Can Troy Brouwer be salvaged?

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by btimbit

It wouldn't surprise me to see him play much better next year

It would surprise me if he could play any worse...

But jokes aside, I see a better year coming for him as well.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Agreed. If there's anybody who can pick Brouwer's game up its Backs and Frolik. Frolik can play both wings so we could flip him to LW so Brouwer can play RW.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer (shut down line)
Bouma-Lazar/Stajan-Chiasson/Hathaway

That'd be my lineup if Jankowski shows enough to make the team.

Man we don't even have enough room for Versteeg if Jankowski makes the team. Not sure how people think we can fit another winger in, I have trouble fitting in all the forwards we already have.

You don't want to give up on your only established RH shot in your top 9 forwards especially when he wants to play here over anything else. Negotiations should be easier with Versteeg and even Stone if Treliving goes that route.

Tkachuk-Monahan-Gaudreau
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer
Ferland-Bennett-Versteeg
Stajan-Jankowski-Lazar

[Machiavelli]

Not sure he can be salvaged. I can forgive a lot of things when it comes to execution of the game, but as mrdonkey mentioned, the dude was coasting out there for the majority of the season. Treliving and co. put a lot of faith him and he was such a let down. The dude I watched before he joined this team (particularly in Chicago) was a chippy SOB that played hard. He was often in scrums and chirping from the bench and crashing the net...actually had some passion in his game. The Flames version was a neutered one that I don't care too watch.

Wearing a letter, you're supposed to be a representative of the team, a leader, an example. Brouwer was incredibly subpar in those aspects and I badly wanted the Flames to be able to part ways with him.

However, it looks like he'll be here and I've accepted it. He absolutely has to lose that "A," though. Give it to Stajan

[EVERLAST]

I guess we give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he can redeem himself.

We've had several players here in the past that have done that such as Matt Stajan and Derek Engelland.

Useless before we saw them play and then once given the opportunity play well and establish confidence.

How many people have zero faith in Lazar? In Gillies? Mike smith....super small sample sizes yes from Lazar and Gillies but wow when people hate people hate.

I hope he makes me regret the hate but wow he is just horrible. The version I saw in Chicago and St. Louis isn't the same so I hope he gets back what he sorely lacked last year this year.

He shouldn't wear an A to start the year. Get to work Troy.

[GullFoss]

i dont think he was coasting so much as he is too slow for his linemates. Dude needs to drop some weight and give up some size for speed. Best place for him is fourth line + PP duties. Not because he's a fourth line player, but because the other three lines are full of players that he's not fast enough for.

Bouma-Hathaway-Brouwer

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I'm going to call it now: Brouwer will score 18 goals and put up 38 points, exactly what we signed him to do. I'll be satisfied with him if he does that, but I also think he can play with more effort and a LOT more passion. That's what I want to see more of this year, and that will be a "bounce back" season for me.

[Machiavelli]

He absolutely coasted...he can move if he wants to

[442scotty]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Agreed. If there's anybody who can pick Brouwer's game up its Backs and Frolik. Frolik can play both wings so we could flip him to LW so Brouwer can play RW.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer (shut down line)
Bouma-Lazar/Stajan-Chiasson/Hathaway

That'd be my lineup if Jankowski shows enough to make the team.

Man we don't even have enough room for Versteeg if Jankowski makes the team. Not sure how people think we can fit another winger in, I have trouble fitting in all the forwards we already have.

Hard to argue with this lineup... Then throw Mangiapane into the mix if he has a good camp. Flames will be subtracting this fall if they can. How do they possibly fit in Versteeg no matter how much we like him... Bye bye Bouma, Chia?

[Vinny01]

I hope he takes what happened over the past season as motivation and is humbled.

He ends the year on the 4th line, left unprotected, and not selected. That all has to sting.

I agree with the notion of letting him try and find his game playing with Backs and Frolik. Let Tkachuk play with Bennett and and Ferland and hopefully upgrade the top line RW spot.

Could mean no room for Versteeg however.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Hard to argue with this lineup... Then throw Mangiapane into the mix if he has a good camp. Flames will be subtracting this fall if they can. How do they possibly fit in Versteeg no matter how much we like him... Bye bye Bouma, Chia?

Weren't Bouma and Stajan healthy scratches last game of playoffs? Bouma could be Stockton candidate coming out of camp perhaps.

As for Brouwer, not sure what to expect. Given his age, if he doesn't rebound this year last 2 years look a little grim.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Agreed. If there's anybody who can pick Brouwer's game up its Backs and Frolik. Frolik can play both wings so we could flip him to LW so Brouwer can play RW.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer (shut down line)
Bouma-Lazar/Stajan-Chiasson/Hathaway

That'd be my lineup if Jankowski shows enough to make the team.

Man we don't even have enough room for Versteeg if Jankowski makes the team. Not sure how people think we can fit another winger in, I have trouble fitting in all the forwards we already have.

I really like those lines. The only thing that worries me is tkachuk with gaudreau and monahan, two guys who hate scrums with a guy who causes one every other whistle. That combined with ferland's late season chemistry with those guys... Might swap tkachuk and ferland assuming tkachuk can play rw.

But the idea of brouwer with backs and frolik is solid.

Ultimately Brouwer just needs to put in more effort on any line. He looked lazy last year.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Brouwer has been the consummate professional his whole career. He has to be disappointed with last year's performance and will want to prove his worth. I suspect we'll see a different Troy Brouwer this year, and Flames fans will have to find another whipping boy.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by saXon

Let's be honest, his compete and his fitness were never in question, nor so much his speed. But that doesn't win you games these days. He has to put the puck into to the back of the net.

I miss Paul Byron for all these reasons. He was a free asset that worked out for the Habs.

I disagree.

His compete was 100% in question all year long.

[Otto-matic]

Lets not forget he missed a good chunk of games due to a broken hand.

I think he'll rebound nicely for the upcoming season.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

Lets not forget he missed a good chunk of games due to a broken hand.

I think he'll rebound nicely for the upcoming season.

I agree.

He was one of the few productive bright spots to start the year when the entire team was terrible. I'm not expecting him to return to his 'prime' but I think a healthy season could see him get onto a roll.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

i dont think he was coasting so much as he is too slow for his linemates. Dude needs to drop some weight and give up some size for speed. Best place for him is fourth line + PP duties. Not because he's a fourth line player, but because the other three lines are full of players that he's not fast enough for.

Bouma-Hathaway-Brouwer

Yuck guy.

Bouma should be in Stockton and Hathaway should certainly not be a centre.

[Parallex]

Can Troy Brouwer be salvaged?

Probably not. There were huge red flags on Troy Brouwer before he was signed. I think he can be "salvaged" into something other then a 4.5M 4th line player... but I don't want him playing the toughs on the Backlund line, or dragging down Sean & Johnny so I think the best that we can hope for is that he picks up his play enough to deserve 3rd line minutes PvP with 2nd unit special team play.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

If the expectations are more than 35-40 points, then perhaps not, but it was one bad year, of course he can be salvaged.

[CaptainCrunch]

I see 600 goals and 1300 points out of him.

[icecube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I see 600 goals and 1300 points out of him.

Honestly?