Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
Before Giordano-Hamilton, Brodie-Giordano was one of the best pairings in the league.
I don't know, I just feel like there's a pattern here of some sort.
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This is what I think as well.
Hamilton is really a great young defender who is only going to improve as the years go on. Flames are lucky to have him.
Brodie is so silky smooth - and though he has experienced a rough patch this season - is really a fantastic defencemen and the Flames are definitely so lucky to have him.
However, it is Giordano that is this team's best defenceman, and he gets overlooked and underappreciated far too often by everyone - even fans on the team. I find myself thinking back to all the really great defencemen this team has had since I started following them as a kid in 1981, and it makes me wonder:
"Is Giordano the single best 2-way defencemen this team has ever had?"
Al McInnis - well, he was definitely the best offensive defencemen this team has ever had, and especially as he matured his defensive game vastly improved and he became dependable. I guess I would rank him as the better all-round defencemen, but it is not without a conversation.
Brad McCrimmon was a monster back there - might have been the Flames best defensive defencemen (and that is saying a lot since I really loved Macoun and Regehr), but offensively he didn't put up the numbers.
Gary Suter was probably the Flames' best puck-mover/passer/skate up with the puck type - but defensively he left something to be desired at times.
Giordano really is a nice combination of all three. He has a nice, hard accurate shot like MacInnis, Gary's wrister and passing/skating ability, and MacCrimmon's defensive acumen (though not enough of MacCrimmon's nastiness).
That's the way I look at him anyways. I am not saying Giordano was or should be considered a 'better' defencemen than any of those three (or some of the other notable defencemen that Calgary has had), but I merely suggest that he is probably the most 'complete' defencemen that does absolutely everything at a high level.
Just some food for thought. Some might agree with that statement, some might think I am crazy. It is NOT a ranking on Calgary's best defencemen of all time - though such a ranking has to include Giordano fairly high up there now. Just a 'most complete' type.