I'll admit that I had no strong opinions of Raphael Diaz when the Calgary Flames signed him following training camp. I believe my initial reaction was, "Well, I bet he signed cheap."
He did, likely as insurance so that the Flames didn't have to (a) rush Tyler Wotherspoon back into the NHL after shoulder surgery or (b) have to rely on Corey Potter in the NHL, also recovering from shoulder surgery. As it turns out, injuries meant that Diaz eventually became a regular part of the line-up and Potter inherited his spot as the number-seven defender.
A right-handed defender with decent instincts and a pretty good shot, Diaz more or less performed up to expectations.