Speculation: Armchair GM Thread - 2020-2021 III

[Ace Rimmer]

Did Elliotte Friedman reference Flames GM Brad Treliving on the 31 Thoughts Podcast?

Quote in question

I was talking about [how to evaluate your team after this year] with another GM the other day, and… this was a team that kinda had a disappointing year, and what he said to me was we’re looking at how a player was doing before this year. Like for example, if this was a player who was trending upwards and they had a really bad year, what we’re discussing is ok, was this a bad year because he was on a downward trend or a bad year because this year was not conducive to having a good year. And he said there was one player in his organization… who was trending downwards and had a good year. And he said they were kinda looking at him in a new way because it would have been easy to continue to trend downward.

 

[Mobiandi]

Did Elliotte Friedman reference Flames GM Brad Treliving on the 31 Thoughts Podcast?

Quote in question

I can't see how this is not Hanifin

 

[Dack]

I can't see how this is not Hanifin

The first part sounds a lot like Tkachuk.

 

[Yepthatsme]

I’m still hoping before we tear apart the core, we spend some spare cash this offseason being in some talented winger not PTOs. All season we have had two lines produce. Whichever line gets a second competent winger, and Mangiapane/Backlund when they were unfortunately operating on unsustainable percentages. Leon draisatl this season has actually low key struggled when he’s been tasked with carrying around Kahun (outshot, our chanced, and only 9 points with him being his most common line mate), yet I would take Kahun over Ritchie, Nordstrom, Lucic (skillwise), Simon, and Leivo. We expect our two lines to drag around anchors when a top 5 talent league wide struggles to do it?

Also that line with two competent wingers doesn’t seem to matter who they are. As much as it’s nice that Gaudreau is finally getting points again, Lindholm/Tkachuk really haven’t seen too much of a production boost over their time with Dube. If next offseason we could add a top 6 wing (Hoffman-esque deal) and a middle sixer (Alex wennberg?), we could roll:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube
Gaudreau-Monahan/Wennberg-Hoffman
Monahan/Wennberg-Backlund-Mangiapane

That’s a top 9 without a single passenger, doesn’t break the bank, and wouldn’t lock us in to anything in case it doesn’t work and we tear it down. If we do tear it down mid season those are some great deadline assets as well.

Though with all that said, if someone gives you an offer you can’t refuse, except for Lindholm, Tkachuk, Hanifin, or Andersson, you take it this offseason.

 

[Mazatt]

No matter what happens with the roster, I think they need to go into next season with a blank slate. Don't come in with a preconceived notion that Backlund has to be the 2C, or that Tkachuk is the top line winger or what have you, just come in with a clean mind and put guys in spots they have earned. This might mean proven vets are down the lineup, but the Flames need to really hammer down and understand that they can't be relying on past results to justify spots in the lineup, and need to react to keep up with the way players change on a year to year basis. At the very least, if they are going to make it so spots in the lineup are earned keep it consistent for everyone starting from training camp.

 

[super6646]

No matter what happens with the roster, I think they need to go into next season with a blank slate. Don't come in with a preconceived notion that Backlund has to be the 2C, or that Tkachuk is the top line winger or what have you, just come in with a clean mind and put guys in spots they have earned. This might mean proven vets are down the lineup, but the Flames need to really hammer down and understand that they can't be relying on past results to justify spots in the lineup, and need to react to keep up with the way players change on a year to year basis. At the very least, if they are going to make it so spots in the lineup are earned keep it consistent for everyone starting from training camp.

Vets down the lineup? I’ll believe it when I see it.

 

[Lunatik]

I can't see how this is not Hanifin

How the f*** does that sound like Hanifin? He wasn't trending downwards

 

[Mobiandi]

How the f*** does that sound like Hanifin? He wasn't trending downwards

He was languishing under Peters and Ward and trade bait until Sutter came along

 

[Lunatik]

Did Elliotte Friedman reference Flames GM Brad Treliving on the 31 Thoughts Podcast?

Quote in question

TWC is a site of f***ing hacks. There is zero reason to think it is about Treliving as the only Flame that fits that description is Michael Stone.

This could be about Pavelski, Barrie, Kessel, Trochek, Hornqvist, Krejci... etc.

 

[Lunatik]

He was languishing under Peters and Ward and trade bait until Sutter came along

Yeah.... ok

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

In 12 games since being formed, the new top line has been pretty good:

Gaudreau 6g 15p 5 ESG 11 ESP +3
Lindholm 8g 10p 6 ESG 7 ESP +4
Tkachuk 1g 9p 1 ESG 7 ESP +4

The team is scoring 2.92 goals per game during this stretch vs 2.55 season average before, and the difference is pretty much all at 5v5:

2.17 5v5 goals per game after
1.72 5v5 goals per game before

Obviously secondary scoring is a concern, but I've always been of the mindset that you need to make sure you have a primary scoring threat before worrying about secondary scoring. And for the first time in over two years, the flames have a legitimate first line.

I think getting more offensive opportunities for Derek Ryan like they did last night would have been huge earlier in the season, but it's looking like it's too little too late.

 

[Body Checker]

I don’t think a retool would be too bad IF flames have some courage - Kraken take Gio, try Dube as 2C, try Monohan as 2LW, play Kylington in top six, sign Hoffman, Armia, Brossoit in free agency, promote Mackey, Gawdin and Phillips -

Markstrom, Brossoit

Andersson/Hanifin
Tanev/Kylington
Stone/Valimaki
Mackey

Gaudreau/Lindholm/Tkachuk
Monohan/Dube/Hoffman
Mangiapane/Backlund/Armia
Lucic/Gawdin/Phillips
Robinson/Nordstrom

 

[Mobiandi]

Wherever that may be

 

[RasmusAndersson]

I don’t think a retool would be too bad IF flames have some courage - Kraken take Gio, try Dube as 2C, try Monohan as 2LW, play Kylington in top six, sign Hoffman, Armia, Brossoit in free agency, promote Mackey, Gawdin and Phillips -

Markstrom, Brossoit

Andersson/Hanifin
Tanev/Kylington
Stone/Valimaki
Mackey

Gaudreau/Lindholm/Tkachuk
Monohan/Dube/Hoffman
Mangiapane/Backlund/Armia
Lucic/Gawdin/Phillips
Robinson/Nordstrom

That would be ok but we'd still be pretty mediocre and just adding Hoffman/Armia wouldn't move the needle enough imo. Hoffman is incredibly streaky and one-dimensional and that 2nd line would need to be extremely extremely sheltered. Maybe that team could sneak into the playoffs and get lucky but they still would get obliterated by top-teams and wouldn't be able to create that much offence. Monahan and Hoffman are also both guys who can finish chances and imo need to be with players who excel at generating them, so I don't see them working out together.

I'm not opposed to Hoffman/Armia and sliding Dube to 2C, but we'd have to make bigger moves around them, like moving Monahan or Backlund for futures and replacing them with a better offensive top-6 W.

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Hyman/Hall/Schwartz/Tatar-Dube-Hoffman
Mang-Backlund-Armia
Lucic-Gawdin-Phillips

That, plus the added futures we could get in a Monahan deal, would be a much better re-tool. But even then I'd rather just avoid most UFA's altogether, see if our young guys can plug those holes, and if not suck it up and struggle and sell for the next year so that we can get a high pick and out of this rut of mediocrity. However, if management is driven to remain competitive I would be open to something like that

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Wherever that may be

I know there's a microchance of this happening, but please BT take my energy.

 

[Kranix]

I know there's a microchance of this happening, but please BT take my energy.

Andersson and Valimaki are deal breakers for Tre, so it wouldn't happen even if Buffalo wanted to.

 

[Lunatik]

Andersson and Valimaki are deal breakers for Tre, so it wouldn't happen even if Buffalo wanted to.

Eichel wouldn't be a deadline pending UFA that we weren't allowed to negotiate with ahead of time

 

[Yepthatsme]

In 12 games since being formed, the new top line has been pretty good:

Gaudreau 6g 15p 5 ESG 11 ESP +3
Lindholm 8g 10p 6 ESG 7 ESP +4
Tkachuk 1g 9p 1 ESG 7 ESP +4

The team is scoring 2.92 goals per game during this stretch vs 2.55 season average before, and the difference is pretty much all at 5v5:

2.17 5v5 goals per game after
1.72 5v5 goals per game before

Obviously secondary scoring is a concern, but I've always been of the mindset that you need to make sure you have a primary scoring threat before worrying about secondary scoring. And for the first time in over two years, the flames have a legitimate first line.

I think getting more offensive opportunities for Derek Ryan like they did last night would have been huge earlier in the season, but it's looking like it's too little too late.

Ironically before last game, the new top line was scoring at almost identical rates to the Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube line, so most of that increase in scoring has come from elsewhere. Before last night where they were fantastic, pacing out our new top lines minutes to match the old top line gives them one extra goal, but two extra allowed.

Another weird trend is that while Gaudreau is collecting points, he doesn’t actually seem to be making a positive impact on the other twos production. Lindholm is producing almost identically to his performance before adding Gaudreau, and before last night Tkachuk was actually producing worse 5v5.

I definitely agree about Derek Ryan. That man seems to save any line he gets put on. Hopefully his decreased point totals from our complete lack of wingers let’s him come back for cheap.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

The Flames organization, as a destination, is probably about as appealing as staying in Buffalo.

 

[Volica]

The Flames organization, as a destination, is probably about as appealing as staying in Buffalo.

So, Jack, I hear you like mediocrity?

Also, to be fair, this guy is down on everyone's board in terms of the next young great ones. He's now well behind guys like McDavid and Matthews in terms of how he's viewed as a player. He was suppose to be better than Matthews too. He'd get to play a boat load of games against McDavid, it'd setup a fun rivalry.

 

[Lunatik]

I think this summer, we should let Sutter bring in his own assistants should he want to.

 

[Body Checker]

Connor Brown has looked good all year for Ottawa and Tyler Toffoli obviously. Two RWs that were there for Treliving to take a shot at. They combine for 7.85 against the cap. Lucic and Ryan account for 8.40 against the cap. 78 points for Toffoli/Brown while Lucic/Ryan have 31 points.

Brad is such a poor cap manager.

 

[Volica]

Connor Brown has looked good all year for Ottawa and Tyler Toffoli obviously. Two RWs that were there for Treliving to take a shot at. They combine for 7.85 against the cap. Lucic and Ryan account for 8.40 against the cap. 78 points for Toffoli/Brown while Lucic/Ryan have 31 points.

Brad is such a poor cap manager.

He almost had Brown.
Lots of almosts with this GM.

 

[Mobiandi]

He almost had Brown.
Lots of almosts with this GM.

Iirc the Brodie trade was a 3 team trade for cap reasons and Brown was headed to Ottawa anyway.

 

[InfinityIggy]

He almost had Brown.
Lots of almosts with this GM.

Someone should put together an ‘all almost’ roster so we can all feel bad.