IS NEAL FIT FOR TOP-LINE DUTY?
Veteran sniper could be fit at right wing with young stars Monahan, Gaudreau
The job is open.
And by the sounds of it, James Neal wants it.
Comfortable on right wing having played it for the last eight years dating back to his time with the Dallas Stars, the 31-year-old Whitby, Ont., native got right to the point when he addressed the local media for the first time since arriving in Calgary.
“It’s where I want to play,” said one of the newest Calgary Flames forwards on Wednesday after a “voluntary” round of fitness testing and medical examinations.
“I like playing on my off side, especially getting the chance to play on that top line with Johnny (Gaudreau) and Sean (Monahan). Them both being left shots when you’re passing lefty to lefty, things open up quick. I love having a lefthanded centreman. So I look forward to getting a chance to play with them … guys that can shoot the puck, but are great passers. “I think it’ll work great.” That’s what Flames general manager Brad Treliving was hoping for when he landed one of the biggest free agents on the market this summer.
He also has been hunting for a legitimate right-winger to play with Monahan and Gaudreau since the two developed immediate chemistry as the team’s top line back during in the 2014-15 NHL campaign.
It’s tough to make decisions in early September, especially considering the Flames’ main training camp hasn’t officially begun and the ice sessions have only been casual up until this point.
But Neal plans on being honest with head coach Bill Peters regarding his intentions.
“There won’t be any grey area there,” he said. “I think I’ll be in the right spot, where I should be, whether that’s on the top line or the second line. So we’ll see where it fits. We’ve got great options, which is great for our team. We’ve got guys that can play both positions and move around. If things aren’t going good, we have a chance to switch it up and it’s a good thing to have.”
While second-liner Matthew Tkachuk could be an option to move to his off wing with Monahan and Gaudreau — ditto for newcomer and right winger/ centre Elias Lindholm — there’s also the option to play Neal with Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund, moving Michael Frolik down the depth chart.
But the line combinations are endless at this point and will most certainly be ironed out in the coming weeks, starting with the team’s trip to China.
As for Neal, who is settling into his fifth NHL team and third in three years after the Nashville Predators left him unprotected in the expansion draft and he helped guide the Vegas Golden Knights to a Cinderella season.
“It’s a lot. Change is always a lot,” said the six-foot-two, 221-pounder at Winsport’s facilities.
“Leaving teams and leaving teammates is always hard. I was in some great places going to the finals with Nashville and leaving a place you love there. Then going to Vegas and making that home. It’s all part of the business. We had great runs and great teams, we just came up short. That being said, you move on.”
Calgary was an attractive landing spot for Neal, who inked a fiveyear deal worth US$28.75 million, which makes him the third-highest paid forward after Monahan and Gaudreau.
He is close with Flames netminder Mike Smith and believes in the team’s young core group of players.
“Up front and on the back and a great goaltender in Smitty. A lot of potential,” Neal said.
“For me coming in here, I think I’ll add some leadership and experience and bring what I can do to this team. And do whatever I can to get us back in the playoffs … there’s going to be some new faces, so I’ll get to chat with some of the younger guys I don’t know. We have a good leadership group here and we’ve got the right guys to do that.
“I think we’re going to build something special here.”
I think I’ll be in the right spot, where I should be, whether that’s on the top line or the second line.