Where does Matt Coronato fit in the Flames lineup right now?
It’s been a difficult start to the season for the Calgary Flames. With just two wins in ten games, Calgary sits alone at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings, and now players that were supposed to be relied upon are getting scratched. Matt Coronato, who was third on the team in scoring last season, was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s 5-1 win over the New York Rangers.
The Flames’ 2021 first-round pick has been struggling to start the season, with just two goals and an assist in nine games. While it’s expected that Coronato will draw back into Calgary’s lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, his healthy scratch, and the team’s success without him, raises questions about Coronato’s place in the Flames current and future plans.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Irfaan Gaffar and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton were joined by Flames reporter Cami Kepke to discuss Coronato’s current fit in Calgary’s lineup.
Carter Hutton: “When does he (Coronato) get the chance to be back in there? Because this is a team that’s kind of in the middle. Is it a rebuild? Are they trying to contend? Last year thew everybody for a ringer that they were so close to the playoffs.”
Cami Kepke: “And that’s kind of the thing. The Flames, what really set them apart last season was that they played with such an intense structure, that they were really never out of a game. But it also doesn’t allow you to freewheel offensively, and Matt Coronato might be a guy who kind of thrives on that. He signed a seven-year, $45.5 million deal back in May, and we know he’s gonna be back in on Tuesday, at least if Ryan Huska is a man of his word. He said ‘Listen, this is a quick reset. One game.’ Sometimes you see things differently when you’re watching from afar. Maybe you do have more time with the puck, maybe you do have more opportunites to sit back and create, rather than force it.
You know that Matt Coronato is going to be coming back with something to prove. The Flames social media team posted a video after the win last night where they hand out the player-of-the-game red jacket, and you can see Coronato was a little slumped, his eyes are turned down. You know that he wants to show that he’s worth that contract, and it’s been a struggle for him this season.”
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…