The Calgary Flames will be without Kevin Bahl for the rest of the season after the club announced Sunday that its top blueliner suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while warming up for Friday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
The loss leaves a major gap on the back end, and the reaction inside the room made clear just how much Bahl means to the group. Flames teammate Zach Whitecloud didn’t hide the emotional hit.
“You’re gutted for the guy. I mean, obviously you’re selfishly gutted for the team,” said Flames teammate Zach Whitecloud.
“(He’s) such a big part of this team. He plays a lot of minutes.
We can sit here and forget about the hockey player for a second, just think about the person.
“You know, loses his season and being around the guys consistently and all that stuff. So, make sure as a group, we’re taking care of him and making sure he has whatever he needs to continue to feel involved and be a part of this group, because he’s going to be here for a long, long time.
So, important part of our group and just an incredible guy and obviously it’s heartbreak for him. He’s having one of his best seasons, too.
Obviously, it sucks, so just try to take care of him as a teammate.”
With Bahl out, the Flames are turning to depth and spreading the workload around. Joel Hanley is set to see a much bigger role and will skate with Nemec, while Brayden Pachal was brought up from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on Sunday. Hanley, meanwhile, got the call only 15 minutes before pre-game warmups that he’d be in the lineup for Friday’s game.
Head coach Ryan Huska said the answer won’t come from one player trying to replace everything Bahl brings. It’s going to take the whole group to absorb the blow.
“The one beauty of the way I feel like our team is, we play a simple game,” Huska said. “And we do a really good job of bringing different people into the lineup, so the current players make it very easy and comfortable for the player that’s coming in.
This gives opportunity to different people, whether you look at Joel Hanley right now getting a chance to get back in the lineup. Pachal gets called up.
“Again, there’s going to be opportunities for him moving forward as well. So, this is opportunity. Players want it and sometimes it’s a great thing for a team, because it’s like new energy around the group as well.”
In Other News...
Flames Blue Line Shuffle Raises Concern Ahead Of Flyers Game
The Flames made a defensive adjustment ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers, recalling Brayden Pachal from the AHLs Calgary Wranglers as they look to shore up the blue line. The move comes after Kevin Bahl missed a recent game with a lower-body injury, leaving Calgary to lean on its depth at a time when the back end is already under a bit of scrutiny.
Pachals return gives the Flames a familiar option after he spent time in the minors following an earlier waiver move, and he had been playing regularly in the AHL before this latest call-up. For Calgary, the immediate question is how long the defensive shuffle will last and whether Bahls absence forces the team to keep adjusting its lineup heading into a busy stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Blue Line Just Lost A Key Piece At The Worst Time
The Flames blue line took a major hit at a time when every point matters, with Kevin Bahl now out for the rest of the season. Calgary confirmed Sunday that the defenceman suffered an Achilles injury and wont return, a tough blow for a team that had leaned on him as a top-pair presence.
Bahls absence leaves the Flames trying to absorb a loss that arrived before warmups on Friday, turning a routine game day into a much bigger concern. For a defense group already under pressure, the challenge now is finding a way to replace his minutes and stability without the kind of player who had become such an important part of the matchup picture. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Blue Line Problem They Can't Ignore
The Flames are suddenly staring at a blue line problem they cannot paper over for long. Kevin Bahl has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the injury will force Calgary to reshuffle its defense for the rest of the season while it waits to see whether a later move to long-term injured reserve makes sense.
Bahls absence strips away a key piece of the group and leaves the Flames with a lineup decision they did not want this early. However the club sorts through the replacement options, the impact will be felt in both the short term and the bigger picture, because losing a defenseman of his importance changes the way the entire back end has to function. [Read more 🡒]