[GreenLantern2814]

This argument gets brought up a lot by naysayers, that the Flames will suffer the same fate as the Avalanche or Maple Leafs. My contention has always been that if you look at the D and centre depth of each team from one year to the next, it becomes readily apparent why each team failed to take a step forward the next year.

Let the peer review begin.


Toronto:

2012-13

Defense

Phaneuf-Gunnarsson
Gardiner-Franson
Komisarek-JML
Kostka-O'Byrne
Fraser-Holzer

Centre
Bozak
Grabovski
Kadri
McClement
Steckel
Komarov
Colborne

2013-14

Defense

Phaneuf-Gunnarsson
Reilly-Gardiner
Ranger-Franson
Gleason-Granberg
JML-Fraser (Both traded in season)

Centres

Bozak
Bolland
Kadri
McClement
McKegg
Smithson
Smith
Holland

Toronto had a bad defense and poor centre depth the year they made the playoffs. If they have to play 82 games, that group doesn't get into the playoffs. As evidenced by them never getting into the playoffs when they have to play 82 games. So what did they do to address the centre ice position and D the next year? They overpay for a half year of David Bolland, a #3C at best, and add a rookie Morgan Reilly to go along with Paul Ranger, who hadn't played hockey in years. Leafs = paper tiger.

Colorado

2013-14

Defense

Johnson-Hejda
Barrie-Benoit
Sarich-Holden
Guenin

Centres

Duchene
ROR
Stastny
MacKinnon
Mitchell
Talbot
Cliche

2014-15

Defense

Johnson-Hejda (EJ injured for more than half the year)
Holden-Guenin
Barrie-Stuart
Redmond-

Centres

Duchene
ROR
MacKinnon
Briere
Cliche
Mitchell
Talbot/Hamilton

Colorado's Achilles heel was defensive depth, and it was never more prevalent then when Matt Cooke Matt Cooke'd Tyson Barrie's knee. They had one defense pair after that, and were bounced from the playoffs soon after. Their centre depth even with the loss of Stastny would have been the envy of the league. I know ROR and MacKinnon play wing all the time, but the fact remains you could throw all three of them in the middle and be fine. Colorado is an extremely talented and exciting team, but they need help on the back end. Getting Zadorov this offseason is the sort of move they should be making, but I'd say they need another stud on the back end before they're legit playoff team. Injuries also derailed their season hard - Erik Johnson only played 47 games, and they didn't get a full year out of MacKinnon either. Don't sleep on the Avs, they're close.

Calgary

2014-15

Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Wideman
Engelland-Schlemko
Diaz-Smid
Wotherspoon

Centres

Monahan
Backlund
Stajan
Granlund
Colborne
Jooris
Shore

2015-16 *Projected

Defense
Giordano-Brodie
Hamilton-Wideman
Russell-Engelland
Morrisson-Wotherspoon

Centres
Monahan
Backlund
Bennett
Stajan
Granlund
Colborne
Shore
Jooris
Arnold (assuming he'll see some time this year)

The Flames' centre depth took a while to take shape last year. Backlund was injured for a few months, Monahan was spent the first half of the year with a really defense first mindset, and only broke out offensively once Colborne and Jones were swapped with Gaudreau and Hudler. Granlund Jooris and Stajan swung all up and down the lineup, but en masse, you see just how young the Flames centres are. Which bodes well going forward.

The duo of Brodie and Giordano were talked about as the best pairing in hockey for a stretch.

When Gio went down, Kris Russell and Dennis Wideman elevated their games and played absolutely out of their minds. Those saying Dennis Wideman won't score fifty points again: he probably won't. He won't have all of Giordano's PP time do it with. Instead, Giordano will get it. Which leaves the Flames better off.

Brodie played almost thirty minutes a night while dragging Deryk Engelland around. He got no PP time. He's a stud.

The Hamilton acquisition speaks for itself. The Flames have three top pairing defensemen, and arguably three #1s. All locked up for a combined $17M until the 2020s.

Centre depth for the Flames adds Bennett and otherwise remains constant, but that's a pretty good add. Not sure how he'll do over 82 games, but he doesn't hurt.

So in terms of the two things you really need for a contending team, centre depth and defensive depth, the Flames going forward are better designed than either Colorado or Toronto was following their upstart year.

TL;DR: The Flames are better built than the Avs or Leafs.