‘Swiss Army knife’ gets line shuffle
Veteran Czech Frolik works left side with newcomers at Flames’ practice in China
SHENZHEN, CHINA Mad? Nah. Moping ? Nope. Miserable? Not this guy, never. Perhaps this is the end of the Calgary Flames’ so-called 3M Line, but Michael Frolik isn’t going to raise a stink about it.
As most suspected would be the case after an off-season of change, the Flames opened training camp in China with one of their new guys — James Neal, to be specific — riding shotgun alongside centre Mikael Backlund and snarky Matthew Tkachuk on their second unit.
Frolik who had been skating almost exclusively in that spot for the past two winters, instead was wheeling up and down the left wing with free-agent finds Derek Ryan and Austin Czarnik.
“I’ve been around long enough to know those things happen and the lineup can change pretty quick,” Frolik reasoned after Friday’s sweat at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre. “Especially in this league, every coach is different and everywhere I was, usually it doesn’t happen that often that you stay with the same line for two years like we did.
“In the past, for me, I was going up and down the lineup. So it was a little bit unusual that we stuck together for two years. And who knows? We might go back together, or not. We’ll see how the team is going to work.
“If I’m third line and we’ll be winning, I’ll take that. If we’re winning, I’ll be glad.”
Flames head coach Bill Peters, like every other bench boss on the planet, will warn to not get too excited about the line combinations on the first day of camp.
It seems certain, though, this will be a permanent split, at least when all of Peters’ posse is available.
Neal and Elias Lindholm, a pair of headline acquisitions during Calgary’s summer shakeup, figure to fill the right-wing slots in the top-six.
On Frolik’s natural side, there’s no bumping Johnny Gaudreau or Tkachuk down the depth chart.
Don’t forget, though, that general manager Brad Treliving, back on the day he signed Frolik as unrestricted free agent in 2015, characterized the Czech forward as a “Swiss Army knife” and “utility tool.”
The Flames likely aren’t worried about the 30-year-old finding a fit.
“Fro is a real good player,” Peters praised after Friday’s practice in Shenzhen. “He’s a 200-foot player. He has some offence to his game. And what we’re going to find as we go along, we’re going to see who can develop some chemistry together. We’re open-minded.”
Frolik — whose career resume includes 770 outings at the NHL level, in four different jerseys — is, too.
“I just try to not really worry about it right now,” he shrugged. “It’s the start of a season, a lot of new faces, new coaching staff, so you just want to work hard and try to impress the new coaches and staff with your work ethic and everything. I’ve been doing this in the past, so hopefully I can do the same thing.”
Certainly, his work ethic hasn’t dwindled any.
For the second consecutive fall, Frolik was tops on the team on testing day, edging Mark Giordano for the title of Fittest Flame.
Asked if he’s received a goodnatured earful from the captain, Frolik quipped: “We didn’t really talk about it that much this year. I think he’s trying to keep it quiet.” Frolik will also keep quiet. Whether he’s reunited with his pals on the 3M Line or deployed in a depth role, you won’t hear No. 67 complaining.
“Right now, I think I can play in different places, up and down the lineup,” said Frolik, who contributed 10 goals and 25 points but was a career-worst minus-19 last season. “I just try to worry about my work ethic and try to get better every day. Still at this time, you never want to get satisfied. You always try to get better and try to learn new things.
“With new faces here, try to click with them and meet them and just go with it.”
Fro is a real good player. He’s a 200-foot player. He has some offence to his game.” FLAMES COACH BILL PETERS