The Calgary Flames are looking to get back into the post-season, and if there’s anyone on their current roster that knows what it takes, it’s James Neal.
The 31-year-old sniper, who was signed to a five-year, $28.75 million contract in the offseason by the Flames as an unrestricted free agent, has appeared in the last two Stanley Cup Finals with the Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators, and hasn’t been on a team that’s missed the playoffs since the 2010-11 season with the Dallas Stars.
The Whitby, Ontario, product has reached the 20-goal mark in all but one of his eleven seasons in the NHL, including the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season where he potted 21 goals in 40 games.
Signed as on offside right-winger by GM Brad Treliving, Neal was spotted skating on the right side next to Johnny Gaudreau anchored by Sean Monahan as the Flames top line on Monday before the team departs for the 2018 NHL China Games on Tuesday.
Although it’s very early in the season and the team still needs to undergo training camp and their exhibition series against the Bruins in China to determine how their linueps will shake out, Gaudreau, Monahan and Neal were doing drills with Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie as their defensive pairing.
Gaudreau and Monahan have lacked a true complimentary winger since being formed as a line several seasons ago, and while nothing is set in stone, it makes sense to at least try Neal unless new head coach Bill Peters experiments with Elias Lindholm or Matthew Tkachuk.
"We’ll see where everything falls, but I’m looking forward to getting a chance to play with those top guys. They’re great players who make great plays. For me to come in here and be a shooter and get open, I think it’d be a good fit," Neal told reporters last week.
The Flames will open up training camp in China during a nine-day trip that includes two exhibition games against the Boston Bruins on September 15th and 19th. A portion of prospects and minor leaguers will stick around to kick-start their domestic split-squad exhibition games. The team departs on Tuesday afternoon.
