Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - The Flames Future Is Taking Shape… Should Fans Be Excited?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett take a big picture look at the Calgary Flames and where the team is headed, highlighting encouraging signs for the future despite the current situation. The guys discuss Gridin’s calm and confident shootout goal as a glimpse of his potential, Hunter Brzustewicz’s steady and poised play on the blue line, and how players like Joel Farabee are stepping up into leadership roles. While it’s all about the bigger picture, the conversation centers on why there’s real optimism building around this next wave of Flames talent and what it could mean for the team moving forward.Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/oJ0dOUz1ZAI#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #calgaryflames CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They go to a shootout. And I mean, we can double back on the other stuff, but we may as well go to the one that has, I was watching, my kid was downstairs. I just feel like this is going in. There's just something. This guy, this guy is, he's got a tremendous shot. He's a score.

And he's just something about his demeanor. Did he look nervous? Zero. I mean, he looks like he's 12, but true. He is calm. And it just Can I Can I?

You know what that looked like? Patrick Fing Kane. Yes, I wanted to say it. And that's the highest of compliments, but like it had the same vibes. It doesn't think he's going to be Patrick. It's like, okay, here's a spot. I'll just put it there.

That's fine. I know where I'm putting it. I know it's going in. I just have to go do it and it's done. And I expected it to go in game. What are we worried about? Let's go. I like how Farabie's coming along too,

wearing the A. It looks like a guy. Like, Yeah, like he gets the goal. It doesn't count, but it's a hell of a play. He's way more involved. Well, and also clearly he's having impact in the room. I haven't paid any attention to Farabee as far as, you know,

expecting him to be a leader, right? I just hadn't heard anything about it. It's fun. Not that I should have, but clearly he's having an impact in the room, and he's playing well. We talked in the year. Early in the year, there was lots of games where he was the best player. Couldn't score for his life.

October, he might have had like five to six expected goals and he was stuck at like one. You're like, this guy cannot buy a bounce. Posts all over, whiffing on empty nets and tights. Like he plays a mucky brand and he works his tail off and it's good to see him get rewarded because October was the exact opposite. I don't know. Francis was talking about it on the one broadcast that after the trades are done and they bring the leadership group, whatever you want to call it. And Zeri is in there and Ball is in there and Fairbys in this group. He's like, well, we're going to hear this.

Well, letters are going to go. for alternate captains. You're going to wear the A at home. And for Farabee, it was maybe caught him a little bit off guard. Super, like it was, took a photo, sent it to his folks kind of thing. I was like, never really had a letter. You think about it. Anderson, Cadry, Weiger, Hubert O'Hurt.

Like, you did kind of need to reload the letters in the leadership. Yeah. It's funny because you it almost, it felt like that was a bit of, it's not like he's playing through the roof, but there's been a noticeable difference in his level of play, maybe before that, but what was it like for you? Because you've worn the A. When did you get your first A? Aside from math in high school.

My first A? Oh, junior. But in the NHL. Buffalo, 2000. Yeah. Do you remember the date, the situation? Had guys been moved or how did that go? I don't really.

You would have arrived, what, the year? My thing was, Leaders, A's and C's and all that BS, it's not BS. But it is and it isn't BS because there's guys on teams that have leadership letters. And they're clearly not leaders. And my thoughts were always you play the same way no matter what. Like so you were already a leader on the ice. Sounds a whole.

Yeah. And everyone is different. But there would be some guys I maybe wouldn't even see themselves in that light. So I'm okay Okay, well that's I appreciate you know I wonder if that does you know

strike a bit of a court Huska post game obviously they win this hockey game they get two points and whatever they're going to win some games Yeah that's their third in March that's your quota fellas

just so you know you hit it We'll get to some of the other contestants and combatants in the game but we talk about the calm demeanor of Gridden and Huska talk post game about not just the calm demeanor, but there's maybe a little bit of dog in there too. You know, we talk a lot about players on the bench, you know, and, you know, the next one counts

or it's on the line. A lot of guys won't turn around and look at you. He did tonight. So to me, that shows a lot about I want to go put me out there type thing where, you know, that's something that Naz used to do a lot of. Joel Farabee does a lot of that right now, so he's moved himself up because he's scoring. But for a young 20-year-old to look and say, hey, I'm the guy that can finish this. That's a pretty impressive thing. And I think that goes to your kind of cool in his veins or I don't know what I would call it. It's just pretty relaxed when he goes in there. It's funny because you see that play and I thought they were awesome against Detroit, the Frost, Tim and Coronado line. He played Clapcom minutes last night and so did Frost. They

were under 13 minutes and you're not seeing him in overtime. And what Husk is talking about is the shootout. It's like, it feels like real short. at least for a guy that might be your most talented player right now. I know people. 12 minutes. I know. I'm having faith in the coach here that he knows what he's doing. And it's not that he's limiting his minutes.

It's this is what right now is best for the player to succeed. That individual, it's not everybody, kind of like we just talked with letters. Because I, when I was looking at that this morning and just watching Huska, I remember it was a year ago after training camp. He talked about Gridden, great camp. Next year, I want you to come here in the mindset and be ready to make this club. And at the time, it's like, well, that's cute to say. Yeah, he's just played the U.S. 18 year old.

Like, that's, that's very nice of a coat. And a year later, the guy comes to camp and is ready to win a job on the national hockey league team. So I, can you give him more minutes? You can, but maybe that's not the best because he, what you're seeing from him is all good. Yeah, it might have been a night where he, the coach didn't like his final. five on five game. I just thought when you have a four and three power play, like he's your best shooter,

he's probably got your highest hockey IQ right now. Like he should have been out there instead of maybe a pending UFA you're not going to sign that's looked really stale. It was all over the. Oliveson played a lot of the overtime. Huska knows what he's like he's seeing what we're seeing. It does seem weird. I don't know if is it a last ditch effort.

He's got to manage the room a little bit too. Totally. He's part of it, right? We're only seeing what we want to happen. I'm kind of trying to exact. I like Huska. I like how he's coached. You can't question what he's done.

So I have to have some. If I've got conifidence, I've got to let Huska do his thing too. He's not done anything wrong with any of these kids. And teaching them to earn it isn't the end of the world. And there's days where you're not sharp. Are there situations where you might do things differently? Maybe.

but he's got a better grasp of the whole picture we do. We're looking at it. Play the kids. Well, I got to manage the room too. Yeah, I think we all look at it from the gridden perspective. We're like, we want more. That's great because that means it's a great story. Like this is a late first rounder.

You're probably hitting there's less than 50-50, and he's already looking like a very, very good player in the NHL in his 19-year-old season. But Huska has to manage a room with a veteran and Victor Oliveson, who's heading into UFA. and it's like if I lose this guy now, how does that affect the room? We're not thinking about it from the Olson perspective, right? And he doesn't look great,

but there's a reason that he's putting them out there. Or any perspective, right? Because my reaction to everybody, well, I care more about what Gridden is thinking than Olson is thinking. But to your point, retro, it's the guy, if we're going to sit and applaud the team for effort and try

and being in hockey games, despite having the lowest number of, of goals scored and near it's got to be seller in terms of overall skill in the team. You have to give the credit to the, some of the credit to the coach there and then just kind of have faith in what he's doing.

To that end, because we all see it. I get text from P's like, what the hell is the line up, but this and that. Here was asked about post game the roster construction on a nightly basis because we know there's a lot of guys and play line combos and this and that. Are you seeing the

competition? So you didn't play last game, so now you're in, so now you've got to step up. Are you seeing that competition or how is the evaluation process in a way going right now? Sometimes you're putting a player in that, you know, you didn't work. You're taking someone out, I should say, that didn't necessarily deserve to be taken out. So I don't know if you're creating the right type of competition with that, but that's the environment that we're in right now because of where we're sitting in the standings. There's more bodies around.

people are going to get themselves in the lineup. I don't want a lot of people sitting forever. Old, young, it doesn't matter. But it's hard when there's certain nights when a guy plays well and he finds himself out of the lineup the next night. To any bodies. And that's, you just signed a college free agent. You got to take some money back on deals.

Gridden last night, 1249, Oloffson 1434. So just a little bit under two. over time minutes. That's probably the difference, really. 254 in power play time for Gridden, 325 for Olyphson, over a 60 minute game. It was just so obvious at that point, this is maybe when you put the kid.

Through one. Huska. Also, the other part of it is, too, do you have an agent in your ear? This guy's going to be a free agent. Who are you going to give? It's like, all right, we're going to play him. And then when he doesn't do anything,

It's like, well, now you can get out of my friggin' office. I think that's exactly what's happening. It's like you're doing a veteran of solid. He's a UFA. He's a guy fighting. I don't think just for a contract, but stay in this league. Could be.

Like when you watch him, are you like, oh, he's going to be a July 1 pickup? I don't. That looks like PTOville right now. And at this point, it's like,

am I going to Europe? Am I going to take a two-way deal? Am I a PTO? Am I playing a league men? You're doing him a solid, but he's running out a runway to impress. I'll say that. Yeah.

because it's not like they haven't given them. They have given it to them. What have you seen? Maybe a play, but most nights invisible. On the flip side, Bristewitch last night, 20 minutes and 33 seconds of ice, played 18 and a half against Detroit.

So the coach has no problem. Now loading some minutes on young Bristewicz, who has handled it everywhere last night. Yeah. And that seems like a nice security blanket for a young kid. I kind of like Matt. He's good. It's kind of like White Cloud.

You're like better than I thought and certainly not sexy, but very capable. 2343 to lead all players last night for me. Exactly what you want out of a guy in that situation. Play solid. He's not a true number one, but he's playing as a number one minutes and it can handle and he gives you solid minutes. I think they're absolutely going to, if they aren't already fall in love with Bristavich, I think he's going to be

I think they are excellent player for the Calgary players Yeah on the flip side Marty Pospicile Team Low 10 and you have Klapka out you've got Tyson Gross waiting in the wings

for his NHL debut you've got Lomburg you got all like it is feels like a lost year we talked about yesterday when you weren't here but Pospicil's three year extension kicks in next year

three at two and a half is it at two and a half is it at two and a half. And they got it done very early in the fall with. Well, I mean, he was a bit of a unicorn at the time.

Not at the time of the signing's first year. Yeah. You know, the guy's big and these. He's a shit disturber. And he did score last night and got this allowed. Maybe it's, maybe it's still there.

But it's, that's going, we talked about yesterday. It's going to be a weird, interesting project moving forward. Can he get back to what he was? Does he want to get back to what he was? Do they want?

him to get back to what he was. Yes, they do. I think... Well, they do, but I also think that when he had George Peros in his ear as much as he did two seasons ago, it changed the way he played, whether he wants him and not. Never mind the concussions, but those two things, I think, have affected his play.

Don't forget, Husky ran him into the ground that one day, which I thought was bullshit at the time. That's the one time where I was like, Hoski, you're completely off base here, giving him shit for trying to do what he does. I don't think that was fair. And they got too many wingers.

Like we're looking at this team without Hansick, who is going to be a top nine guy with this team next year. We saw him make some good strides this year on a checking. I'm not worried about it. But just hang with me, hang with me. And Huberto and who are the expiring wingers? Like everyone wants to bring back Longberg.

I don't know where you put him in. I feel like Longberg now it's almost impossible to resign if you're locked into posthousal. Like you can't have, you know, like you got four lines, eight wingers, even if one guy's hurt.

It feels like they got 12 guys. And aren't you planning on graduating a guy at some point mid-season? I would let the off-season play itself out. The off-season should have. And so, to make my point, I think when this team goes to the draft and they've got all this draft capital and maybe they're trying to move up or they're packaged

this for that or we'll use one of these picks to get a player, don't be surprised there's a winger staple to one of these deals just to make some room because they have too many. Whatever. Put them in the minors. Could a Coleman deal happen? I don't, I think it's a lower probability, but it could. I think they want them as a leader

next year in the movement of the deadline. Yeah, I do too. But also, maybe Lombard doesn't come back. And I'll be honest, until Sam Hansick shows me that he can be there and deserves a spot. He deserved it this year. He just got hurt. He was playing well. Yeah, but what happened to Pospisal? Pospisole has gotten less effective three years in a row.

It was also hurt. No, but it's not like what he's healthy. If injury is okay for Hansik to be let off the hook, then why is an injury for POSP? I'm not saying it's off the hook. I'm saying is he's already a better player than Pospicol and played bigger minds. I think. Pospicil, we showed it yesterday's foot speeds way down this year. I'm not a proponent for Pospicil, but I just think we're making a mountain out of a moho.

Who the fuck cares? Put him into minors. If he clears waivers, who cares? Yeah, I'm not suggesting this is. If we're so concerned about Pospesil making two and a half, he can make two and a half of the miners. Sorry. Yeah.

Like, and I, and I know, if that's where they, if that's where the ball has ended up rolling to. And I'm not saying you're wrong, Ryan, because I actually don't like how he's playing. But I think it's worse than that. I think that there's a little. Ferland is the perfect example of pospism. Michael Furland. You can't pull back the reins that much.

So, yeah. And have a bunch of concussions and not connect the two. I agree. And they both got contracts and they both had major concussion issues. And they both probably got, you can't do that. That's bad for the game. him have a seat, you're getting fined. All those things add up to a guy that doesn't look like the shit

distributor two years ago when he came into the league. Yeah, and I think you can go to possible so, pospousal and say, I don't care what George Perros tells you. He can F his hat. You play the way you're supposed to. I don't think you can do that when he's been concussed. And you have to tell him run through guys and crush guys and fight to do,

well, you'd be fought the other day and you're all, you're kind of grimacing about you're like, dude, who thought that he was going to play? I was watching that. I'm like, he got punched. He might be done because he got hurt. early in a year and look, we didn't even notice it.

It's not a criticism. It's just, no, it's, you can't operate without that in your back of your mind, can you? I don't think can the number of concussions he's had. Yeah. But it's, and we'll move on. I just, in terms of the winger situation for next season, it just, it's not a now issue, but I think in Craig's office on the whiteboard, they're trying to find ways to make room. Because what you'd love to see is what Pittsburgh dig it and what Connie did two years ago, which is let's roll the dice on a one year math thing. And if he pops, we can turn them into assets or sign them. When you've got more wingers than you even can hold on an NHL roster, that card's

taken right of your hand. It's a nice thing to be able to do. Someone's on waiver. Shit, we'll take a gamble on Ely Tolvinen like Seattle did or whatever the case may be. That card you can't play when you're flooded with wingers. And I think they will sort it out, but they didn't move a wing of the deadline this year. And wingers aren't going for prices. Like, centers got paid.

I would much rather have Connor Garland on my team than Nick Waugh. One got a first and a third. the other got a second. I'm with you and we can move on. Absolutely. I think your bigger concern as an organization isn't trying to bring in a free agent. You can flip for more assets. I think you've got a ton of assets.

You've got a lot of stock and your drafts already. Your focus should be on what you have and bringing them along. And if you're limiting a spot for one of those players, because you're going to try and bring a guy in and turn them into something to flip them, I think you're doing a disservice to your squad. I think they are a year away from someone graduating from the ALEC. Like if Sunniiv's going to happen, it's probably going to be late next year, if at all next year. Basho went back to junior this year.

They've got some other guys that'll come into the pro ranks out of college potentially. But like, I don't think you have someone knocking on the door playing wing for the rest. But I mean, Gridden has arrived. Because he was a guy. Yeah. Yeah. He's arrived. Hansik.

If you were saying we've got too many wingers already, I don't give a shit who's a free agent that I might be able to turn into an asset. No, that means things are going well. And they have enough. picks and assets now, right? If you're going to go into the free agent, it's going to be, it better be for something that you think is going to help this team. Center eyes,

slush, D, something like that, yeah. Just back to Bristewich. He made, there again, I think Robert Munich on his ex-accat, he's like, you watch these plays. And he's already making very calm and poised, under pressure plays. Do you see, because in junior retro,

he had big numbers in junior. It hasn't so far translated in the NHL. Is he a guy that's going to get points to go with the poise or is this most of just not of a Don't know, don't care. I think he's just going to be one of those salt. Like is Anderson a point getter? Was, but no. Not till the, not till the, he has his win.

He's not, do you, if you say Rasmus Anderson, are you saying point getter? He's not a, like, I think he's that similar style where he's going to do everything for you to play his ass off. And if you need him to run a power play, he can. Rasmus played a top pair role for a while, and he isn't that right now. He's having a miserable go in Vegas. On this team, though, in fairness. Yeah, and so just let me finish the point.

I don't think Brestevich's ceiling is that high, but I think you've got a really good puck mover than on a contender is a four or five. I think he's better than that. I do too. Okay. I think he'll end up. Either way, it's a lovely asset. Like that, that felt almost like that, that Lindholm deal, man,

I'm telling you, for two months of Mell Lindholm in Vancouver, that's Griden. That's Pristich. that's how you got Frost and Farabee once you're through in Peltier who's in the miners. It is remarkable how two-month rental of Lindholm is, you got two core pieces it looks like. Here's why I think Bristairich should be more because he wants to be more and he'll push himself to be more and he's got the right approach to the game.