Speculation: Armchair GM Thread: Long long journey through the darkness, where is our goalie?

[Baxterman]

We do really need a 1B, IMO. I know Saros' name was bouncing around; who are some of the other potentially available guys who could push Mike Smith and give the AHL guys someone to chase?

Is Saros name actually out there or just out there from hopeful Flames fans. I can’t see anyway we get him.

I am not sure there are any good options with the way goaltending is in the NHL right now and teams holding onto to anything decent.

 

[Anglesmith]

Better special teams and getting hot at the right moment. They were a 500 team until that 10 game win streak, and pretty much coasted along after it as well.

The fact that losing one depth player in Versteeg likely screwed our PP is pretty telling, and shows just how poor our depth was. We had no natural top 6 right handed shots, and the ones we did have in our bottom 6 were injured (Versteeg), or useless (Brouwer, Lazar, Hathaway).

Yes, but that's what a playoff team is. The really top teams, where we want to be, consistently win 3 out of 5 games all season long. But the rest of the playoff teams are pretty much .500 outside of a few streaks. You miss the playoffs when you can't hold .500 outside of your streaks, and that's what happened to the Flames last year.

Regardless, the Flames have made changes to address all of their issues. If you look at the track record of the club over multiple years, there is justification for expecting the team to be better in their weak areas without getting worse in their strong areas. But knowing sports, we could just as easily shit the bed and be awful.

 

[super6646]

Yes, but that's what a playoff team is. The really top teams, where we want to be, consistently win 3 out of 5 games all season long. But the rest of the playoff teams are pretty much .500 outside of a few streaks. You miss the playoffs when you can't hold .500 outside of your streaks, and that's what happened to the Flames last year.

Regardless, the Flames have made changes to address all of their issues. If you look at the track record of the club over multiple years, there is justification for expecting the team to be better in their weak areas without getting worse in their strong areas. But knowing sports, we could just as easily **** the bed and be awful.

Regardless, that forward group wasn't good enough last year. This years iteration is must improved, but I've been a flames fan long enough to know to temper expectations and expect disappointment more times than not. I feel good for this year, but we will have to see.

 

[Anglesmith]

Regardless, that forward group wasn't good enough last year. This years iteration is must improved, but I've been a flames fan long enough to know to temper expectations and expect disappointment more times than not. I feel good for this year, but we will have to see.

I guess the question I have is how can it be worse? Every line except Johnny and Monahan, as well as the powerplay, completely underperformed, while Johnny and Monahan rebounded from their poor season the year before.

 

[super6646]

I guess the question I have is how can it be worse? Every line except Johnny and Monahan, as well as the powerplay, completely underperformed, while Johnny and Monahan rebounded from their poor season the year before.

Tkachuk had a great year, Backlund had a career average year, and Frolik was bad. Overall, 2nd line was fine. Bennett hasn't progressed whatsoever sadly, Jankowski is a rookie, and Hathaway shouldn't be a regular forward. 4th line is just garbage in regards to talent, and I have no clue what happened to the defense. Overall, this team did about what it should have given its lack of depth.

 

[Anglesmith]

Tkachuk had a great year, Backlund had a career average year, and Frolik was bad. Overall, 2nd line was fine. Bennett hasn't progressed whatsoever sadly, Jankowski is a rookie, and Hathaway shouldn't be a regular forward. 4th line is just garbage in regards to talent, and I have no clue what happened to the defense. Overall, this team did about what it should have given its lack of depth.

The second line was worse than it should have been because of Frolik's disappearance and Backlund's undisciplined play. The third line was worse than it should have been due to Bennett not improving as he should have. The fourth line was as bad as expected. All four lines have been improved on paper over the off-season, and systematic issues have been addressed by the coaching change. If we're as bad as last year, we'd have to underachieve even harder than we did a year ago, which I would think would be difficult to achieve.

 

[super6646]

The second line was worse than it should have been because of Frolik's disappearance and Backlund's undisciplined play. The third line was worse than it should have been due to Bennett not improving as he should have. The fourth line was as bad as expected. All four lines have been improved on paper over the off-season, and systematic issues have been addressed by the coaching change. If we're as bad as last year, we'd have to underachieve even harder than we did a year ago, which I would think would be difficult to achieve.

I mean Mike Smith could turn into Jonas Hiller or 2013 Kiprusoff and that would also do it.

 

[Lunatik]

Yeah, but you could argue that the flames first half went perfect with vezina caliber goalie and the hottest top line in the league. In the end, 84 points seem about right for last years team.

TIL 2 things going right is "everything"

 

[Mobiandi]

Yeah, but you could argue that the flames first half went perfect with vezina caliber goalie and the hottest top line in the league. In the end, 84 points seem about right for last years team.

I'd say the first half of the season was an awful watch. We couldn't score more than 2 goals and Mike Smith was getting shelled regularly

 

[super6646]

TIL 2 things going right is "everything"

Yeah, the team was pretty awful for the first half. They should've been out of it like Edmonton by December.

I'd say the first half of the season was an awful watch. We couldn't score more than 2 goals and Mike Smith was getting shelled regularly

Exactly my point. We were lucky to even be in the playoff race considering how poor the defense and depth was.

 

[Fig]

I'd say the first half of the season was an awful watch. We couldn't score more than 2 goals and Mike Smith was getting shelled regularly

It was a new system even though Gully was in his second season with us. The system was completely overhauled to make use of Smith's puck handling capabilities. We might as well have had a different coach last season.

I can pretty much imagine how many of the players have been struggling this season. Bennett for instance has been in the following systems:

Yr 1: Hartley rush
Yr 2: Hartley rush
Yr 3: Gully cycle
Yr 3: Gully rush
Yr 4: Gully cycle with Smith puck handling

This on top of the system not matching the roster style, I can easily see why the entire bottom 6 folded like a cheap tent last season.

 

[Fig]

We do really need a 1B, IMO. I know Saros' name was bouncing around; who are some of the other potentially available guys who could push Mike Smith and give the AHL guys someone to chase?

I'm still beating the Anderson (OTT) and Howard (DET) drum. Both guys would give us a 1A/1A hot hand tandem.

A younger guy who could extend beyond this season and perhaps next? I haven't seen many options that seem like they may shake free. Pickard maybe? Saros is a pipe dream, but knowing Treliving, he probably asked about Saros two seasons ago.

 

[Mobiandi]

It was a new system even though Gully was in his second season with us. The system was completely overhauled to make use of Smith's puck handling capabilities. We might as well have had a different coach last season.

I can pretty much imagine how many of the players have been struggling this season. Bennett for instance has been in the following systems:

Yr 1: Hartley rush
Yr 2: Hartley rush
Yr 3: Gully cycle
Yr 3: Gully rush
Yr 4: Gully cycle with Smith puck handling

This on top of the system not matching the roster style, I can easily see why the entire bottom 6 folded like a cheap tent last season.

Good thing we have a different coach this season

We needed to make a coaching change but I think we're going to see more of the same growing pains next season. On top of Peters, as many as 5 of our top 12 forwards will be brand new. Our 2nd pairing is going to look different, with a guy that was in an extremely sheltered situation in Carolina but with lots of room to grow. We'll also have a new look PP and PK. Most importantly, will our "new" back-up challenge Mike Smith and make sure he doesn't have to play >55 games?

That's a pretty big overhaul.

Will the transition be more seamless should the new coaching staff chooses to play to the roster's strengths or will we have some major chemistry issues to push through in the beginning. I lean towards the latter just because this team appears to be very sensitive to change.

 

[Fig]

Good thing we have a different coach this season

We needed to make a coaching change but I think we're going to see more of the same growing pains next season. On top of Peters, as many as 5 of our top 12 forwards will be brand new. Our 2nd pairing is going to look different, with a guy that was in an extremely sheltered situation in Carolina but with lots of room to grow. We'll also have a new look PP and PK. Most importantly, will our "new" back-up challenge Mike Smith and make sure he doesn't have to play >55 games?

That's a pretty big overhaul.

Will the transition be more seamless should the new coaching staff chooses to play to the roster's strengths or will we have some major chemistry issues to push through in the beginning. I lean towards the latter just because this team appears to be very sensitive to change.

Actually, when the team played the Gully rush style, we did that amazing run and squeaked into the playoffs. It's when the team plays Gully's cycle style in a way that is completely counter intuitive to their natural talents that everything goes to hell. The only time I've ever seen something I felt was a confident semblance of a cycle, was when Jagr mentored Janko and Bennett on a line and they'd dominate possession for minutes. All other times, I honestly don't know what it was. But it sure was boring and the players seemed a bit robotic and tentative. Hartley with this roster for sure would be able to do a ton of damage.

If Peters truly is somewhere in between Gully and Hartley, but with Hartley's rush style, that alone IMO is removing shackles from many of the players. Brodie's shackles for instance has already been removed as he is to be moved back to RD where he is more comfortable. I also think what the players learned playing under Gully can help them greatly in terms of defensive play. Now that they've played a cycle styled game, once they go back to their strong rush style, IMO, they might be better able to adjust on the fly. I would not be surprised to see the team whip out some tricks they learned from Gully if the other team does well to shut down the rush.

The playbook is completely thrown out this season. New players, new style, less shackles, more experience... Let's hope the team gels right away rather than experiment and lose games due to awkward line fittings right from the get go. That being said, the player styles all seem like a fit. I don't think there's going to be a crap ton of chaos when players are shuffled around.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

There actually won't be much of a difference in systems between Gulutzan and Peters.

What I think we are all hopeful for is two things to change. No leadership vacuum / lack of direction as there was with Gulutzan, and much much better player utilization. (better players this season should also help)

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

There actually won't be much of a difference in systems between Gulutzan and Peters.

What I think we are all hopeful for is two things to change. No leadership vacuum / lack of direction as there was with Gulutzan, and much much better player utilization. (better players this season should also help)

Well I think Peters is going to try to do what Gully did, but it won’t be exactly the same. He’s going to shut down the nuetral zone on defence, then the offence is going to flow through from the defence on the backend of the things. I think the forwards will be expected to play a 2-way game like Gully asked, but I do think things will be more open overall, but not a ton more. It will be a more of a up tempo style of play.

 

[JPeeper]

Flames had 1 line going the entire of 2017-2018. When the 1st line went cold no one was scoring except Tkachuk on occasion. They added a lot of depth on forward with Lindholm, Neal, Ryan, Czarnik (given proper ice-time and linemates he'll explode), and you can probably add Dube/Mangiapane/Foo as well and we're losing Brouwer, Stajan, Hathaway, Lazar.

That'll be huge in regards to player utilization alone. Rather than sticking monkey ass Brouwer and Hathaway out there for 12 minutes+ a night we can stick out Ryan, Czarnik, Janko, etc. instead who can actually play.

All that is needed is Stone to GTFO and damn what a roster*.



*pending the health of Mike Smith's groin.

 

[MonyontheMoney]

The amount of hate Stone gets is pretty astonishing. I don’t get it.

 

[Lunatik]

The amount of hate Stone gets is pretty astonishing. I don’t get it.

When I see who it is, I'm not shocked

 

[Anglesmith]

Stone doesn't need to GTFO, that's just silly. If he's the sixth best defenceman, he should play. If he isn't, he'll presumably be in the press box under this new regime. Gulutzan trusted older players way more than younger ones, but looking at the defence corps in Carolina, I don't think that was true with Peters.

 

[Rangediddy]

Stone is hardly a useless player. His contract isn't great given that we're pretty tight against the cap, but he's a defenseman on every team in this league. We'll be sitting pretty if he is forced out of the top 6, but he doesn't need to go for the sake of getting him off the team (a la Brouwer).

 

[Baxterman]

Why are we getting rid of Stone when we currently have no salary issues, he is our 5th best defenseman and the only guy that can fill in the top 4 if someone gets hurt?

Why are we going to hope and pray that a guy like Andersson is going to be able to replace him when a. he has shown no ability to do that and b. we are in a compete now mode?

 

[Rangediddy]

Why are we getting rid of Stone when we currently have no salary issues, he is our 5th best defenseman and the only guy that can fill in the top 4 if someone gets hurt?

Why are we going to hope and pray that a guy like Andersson is going to be able to replace him when a. he has shown no ability to do that and b. we are in a compete now mode?

Because every team has a bad contract and he's ours. No other reason. Our fans are so used to wanting the bad contracts launched into the sun (Raymond, Brouwer, Stajan, Wideman) that they ignore actual ability to play. Every year the worst contract just NEEDS to be gone apparently

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

We need to sign a goalie and Tkachuk next off season. So yes, we do have salary issues

 

[The Gnome]

The amount of hate Stone gets is pretty astonishing. I don’t get it.

I like Stone, but he's not needed and it would give us flexibility if Tre wants to go long term with Hanifin. For what he brings to this particular lineup, our 3.5 could be used elsewhere or for relief.