Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinny01
While I think it was obvious to every Flamea fan that Gio was going to succeed Iginla as captain I am not so sure many on here thought he was going to be this good and elevate is game this much. I have always loved Gio but when the team entered a full rebuild I thought he was a solid top 4 D and did not think he was an elite #1 franchise type player.
When he got the "C" he took that honor very seriously and stepped his game up considerably. He is definitely a key reason the rebuild has gone so well and quickly.
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Some of us thought he was a lot more than a solid top 4. But that is not the point.
You quoted handgroen's post about Giordano being a difference between the two rebuilds. And he was exactly right.
Many Flames fans argued that a naked, scorched-earth rebuild is a bad way to go about it. That leadership, and mentorship (teaching the kids how to be pros), and culture are vital.
Here we are a few years later and what do we have? In Calgary, a bunch of solid young prospects on a team with great leadership and great veterans, where the kids are learning the right way, and a solid culture has been established. And in Edmonton, a team that has been lost in the darkness, with no leadership, no accountability, and no growth, for years and wasted years.
Giordano isn't the entire difference. But he IS the poster child for the difference between the two teams.