Alumni in the pros 25-26

[Beeeej]

Barron scored again.  He's on an every other game pace over his last six

https://www.nhl.com/video/ana-wpg-barron-scores-goal-against-lukas-dostal-6390712887112

[RichH]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

[dbilmes]

I love the way Barron just pushes the Anaheim player out of the way when he parks himself in front of the goal.

[ugarte]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

i hate to say it but the unis look sharp. i don't care if they use the colors from a decades-old movie for kids.

[Trotsky]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

No, we want an expansion team.  Portland Winterhawks is a GOAT name.  Gonna have to change the unis, though.  I know a great color scheme.

[underskill]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/flames-making-waves-on-u-s-college-front/

[RichH]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

i hate to say it but the unis look sharp. i don't care if they use the colors from a decades-old movie for kids.

But the movie colors were what... 90s teal & purple? The red definitely looks better, that's why I was so surprised to see it was Team Mickey and not the Flames.

[Weder]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

i hate to say it but the unis look sharp. i don't care if they use the colors from a decades-old movie for kids.

But the movie colors were what... 90s teal & purple? The red definitely looks better, that's why I was so surprised to see it was Team Mickey and not the Flames.

There's no real reason to have a connection to the movie anymore other than nostalgia. Disney hasn't owned the Ducks for two decades.

[RichH]

I didn't realize until the end of the video that it was against Anaheim. Disney is done promoting their little movie franchise so now the team is retconning themselves as the 1980's Flames? Just move to Portland already.

i hate to say it but the unis look sharp. i don't care if they use the colors from a decades-old movie for kids.

But the movie colors were what... 90s teal & purple? The red definitely looks better, that's why I was so surprised to see it was Team Mickey and not the Flames.

There's no real reason to have a connection to the movie anymore other than nostalgia. Disney hasn't owned the Ducks for two decades.

This is where I admit I haven't paid much attention. They've had orange (for Orange County) in the mix for over 10 years, the current kits since 2024. What a dreadful place to exist with no ties to the theme park.

[stereax]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/flames-making-waves-on-u-s-college-front/

Man oh man. Didn't realize Calgary stocked up on that many good college players.

Wiebe was a Knights prospect iirc. Part of the Andersson trade, I guess? Anywho, he's in his 22-year-old season. Spent his d+1 in the BCHL, then 3 years at NoDak. Would not be surprised if he signs after their season is over.

The one thing the article notes pretty solidly is that there are 3 spots right now before Calgary hits the 50-contract limit. Of course, if they want to sign more college guys, they can simply shuttle off AHL depth for future considerations, but they've got 3 spots to play with right now.

The latest depth chart has Frost-Strome-Backlund-Pospisil as the centers. That might be the worst center quartet in the NHL right now - a 2C, a guy who got shunted out of the Ducks' lineup, a 3C, and a guy I'm pretty sure usually plays wing. The wingers are, to put it lightly, a mess as well. All this to say, Calgary could reasonably tell Castagna he's getting NHL ice time if he signs and burns a year now - plus, it seems decently likely that he could land a spot out of training camp next year, depending on what Calgary does in the offseason.

In either case, as Cornell fans, we return to worrying about center depth next year with the Walsh and Castagna signing possibilities.

[chimpfood]

Yeah so he's gone. Sucks because they straight up say he would've stayed had he not been traded. Hopefully Walsh gives it another ride.

[stereax]

Yeah so he's gone. Sucks because they straight up say he would've stayed had he not been traded. Hopefully Walsh gives it another ride.

Wouldn't say it's a SURE thing he's gone - everything we're hearing is he's "open to it", not that he's in any way committed to going. We don't know what Conroy and Castagna (and his agent, presumably) have discussed. That being said, if it was a low chance he was going to Utah after this year, the chance is a lot higher now.

[ugarte]

Yeah so he's gone. Sucks because they straight up say he would've stayed had he not been traded. Hopefully Walsh gives it another ride.

tbh i think this probably overstates how honest he was being about an unwillingness to sign with utah. i agree that he said it but ... saying it is basically his only leverage to encourage a trade. push comes to shove i don't know that he would have ultimately risked injury before signing a pro contract. i don't think he was coming back either way. despite what stereax said while i was typing.

[BearLover]

Yeah so he's gone. Sucks because they straight up say he would've stayed had he not been traded. Hopefully Walsh gives it another ride.

tbh i think this probably overstates how honest he was being about an unwillingness to sign with utah. i agree that he said it but ... saying it is basically his only leverage to encourage a trade. push comes to shove i don't know that he would have ultimately risked injury before signing a pro contract. i don't think he was coming back either way. despite what stereax said while i was typing.

I don't agree. He wasn't trying to encourage a trade. By all accounts being traded wasn't even on his radar. Based on what's come out I highly suspect he would have stayed next year had he not been traded as the alternative would have been playing probably the entire season in the minors for less than six figures when he could instead stay his senior year, command a bigger salary and go straight to the NHL as a free agent. I'd say the trade shifted the odds from 80% he comes back to more like 30%...it really sucks.

[adamw]

Yeah so he's gone. Sucks because they straight up say he would've stayed had he not been traded. Hopefully Walsh gives it another ride.

tbh i think this probably overstates how honest he was being about an unwillingness to sign with utah. i agree that he said it but ... saying it is basically his only leverage to encourage a trade. push comes to shove i don't know that he would have ultimately risked injury before signing a pro contract. i don't think he was coming back either way. despite what stereax said while i was typing.

I don't agree. He wasn't trying to encourage a trade. By all accounts being traded wasn't even on his radar. Based on what's come out I highly suspect he would have stayed next year had he not been traded as the alternative would have been playing probably the entire season in the minors for less than six figures when he could instead stay his senior year, command a bigger salary and go straight to the NHL as a free agent. I'd say the trade shifted the odds from 80% he comes back to more like 30%...it really sucks.

Best thing to do going forward is to always assume star players will leave after 3 years at most. If you get a fourth, it's a miracle. It's no one's fault - it's just how it is. Whatever happens, they'll replenish, as they did this year. Every team faces the same thing or worse.