Q&A with Gulutzan

[cannon7]

Brodie-Stone was a solid pairing. I wouldn't be opposed to pairing Hamonic with a young player, think he may be a better fit in that role than Stone. Certainly can pick up more slack than a Wideman or Engelland. Hamonic could do wonders with an Andersson I think.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Brodie-Stone was a solid pairing. I wouldn't be opposed to pairing Hamonic with a young player, think he may be a better fit in that role than Stone. Certainly can pick up more slack than a Wideman or Engelland. Hamonic could do wonders with an Andersson I think.

Hamonic + Andersson would be a RHD - RHD pairing, and I think we have a pretty clear understanding of just how much value Gully puts on using LHD - RHD pairings.

Giordano - Hamilton
Brodie - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone
Bartkowski

seems too natural for it to not play out like that. Andersson will be the first call-up if a RHD goes down with an injury, and Kylington will be the call-up if a LHD goes down (assuming Valimaki doesn't make the roster out of camp, which would force Kulak to the AHL).

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

All I ask, is that GG uses training camp to get the regular lines/pairings into game shape, and not for experimentation. It was understandable last season, being that he was new, and the system was new, but headed into this year GG knows what he has and what works, and so he needs to get those guys clicking prior to game 1 of the regular season. We have to slaughter the Oilers on opening night.

Gaudreau Monahan x
Tkachuk Backlund Frolik
x Bennett Versteeg
x x x

Giordano Hamilton
Brodie Hamonic
x Stone

Smith
x

Find the best fit for the open spots, otherwise the lineup should remain untouched.

Given the youth looking to push into the lineup I wouldn't be quite that rigid, but I certainly get your point.

Leave the top two defense pairs alone after the first ex game or two, but up front I'd experiment with set pairs and then see what can be done to supplement them.

Monahan/Gaudreau
Backlund/Frolik

But why not rotate some options through those pairings to see what they have.

A Jankowski or a Foo have a much better chance of proving they are NHL ready playing with those four players than rolling them with Stajan and Brouwer to see what they have./

Plus they might find a Bennett/Tkachuk or Bennett/Lazar combination (Bennett anyone really) sets the kid of for a break out season.

[Enoch Root]

If Lazar clicked with Bennett, we could have 4 incredibly deep lines:

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

That gives us a very good to great first line,
a great to elite second line,
an exciting and pretty good third line
an elite fourth line

to go with one of the best Ds in the league

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

If Lazar clicked with Bennett, we could have 4 incredibly deep lines:

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

That gives us a very good to great first line,
a great to elite second line,
an exciting and pretty good third line
an elite fourth line

to go with one of the best Ds in the league

That third line would drive other teams nuts.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

That third line would drive other teams nuts.

Which is why I hope it happens. That would be so, so sweet, I wouldnt even know what to call it.

"Talented Jerk Line?"

Its not clever, just likely accurate.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

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

I like the looks of that lineup. Jankowski apprenticing with the two masters.

Third line "The Jerky Boys."

[CroFlames]

After 3 seasons of bad starts, there is tons of pressure on Gulutzan to come out of the gate guns blazing.

There is no excuse. I also think if they come out with a really solid start, it'll carry them all year and probably get that Anaheim monkey off their backs.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Brodie-Stone was a solid pairing. I wouldn't be opposed to pairing Hamonic with a young player, think he may be a better fit in that role than Stone. Certainly can pick up more slack than a Wideman or Engelland. Hamonic could do wonders with an Andersson I think.

The fit with a young player is less important than who can let Brodie do his thing best, and that is clearly Hamonic - who is essentially a greatly upgraded version of Stone.

FlamesNation: How Travis Hamonic may fit in and hopefully rebound with the Flames


Brodie is green, Stone is purple.

Adding in Hamonic as the orange:

Brodie’s strengths are Hamonic’s weaknesses. Hamonic’s strengths are Brodie’s weaknesses. Neither is particularly good at dangerous shot contributions, but they’re a pair of lower scoring defencemen – that’s probably not expected of them, nor should it really get in the way of their actual defending abilities.

But in theory, this looks like it should work. Brodie has a similar shape to Leddy, but he’s stronger in several areas (and significantly weaker in shot volume, which, I mean, we know this, we’ve watched him for years).

Hamonic, meanwhile, is much more well-rounded than any partner Brodie had in the last year, sans Wideman who was, well, Wideman; Hamonic being Brodie’s age and not teetering near the end of his NHL career will probably help massively.