Ben Jones gets the nod as Flames make good on promise to reward strong play

Merit matters.

Yes, one of the big priorities for the Calgary Flames this season is developing young players and providing them with ample opportunity. At the same time, however, the Flames are encouraging healthy competition up and down the lineup.

That also extends to their top minor league affiliate.

Some fans raised a slight eyebrow when 27-year-old Ben Jones was recalled from the AHL Calgary Wranglers on Tuesday morning. With captain Mikael Backlund uncertain for Thursday’s game with the Wild with an upper body injury, Jones got the call ahead of younger candidates like Tyson Gross and Rory Kerins.

That’s where the meritocracy theme enters the conversation.

Jones has led the way on the farm early this season. His seven goals and nine points in seven games not only paces the Wranglers, it also puts him near the top of the AHL scoring race. Jones has thrived in all situations this season with goals scored on the powerplay, shorthanded, and at even strength.

General manager Craig Conroy’s message has been clear since early in training camp: when it’s time for a recall, those at the top of their game in the moment are getting tapped on the shoulder.

“The message to the guys is just to be ready,” Kerins told Flames Now earlier this month after being named captain of the Wranglers.

“We have a good team down here. So, in the AHL, it’s a little bit different this year. Whoever’s playing best is going to be going. There’s a lot of competition down here. That’s healthy, I think, for our team. It could change every game, so you have to bring it every game and every practice.”

It’s not just lip service, either. Jones joins Jonathan Castagna and Aydar Suniev who got the call earlier this month following Calgary’s winless opening weekend. We should get used to it, because there will be many more who fit the bill this season.

KEEP AN EYE ON

It’s also important to consider the context surrounding the Jones recall.

The belief is Backlund’s upper body ailment isn’t serious and shouldn’t cause him to miss much time, if any at all. Because Backlund is still an option to play Thursday, Jones was also brought in as insurance with no guarantee of seeing game action. That’s easier to do with a 27-year-old veteran with more than 400 professional games to his name.

Off to a strong start in his first full professional season, Gross was absolutely considered. But with the Wranglers currently in California, the Flames opted not to disrupt his progress when they weren’t sure a spot in the lineup was going to be open.

It’s also important to note Backlund doesn’t often miss time. The captain sustained his upper body injury late in Sunday’s win over Carolina on a hard hit from William Carrier. It knocked Backlund out of a one-goal game in the final minutes, which means he had to be in a lot of pain.

ANSWERING THE BELL

A number of Flames forwards entered this season under significant pressure. Right near the top of that list was Yegor Sharangovich. And to his credit, Sharangovich has noticeably stepped up so far, highlighted by his late game winner Sunday vs. Carolina.

Sharangovich told us at the end of last season he was going to drastically change his offseason training program. Putting that in the capable hands of Calgary’s strength and conditioning whiz Rick Davis, it looks like it’s paying off.

Sharangovich has a pair of goals and four points early this season while his five-on-five underlying numbers have been strong. The eye test tells us he’s more engaged in battles than I can recall, which is something the coaching staff has been encouraging since his arrival.

The next challenge is doing it for a longer stretch. The knock on Sharangovich throughout his career, both with the Flames and the New Jersey Devils, has always been consistency. His reputation as a streaky player won’t be kicked anytime soon.

If that moniker starts to fade come the springtime, though, we’ll be able to call this a successful campaign.

HERE AND THERE

Two other forwards who have really stepped up under pressure early this season: Adam Klapka and Martin Pospisil.

Much like Sharangovich, Klapka threw himself into offseason training including getting a boxing partner to up his fighting game. Klapka already has a pair of fights, has scored twice, and looks more impactful than we’ve seen.

As for Pospisil, two things have been crucial. Above all, he’s healthy, which wasn’t the case for the first half of last year. And for the first time, the Flames are giving him a long run at centre. It’s his preferred position and so far he’s rewarding the team’s faith.

Next up for the Flames on Thursday is one of the most interesting teams in the NHL: the Minnesota Wild.

Does pending unrestricted free agent Quinn Hughes extend? Will they end up landing Dylan Larkin from Detroit as continues to be rumoured? Meanwhile, Kirill Kaprizov is already at 11 goals and Jesper

Wallstedt looks like the real deal between the pipes with some of the NHL’s best raw and underlying numbers.