Flames counting on veteran Jagr to fill in for Frolik
‘It’s a natural fit,’ Gulutzan says, but time will tell if second line stays together
With Michael Frolik on the mend from jaw surgery and Mikael Backlund taking a maintenance day on Wednesday, Matthew Tkachuk was — by default — the lone forward without linemates.
It was a rare sight to see, especially given the amount of time the trio has spent together.
Tkachuk started the 2016-17 NHL season playing with Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer, but shortly after was plugged into the second line.
Affectionately dubbed the ‘3M’ line, it was the most consistent trio for the Flames last season, with Tkachuk being the catalyst and fitting in seamlessly on the left side of Backlund and Frolik, who played well together during the 2015-16 campaign.
Since Frolik’s injury (which occurred on Dec. 28 when he absorbed a Brent Burns shot in the mouth), Jaromir Jagr has played on the second line. But he was also on a maintenance day Wednesday, leaving Tkachuk with no linemates.
“It’s tough to see, definitely,” said Tkachuk following Wednesday’s skate. “But I think it’s a good enough league where guys can step in and out of spots. I think whoever we’ve been out there with has done a great job. As bad as I feel for Fro — and I hope he comes back as soon as he can — guys should be able to step in.” And, perhaps, give them a spark. “It’s funny,” Tkachuk said. “If you haven’t played with guys in a while, or are put with guys you used to play with, it can give you a bit of a jump and you want to keep it going.
“But it’s not up to me to decide the lines.”
Without Frolik for the next four to six weeks, it begs the question whether Jagr is a good fit in the interim for Backlund and Tkachuk. The 45-year-old living legend is still a playmaker, but he’s been in and out of the lineup with a groin injury and clearly isn’t playing at 100 per cent.
“It’s been hard on him,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “Look at his career — holy. There hasn’t been many times when he hasn’t played. It’s tough … we all know he’s playing through some stuff right now. We’re trying to manage (Jagr’s injury). That’s what we’ve been trying to do for the last month.”
The Flames weren’t able to practice proper line rushes on Wednesday, but put yourself in the boss’s shoes for a moment.
The top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland isn’t going anywhere. It’s been productive as of late with three goals and six assists in the last five games.
The coaching staff won’t touch Mark Jankowski’s high-flying line with Sam Bennett and Garnet Hathaway.
So that leaves recent recall Andrew Mangiapane with Matt Stajan and Troy Brouwer on the fourth line. When asked if Gulutzan would place Mangiapane on his off wing in Frolik’s spot instead of Jagr, he pointed to last game against the Chicago Blackhawks — Mangiapane’s NHL debut.
“I haven’t even thought there yet. Mange played his first game in the National Hockey League, so I haven’t really got too far,” Gulutzan said. “He played eight or nine minutes.”
With Kris Versteeg still recovering from hip surgery and out for at least the next three weeks, that leaves only Curtis Lazar as the team’s spare forward.
Centre Freddie Hamilton was placed on waivers, which could indicate he’s off to the minors — but, potentially, there may be another move on the horizon to try to bolster their forward group.
Or not. At the moment, they’re doing their best to cope with the loss of Frolik on the second line.
“Right now, we’re managing an injury on a line that has played well for us for over a year,” Gulutzan said. “So you’re not sure how everything is going to fit. You’re putting guys in positions.
“... You have an injury, so it’s a natural fit to put (Jagr) in there. Whether it fits, time will tell.”
If you haven’t played with guys in a while, or are put with guys you used to play with, it can give you a bit of a jump and you want to keep it going.