Rieder remains in Flames’ lineup

RALEIGH, N.C. After Tuesday’s morning skate in Carolina, a reporter approached Tobias Rieder for an interview.

No problem, but a Calgary Flames staffer needed to swipe the speedy forward first.

Understandable ... After all, the clock had just struck noon ET — the deadline on the NHL’S daily waiver window — and general manager Brad Treliving wanted a quick word with the speedy forward.

When Rieder returned just moments later, the initial question was obvious.

“So ... do you still play for the Flames?”

Indeed, he does.

Rieder was unclaimed on the waiver wire. Hours later, he was sporting the Flaming C for a road date against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena.

“He’s in the lineup tonight, so that tells you more about how we feel about him,” stressed head coach Bill Peters.

Although Rieder is signed to a two-way contract, he has enough experience that he must clear waivers in order to be eligible to be reassigned to the minors. The option of demoting the 26-year-old to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat provides some flexibility for a team that is flirting with the salary-cap ceiling and would like more of a look at recent call-up Alan Quine.

With 30 other squads taking a pass prior to Tuesday’s deadline, Rieder could be shuffled off to Stockton anytime over the next 30 days without requiring another waiver period.

“It’s part of the business,” Rieder reasoned. “Obviously, most teams have that problem and there are guys being put on waivers all the time. It’s a part of the business, so you just have to look at it that way.”

Still, it likely caused a restless night for Rieder — dangled on waivers for the first time in his NHL career — and for his girlfriend back home.

The penalty-kill ace is just getting settled in Calgary after turning a training-camp tryout into a one-year contract offer.

There were whispers then that other teams were interested. Rieder and Treliving must both have wondered if one would pluck him from the freebie pile.

“It’s a bit nerve-racking because you don’t know what way it’s going to go,” Rieder said. “Obviously, your mind is racing. You know, anything could happen. But I’m happy that I’m still here.