ROCHESTER, NY - NOVEMBER 23: Providence Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski (43) skates during an AHL Hockey game between the Providence Bruins and the Rochester Americans on November 23, 2016 at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. (Photo by Jerome Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The arrival of defenseman Matt Bartkowski on a professional tryout deal is an interesting development when it comes to the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old American is the textbook definition of a "tweener" defenseman, having played about as many games in the National Hockey League as the American Hockey League.
His recruitment from a steady job with the AHL's Providence Bruins could have several implications moving forward, both in the immediate and not-too-distant future.