Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
I think that would help more if we played off the rush more frequently. But you look at slower teams like SJ and Edmonton and the big-body centers they employ like Thornton and Draisaitl. Both of them lack any significant foot speed but defenseman respect them because have ok hands and can use their size to hold onto the puck. Fhey can drive wide and gain the zone quite easily. Whereas, Monahan is bordering on stone hands and doesn't really shield the puck as well as either them which puts on all the burden of playmaking on Gaudreau.
Look no further than Tkachuk and pre-bye week Jankowski for examples of slow Flames players that can hold on to the puck and make plays happen despite their slowness.
I would say that hand-speed can certainly replace foot-speed in the puck-handling aspect, you're right. I just think that it's easier for a guy like Monahan to become quicker with his feet than to expect him to become a puck-handling wizard. And in addition to that, foot-speed helps with many other facets of the game that puck-handling ability doesn't help with.
Thornton is a bit of a special case due to his reach, though.