Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Who Gets SQUEEZED Out Of The Calgary Flames D-Core?? 🤔 | BB Clips

Episode Date: September 3, 2026

Bobby, Pinder and Rhett dive into what might be one of the most interesting battles at Calgary Flames training camp: how exactly is this crowded defence corps going to shake out? Kevin Bahl, Zayne Parekh, Zach Whitecloud and Simon Nemec appear to have the inside track on major roles, but after that there are a ton of options fighting for ice time. Jake Middleton brings experience and physicality, Yan Kuznetsov established himself as a legitimate NHL option last season, while Hunter Brzustewicz is pushing to prove he belongs full-time. Then you still have Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal battling for a spot. The guys break down who should be Calgary’s fifth and sixth defencemen, who deserves to be the seventh, whether Brzustewicz is better served playing big minutes in the AHL, and if having this many NHL-calibre defencemen could eventually force Craig Conroy into another trade. It’s a crowded Flames blue line — and somebody is going to get squeezed out.Video Links: https://youtu.be/VldqDMVLImQ#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.

I think it's clear who the flames top four is on the blue line. It's not the lines that we continue to put out on daily face off. You have four guys that are cut above. You've got Kevin Ball as a left shot defensive guy. You've got Zach White Cloud as a right shot defensive guy. And you've got two very offensively gifted young players with a lot of ceiling to see how much can they get to. And that's obviously Nemich and Perak.

What are you doing with the rest? Because there's a lot of guys that are good hockey players, but certainly not top four guys in Middleton, Kuznetsov, Brestavich, Pahal, Hanley. Yeah, I see it a little bit differently than most Flames fans. Like everybody else, I think Ball and Nemich is clearly your top pair. I think they'll probably get the most minutes, maybe not necessarily the toughest matchups.

I have like a second pair as like a matchup pair with Kuznetsov and White Cloud, where you just throw them out in the most difficult situations possible. You kind of shelter a guy like Zane Perak a little bit because of that. And then on the third pair, I'd have Middleton and Pratt. correct. You get Zane on his strong side. I think playing the off side, I mean, Red, you should talk about this. He does. He hates this. He doesn't care at all. Don't give a shit. I feel like it's easier to make plays when you're on your strong side. He would disagree. Let's hear it. Can you talk about maybe like the differences between playing your left and your right side as a defenseman?

You can do whatever. Yeah. It just comes down to that. I think that these kids have been, there's tendencies and because it's such a emphasis put on it. This was a Babcock thing. Oh, yeah. So left, who's on the left. Guys used to play the other boats. My kids like playing the other side. Some guys do. I'm just thinking with the speed of the game. It's going to be tough to get pucks off the boards, the offensive zone. Maybe making passes might be easier

out of your own zone on your strong side than using your best side every now and then. There are advantages, but there are advantages from playing your offside as well. He's a 20-year-old kid. I just want to put him in a position where he has the most success. Where does he want to play? Would be the question. Well, he said the left side. That's at exit meetings. And if he said

the left, Connie referenced the left. Connie referenced the left and like I don't think it matters with him. He played three games on the left this year. It looked fine. Looked fine. But I mean, it was the highlight real whole of the year was coming down from the left point. But it was three games.

He wanted to play. You said that's what it comes down to. He plays on the left. Where does Tusco want to play? I don't care. My opinion is I would start him on the right on the third pair and put him on the first power play unit. Telling Zane where he has to play.

I also like having Middleton beside him as a bit of a protector. Because Zane, he got run a few times last year. Yeah. And I like having the idea of a Middleton out there. like the idea of it. And I've got no question that Middleton might mock it up some, but if I'm another team, I don't care.

Have you seen his fights? Just go on YouTube and watch some of these fights. This guy can throw him. And he's huge. I'm going to be scared of him. Yeah, you are. He'll be terrified. Retwant, but today's player might be.

Yeah. Today's player is less, I should be more scared because I would have had to fight it. Nowadays, it's like, I don't care, Mr. Middleton. Bucker off. We'll see how good the player is. I have zero questions. concerns about the character and the toughness and the ability to protect teammates. But you definitely want someone that is able to move the puck.

You don't want it to be like, well, I got the insurance blanket, but I definitely can't pass it to him. My take is that Zane is capable of pouting if he doesn't like his partner. And this is my opinion from a million miles away. I would be very careful. He better, whoever he's playing with, he better want to play with that guy. So you're worried about the squeaky wheel here? Is that what you're saying? I'm worried about what you just said.

Is Middleton capable of? of keeping up with him and making the place. Or is he the perfect? I don't know. That's the question I'm right. I like the idea of having a defensive guy beside him, though. Yeah, no, it's, there's lots of ways you could cut it. You could also say we're going to give him high ground, put them with damage,

and they're going to just play ozone. Right. Never know. It'll be interesting to see what Huska does and how much he tinkers because in a long preseason, you wouldn't have on them on the ice together a lot. And you could try stuff. Now these guys are only allowed to play two games preseason. Right.

He doesn't have a lot of tinkering time here. And I would start with Perek in that situation, but if he comes out in the first 10 games and is incredible, and he wants to play on the left side, he's showing that he can, then then go out and do that. But I think just to start the year, that's the way I kind of see it.

And so you'd have Brestev because Netsov in the, no, because Netsov play. Yeah, I got Brestevich in the HL to start. Who's your seven? Then Paul or Hanley. You probably put one or both of them on waivers, and you just see whoever doesn't get claimed, then they're your extra.

Well, how is Brestevich, who are going to the miners? He probably wouldn't be that happy about it, but I'd say go down there. I'd rather see Berstevich play first pair of minutes and a top power play unit in the HL than being a number six or number seven in the NHL where he's not going to get that many minutes. I think it might be better for his development to start in the A. He's waiver exempt unlike anybody else. You're not going to lose them for sure. You're not going to lose them.

You've not been as warm to that. I just think he's good. I think he's good too. But then if he goes to the HL and he rips it up and it's clear that he's an NHL player, well then you let to move a guy like Zach Whitecloud. I think it's kind of as easy as that. H.O's different than to NHO. Well, for sure. But if he's dominating that league where it's undeniable, it's like,

this guy can't play down here. I don't know if he's that kind of player, though, where he's going to, like what? Nah, whatever. Kind of with you. Like, he's not going to be, oh, look at him, run the power play and put him all these points. Like, no, he's just going to be really steady and move the puck and make smart plays. I mean, I think scouts and people that are very smart would pick that up, but

it's tough for that kind of demon to dominate games, right? It's just going to make the smart plays over. I don't know. I don't know about this mix of defensemen they have. It's awkward. to me. It is a little awkward. I like them, but it's awkward to me. You know what they don't have? It's like a middle ground defender. Well, I've,

it's like, I'm either super defensive and physical or I'm like, I like, I'm a rover. I haven't liked Guznetz off in Bristavits last year. I did too. And I'm like, build them up to be a shutdown pair. That could be a third pair for a lot. Just a real solid use and different situation pair. But then Middleton's going. Would you bring me? Why am I here? What am I doing? What I don't want to see is like the likes of Perek or Nemich not playing. I want to see these guys play at a ton. Oh, yeah. Jesus, Ryan, you just heard earlier

that Craig has promised they're gonna. But they have to take the opportunity. You have to grab the bull by the horns. Cowboy analogy in a cowboy market. Go grab the bull by the horn. To me, to me, though the awkward thing is White Cloud right now, just because he is taking that spot from Bersdevich.

And he's not a piece that would be hard to move, right? I think he'd get a lot of war. You could liquidate him and do well. almost every team of the league would love to have a guy. Like that guy going to Dale loved him. Oh, I think he's a fantastic player in person. But he'll wear a letter this year. If you really want Brestevich, then that's kind of the move you're going to make.

Or you have to move correct to the left and we'll see if that happens and how well he plays there.