More PTO’s

While we all eagerly await how and when the Flames will sign Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, the daily grind of filling an organization with players continues. Today the Flames announced that they have brought Zac Rinaldo, Tobias Rieder, Devante Smith-Pelly and Alexandre Grenier into camp on PTO’s.

I know, try to contain your enthusiasm. Rinaldo and Rieder are the more familiar names of the four and Rinaldo brings some added toughness to a Flames roster that is slowly getting more physical. He spent last season between the Nashville Predators and the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, playing in 26 total games and collecting 26 PIM. Rieder should be a familiar face as he spent last season in Edmonton, playing in 67 games and dishing out 11 assists. Devante Smith-Pelly is the last player on this this with any NHL ice time last season as he played in 54 games with the Washington Capitals last season scoring four goals and handing out four assists. The rest of his season was spent with the Hershey Bears (AHL) where he had 14 points in 20 games. As for Alexandre Grenier, he has only nine games of NHL experience dating back to 2015-16 with the Canucks. He had a solid AHL season last year with the Laval Rockets, playing in 68 games, collecting 27 points and 54 PIM.

Who’s excited!? Honestly, this is just an exercise in tire kicking. Calgary will need bodies in camp anyway and with Tkachuk and Mangiapane unsigned at this point this is just a way to have players to fill roster spots. Some of these players (Rieder and Rinaldo) could end up sticking around, but with the season fast approaching the Flames are just doing their due diligence.