Ferland might become a 2nd line forward. I doubt that, myself, as I see him more as a grinding 4th liner who can play a regular shift, and might see time on a powerplay because of his net-presence. He could become a 3rd liner though, provided his defensive game improves accordingly. There seems to be a fair bit of Brandon Prust in his game, and if that comparison is apt, signing Ferland couldn't be a bad thing for the Flames.
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