[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Such an overly simplistic way of viewing things. PIT doesn't have a 1st line RW on their 1st line and they are in the Stanley Cup finals so I guess your statement has been proven absolutely false?

1. Teams often spread their depth out these days. They don't play their top 3 offensive threats all on the same line usually. So highlighting a complimentary player who plays 1st line and saying X team sucks because Y player is on the 1st line is a very weak argument. PIT could easily be in the SC Finals with Ferland playing 1st line RW.

2. Flames within 2 years may have three 1st line LWs if we move Bennett to the wing. Does it really matter how good your RWers look if you've got three 1st line LWs? I mean it does, you want some solid complimentary guys and powerforwards but if your lineup contains multiple 1st line LWs and multiple top two line centres then I think that's about all you can ask for in today's NHL.

3. Related to #1 but some fans don't seem to realize that playing a bunch of guys who want the puck on their stick together can make for a mediocre line. Sometimes the player that best fits a line isn't the most skilled player left on the team but instead the player who compliments the weaknesses of the other two. Monahan and Gaudreau are both skilled, non-physical players who do not excel in physical board battles or physical net front battles. The best compliment for them may not be a Mike Cammalleri or Jiri Hudler who also cannot win physical battles. Sure that type of line will find some success in the regular season but usually wilts and no-shows the more physical playoffs. A better compliment for Monahan and Gaudreau would probably be a Lucic, Holmstrom, Simmonds, etc type player who can do the things they can't. A type of player who can make space for them, win board battles, drive the net to get deflections/screens/rebounds, etc.

In the end looking whoever is playing RW on the so called first line is not a good way to evaluate the depth of the team. Trying to predict our playoff chances based on evaluating that one position is even more foolhardy. I wish our fanbase would stop focusing on that one position and try to look at the overall depth as a whole. I wish our fanbase would stop focusing on trying to create the most skilled line possible and instead focus of trying to get 3 scoring lines where the play styles of the players compliment each other nicely.

I'd suggest concise