Ryan Pike

Yep.

We're in conversation with Ryan Pike.

He joins us every Wednesday here on Flames Now from Daily Faceoff Calgary.

And, uh, Mr. Pike, the Flames have recalled a couple of players.

Now, Zeri doesn't get to decide which team obviously claims him, but it certainly sounds like he is going to be getting a fresh start.

I wouldn't be surprised if he just has a personal... a personal vendetta against this organization after this because we probably have mistreated him in a way he probably hasn't been the best guy for the organization either definitely goes both ways from our point of view it's yeah he never got the right opportunity huska sucks but we don't know what's going on behind the scenes it really is a little bit difficult In terms of money, this is a big if, but Ryan Pike points out $1.225 million of Zeri's $3.775 million cap hit would be buried if he's assigned to the NHL.

And I think that's a big if.

Again, I would be shocked if we learned tomorrow that Zeri is not claimed by another team.

He's just made of glass more than anything else, but maybe there are attitude problems.

We aren't too sure.

Ryan Pike also pointed out that before zary's knee injuries in 2024-25 man connor zary was excellent and was able to use his speed smarts and elusiveness really well post injuries those qualities just haven't combined the way he or the flames likely had hoped hopefully he can get his swagger back and that's only hopefully if he's still in our organization i don't want him to go on to be another sam bennett and absolutely be unreal for another team because i could see that happening now Obviously injuries play a big part here.

Maybe confidence is something.

I'm Mike Gould.

This is Ryan Pike.

Hi.

Welcome to Afterburner,

The Calgary Flames losing four to one.

at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver this fine Sunday, Saturday, October evening.

Mike Gould and Ryan Pike, we've been happy to bring this one to you here on the Afterburner.

Our sincere thanks to the folks over at Leasebusters, at Shane Holmes, at the Derek Newman Group, at Bet365, at the Youth Centers of Calgary, And most importantly, viewers like you, uh, you make this whole exercise possible and we, we greatly appreciate it.

So, so happy to have all three of these guys in...

the system and just we have to remember that though yeah maybe not every game is going to be 6-1 like it was for us last game it's still going to be a rough season but we have to remember what we're building here and we're already building upon such a great prospect pool now if we go back to Wittenbach here like I said he has already played Ryan Pike points out so three points for Flames prospect Ethan Wittenbach in Quinnipiac's 10-2 opening night route over New Hampshire so already at three points on the season yes it was against a not very good New Hampshire team I mean, they scored 10 goals, but it's the beginning of a wonderful season once again for Wittenbach.

That's exactly what we wanted to see.

We don't want to have a huge sophomore slump.

It's hard to keep up what he did last year, but already three points in the opening night is amazing.

Now, continuing to today, hopefully by the time this video is out, none of these games have started, but we have like a million prospects in action today.

This is also a list from Ryan Pike.

Huge shootout to him.

I guess they got, uh, all the visors are done up by Oakley now.

Oh, Ryan Pike-

Yeah

... had some of the quotes.

Talking all things Flames, couple of contract notes, and a whole lot more.

On Wednesdays, we chat with Ryan Pike of Daily Faceoff Calgary.

That's how this episode's getting going.

It's the Flames Now podcast.

And on Thursdays...

Uh, sorry, that's the second time I've done that.

On Wednesdays, we chat with our buddy Ryan Pike from Daily Faceoff Calgary.

He joins us on the program right now.

following this season.

And according to Ryan Pike, because he signed before the end of the year as a late birthday, he has not one, but two slide years, assuming he doesn't play 10 plus NHL games, giving the organization and player plenty of flexibility.

That right there is why this is honestly a perfect, signing the fact that they have this flexibility both for the team and the player I mean it kind of indicates why this signing was made now but it also just again having that flexibility fantastic and yeah the likelihood is that Harrington won't be playing 10 plus NHL games this year could he fit onto our current roster right now in that forward group he absolutely probably certainly could but yeah the it's still great to know that he did sign this ELC and there is that flexibility.

Now for Harrington, can Harrington be a big piece of the Flames' future? I feel like Harrington is just so long to say.

So that's been my takeaway, is that Suni ev- is, uh, way further ahead of schedule than I thought he was gonna be.

I think it was Ryan Pike on the show when I asked him the question, "Who's gonna be this year's Sam Honzik?" He said, "Probably Sam Honzik." [laughs] You know, and, and I, I am so excited to see, you know, what Matvey Gridden and Sam Honzik can do when the regular season kicks off.

So this is all about growth and development of these young players, you know, and, and, and we've already talked so much about Zane Parekh, so the ...

And, and, and Nemec, everything from that standpoint.

30 days.

[laughs]

And that, and you know who, well, you know who h- clears this up with me every single time? Ryan Pike.

Ryan Pike is-