Are the Flames better or worse after this off-season?

[Bounces R Way]

Gaudreau and Tkachuk are great players but speaking from a team makeup perspective I think the Flames are better. The entire offense was our 1st line last season + Mangiapane, and while it was a hell of a 1st line you need to be deep in the playoffs. With three excellent 2way centers on the team now that top 9 is looking much more complete.

Not to mention Weegar >>> Gudbranson on a blueline that didn't give up much last season.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Undecided.

I'd say better for 1-2 seasons if these guys can stay healthy, and at this point in their careers, after getting paid, you never know. Also depends on what happens with Weegar.

If they can get to a Cup with this core in the next few years I think overall you say better but I don't see it and halfway through these contracts it becomes horribly worse.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I will go with marginally worse, but it might be offset by a lot of the additions seemingly suiting the coach a lot better.

 

[Yepthatsme]

For reference here’s Calgary’s lineup form the start of last season:

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
Dube-Monahan-Pitlick
Lucic-Richardson-Lewis

Hanifin-Andersson
Kylington-Tanev
Zadorov-Gudbranson

May have forgotten or misplaced a player or two but that was it. Now going into this season the best guess for lines are:

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Toffoli
Mangiapane-Kadri-Dube
Pelletier-Backlund-Coleman
Lucic-Rooney/Ruzicka-Lewis

Hanifin-Andersson
Weegar-Tanev
Kylington-Zadorov

Only position that’s worse is 1RW, everywhere else is much deeper and more talented, especially our centre and D depth. I think Calgary will finish higher in the standings than the year prior. Good chance you can add Coronato to that lineup when his season at Harvard is up, then whatever trade deadline target Calgary gets this season.

 

[Soundwave]

If Kadri goes back to being a 55-60 point player it's hard to say he just replaces a 100+ point Tkachuk.

Now you can say Tkachuk may not repeat that, but the metric is last year's Flames, and last year's Flames had a 100+ point Tkachuk.

I would rate last year's Gaudreau better than Huberdeau too because same points but 42 goals instead of 30 is a significant difference.

 

[AvroArrow]

Better for sure.

Tkachuk + Gaudreau + Monahan out, Kadri + Huberdeau + Weegar in. A top line winger, top 6C, top Pairing D for 2 top line wingers and a plug

 

[beowulf]

Better, who knows in 2 years when the cap is a big issue but for this coming season and likely the next they have improved.

 

[Painful Quandary]

Better in the short term, worse in the long term.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Definitely better.

 

[stevo61]

Less offense more defense. Could see them having less points in the regular season but probably a tougher out in the playoffs

 

[KevSkillz4]

Better. Weegar make the difference.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Maybe they don't have statistically the best top line in the NHL this year. Maybe they don't match their regular season record from last year. I don't really care.

This is a better team. Huberdeau replaces Gaudreau basically. Weegar added to defense without losing anything there. Kadri makes the 2nd line more dangerous, and Backlund slides to 3C where he's a great fit, big improvement over Jarnkrok/Monahan. Add the young guy Pelletier into the mix as well for some more skill.

It's a more well-rounded team. At the end of the day, losing last years top line means nothing in the playoffs when they can't replicate their regular season success.

 

[Regal]

I think there’s very little chance they have as many points as last year. The top line was too in synch and the key players too healthy they weren’t going to replicate it if everyone stayed either. I think they’re a pretty similar team in terms of overall roster quality though, with likely a downgrade upfront but more versatile and another top pair defenseman. I could see them being a tougher out in the playoffs if things line up.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Gaudreau > Huberdeau
Tkachuk > Kadri
Weegar > Gudbranson

slightly worse, but a lot older

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

They're much more balanced and despite losing two 100+ pt players, I don't think they're any worse offensively.

 

[crazyfisherman]

I think its a better roster, but will win less regular season game than last yr. A lot if things went right for us last yr

 

[NoName]

On paper I like the team last season more, but we will see. Especially in hockey a team’s performance can be based more around how players fit on a roster then individual talent.

One thing is for sure though: the Flames are substantially older now and some of these contracts will be brutal in several years so the next 2-3 seasons are “all in” for them.

 

[Paul4587]

I would rather have Kadri+Huberdeau than Gaudreau+Tkachuk, that's not even mentioning Weegar+1st. Calgary has pulled off a miracle offseason and I'm mad

You would rather have the two inferior players? That’s an odd take. You can make a good case that Tkachuk and Gaudreau are both better than Huberdeau and Kadri doesn’t come close to the other three.

Also the 1st won’t be taking the ice for them this season. In fact it’s gone in the Montreal trade.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Gaudreau > Huberdeau
Tkachuk > Kadri
Weegar > Gudbranson

slightly worse, but a lot older

Narrow-minded approach; they got players who fit better into Sutter's system

 

[belair]

They're a more balanced roster in terms of being a playoff matchup, but they're a significantly weaker roster offensively.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Narrow-minded approach; they got players who fit better into Sutter's system

Gaudreau literally had the best ES season in decades under Sutter’s system

 

[DS7]

The high end scoring is not as good as it was losing Tkachuk and gaudreau.

But the team looks more balanced and with better depth than last year. Could take them further in the playoffs and standings

 

[Xspyrit]

Ask me again in May.

Or do like me, vote for all 3 options

 

[biturbo19]

Personnel wise probably similar. But I don't think that offense rolls the way it did last year without Gaudreau stirring the drink, and I don't think Kadri touches his outlier season last year.

Yeah. Huberdeau vs Tkachuk is close enough to a wash for me. Maybe slight edge to Huberdeau even. But the difference from Gaudreau's impact on that offense last year, to Kadri...is not in the same ballpark.

It was one of those seasons where a lot of things went very right for them, and that top line was clicking at a rate that you just aren't likely to get, "chemistry-wise". I don't think that line itself even would've rolled at that same rate if they hadn't lost 2/3rds of it.

I don't think Weegar moves the needle enough to overcome that. Especially since it sounds like he'll be spending the first part of the year basically just trying to fill Tanev's shoes until he's back (and joining mid-stream on the season).



Pretty crazy offseason given the hand they were dealt. Still a solid team. But even with the job Treliving did to pivot in this new direction, you don't just lose a guy coming off a season like Gaudreau's, and not miss a beat.

 

[mapleleafslaughssame]

It’s hard to say but they will still be a good team. Losing JG hurt but otherwise they improved in a lot of areas and their depth is now better. Their 2c is now their 3c. Bit better defense. Depending how Huberdeau and Lindholm play together and how Kadri produces they might be better we’ll have to wait and find out.

Having 2-3 solid lines might be better than 1 all star line. I think they might be better still undecided.