Last week, many were surprised to see the Calgary Flames waive two players and lose them both. The biggest surprise was Nick DeSimone, a 29-year-old defenceman with just 27 NHL games to his name, being scooped up by the New Jersey Devils. He is best suited as American Hockey League (AHL) depth to be called up in case of injury, so most assumed he would pass through the waiver wire unclaimed.
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Adam Ruzicka was also waived and picked up by the Arizona Coyotes. This wasn’t as big of a shock, as there was some belief that the Czechian forward could get an opportunity to join a young and rebuilding organization such as the Coyotes, who should be able to give him plenty of opportunity to prove that he is an NHL player. While this could work out great for Arizona, it could be a move that the Flames will come to regret.
Ruzicka Boasts Plenty of Intangibles
The biggest issue with Ruzicka is that he is extremely inconsistent, which is what ultimately led to him being placed on waivers. There were stretches when looked like one of the best players on the ice, but they were followed by equally-long stretches where he was nearly invisible.
He sometimes seemed to lack urgency in his game, which is a tough skill to teach. It has to come from within, and for whatever reason, he couldn’t engage long enough to allow his talent to shine through.
The thing to remember, however, is that he is just 24 years old. He has not yet reached his prime, and if the Coyotes’ coaching staff can somehow get his engagement level up, they could have a heck of a player on their hands.
At 6-foot-4, Ruzicka is almost always one of the biggest players on the ice. At times, he uses his size to his advantage to win puck battles along the boards, though frustratingly he often failed to push his opponents around as much as he was capable of. The Coyotes brass will hope to unlock a new intensity in him.
If they can, Ruzicka could become a great power forward as he has plenty of offensive upside. He proved that a season ago with the Flames, recording 20 points through his first 25 games. His inconsistencies became a major problem soon after, however, and he lost the confidence of his head coach Darryl Sutter. He finished the season with 20 points in 44 games.
Bigger Opportunity Awaits for Ruzicka With Coyotes
Part of the issue is that the Flames have playoff expectations. While many fans and analysts believe those expectations are misplaced and instead should head towards a rebuild, management sees things differently. As a result, the coaching staff was hesitant to give Ruzicka ice time over their veterans. This took away any opportunity he might have had on the power play and often resulted in him playing fourth-line minutes.
Through his 39 games this season, Ruzicka was averaging just 10:10 minutes in ice time. That ranked near the very bottom of all Flames players, as only A.J. Greer, Walker Duehr, and recent call ups Adam Klapka and Cole Schwindt have averaged less this season. Had he been given any sort of opportunity in the top six, he very well may have proven to the Flames he has the makings of an NHL regular.
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Expect Ruzicka to play much higher up in the Coyotes’ lineup and to likely get some opportunity on special teams. It is up to him to take advantage of this chance and make the Flames look back on the decision to place him on waivers with major regret.