I’ve had a soft spot in my Tri-State area hardened hockey heart for Mike Cammalleri since last season. Playing for the Kings, he seemed out of place, out of (contract) time and out of luck. The guy can skate, shoot and create plays; he is (flame suit on) the Jewish Scott Gomez at a greatly reduced price. He was the first Flame this season to reach 20 goals (ahead of All-Star Iginla). He’s tied for 7th in the league in points. His face-off win percentage looks like a money center bank failure rate since the season began. On November 27, he had a hat trick on three shots. 100% face-off wins is one thing; 100% goals on shots is freaky. Oh yeah, he’s only 26.
The Flames are riding high in their division, 9 points ahead of rival Edmonton. A playoff run is not only possible but expected; how well the team continues to play into the spring will answer questions about chemistry and off-season moves that included bringing Cammalleri north from LaLaLand. It begs the larger question of exactly what the Kings were doing by not making sure they had a spot for him, and used him literally and figuratively as the center of a rebuilding effort. Cammalleri commands about $3.3M from the Flames this year; he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer (thanks to the new CBA that lowers the UFA age and only signing a 1-year deal). If the Flames go deep in the playoffs, riding high on Mike HaMelech (Mike The King), expect some Flame-hot money love. Otherwise, he’s a hot property who has shown that given the right environment, he can create offense – even if none was taken in LA.
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