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ForeverFlameFan · 03-19-2014, 03:34 PM

Our defensive core is underestimated, and I think it's really solid enough as it is.

The one defenseman i have really been impressed with is Brodie. A couple of years ago, he was a 5-6 defenseman, and is now playing top 2 minutes with Gio. They are a great pairing too!

Can't say enough about Gio. He is by far the best choice of Captain right after our franchise player left. He took the reigns and has played very good hockey. 39 points in 51 games, second in Flames scoring.

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/st...atistics/2013/

Butler (YES, Butler), is #2 in blocked shots, followed by Smid at #4. And surprisingly, Russell is at #10. 3 of the top 10 block shots are part of the Flames squad.

Can't believe some people think we shouldn't extend a contract to Butler. He is doing his part as a 5-6 defenseman, and his contract isn't even bad at all. Of course he makes some mistakes here and there, but you're wrong if you think he hasn't improved from previous years with the team. Not to mention, he is approaching the defenseman age where they hit their prime.

Russell for a 5th round pick? What a steal. Then again, the Blues' defensive depth is so large, they could probably care less that we probably won that deal. He really has shown that he is a part of a lot of the wins we get.

Smid is another steal deal that we took from Edmonton. He can play solid minutes and play defense, something that we really lacked in at the beginning of the year until we acquired him. Bold move Edmonton?

The only defenseman I have a problem with is Wideman. The only thing he has going good for him is we lack RH shots and his contract keeps us within the cap floor. Ekblad would certainly be an upgraded RH shot than what we have with Wideman. He is inconsistent, and sometimes just looks lost. He's definitely not the powerplay quarterback that we saw from last year.

I certainly prefer Wotherspoon over him. Wotherspoon is a very quiet guy, but if you look really closely, he does have a good hockey IQ and makes good decisions for the most part as others have mentioned.

I think the only thing the Flames are lacking is a "shutdown" defensive defenseman, kind of what we had with Regehr, one who can play top 4 minutes. Other than that, our defensive core is pretty good, you can obviously tell that the thing the Flames lack in most is having scoring depth, top 6 players.

03-19-2014, 03:34 PM	#23
ForeverFlameFan Franchise Player Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: NC Exp:	Our defensive core is underestimated, and I think it's really solid enough as it is. The one defenseman i have really been impressed with is Brodie. A couple of years ago, he was a 5-6 defenseman, and is now playing top 2 minutes with Gio. They are a great pairing too! Can't say enough about Gio. He is by far the best choice of Captain right after our franchise player left. He took the reigns and has played very good hockey. 39 points in 51 games, second in Flames scoring. http://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/st...atistics/2013/ Butler (YES, Butler), is #2 in blocked shots, followed by Smid at #4. And surprisingly, Russell is at #10. 3 of the top 10 block shots are part of the Flames squad. Can't believe some people think we shouldn't extend a contract to Butler. He is doing his part as a 5-6 defenseman, and his contract isn't even bad at all. Of course he makes some mistakes here and there, but you're wrong if you think he hasn't improved from previous years with the team. Not to mention, he is approaching the defenseman age where they hit their prime. Russell for a 5th round pick? What a steal. Then again, the Blues' defensive depth is so large, they could probably care less that we probably won that deal. He really has shown that he is a part of a lot of the wins we get. Smid is another steal deal that we took from Edmonton. He can play solid minutes and play defense, something that we really lacked in at the beginning of the year until we acquired him. Bold move Edmonton? The only defenseman I have a problem with is Wideman. The only thing he has going good for him is we lack RH shots and his contract keeps us within the cap floor. Ekblad would certainly be an upgraded RH shot than what we have with Wideman. He is inconsistent, and sometimes just looks lost. He's definitely not the powerplay quarterback that we saw from last year. I certainly prefer Wotherspoon over him. Wotherspoon is a very quiet guy, but if you look really closely, he does have a good hockey IQ and makes good decisions for the most part as others have mentioned. I think the only thing the Flames are lacking is a "shutdown" defensive defenseman, kind of what we had with Regehr, one who can play top 4 minutes. Other than that, our defensive core is pretty good, you can obviously tell that the thing the Flames lack in most is having scoring depth, top 6 players.