Quote:
Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist
Chiasson is not a first line of second line player. Unfortunately in the depth chart, there he is
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I think we need to do away with arbitrary definitions of players as "first-line" or "second-line" players. Alex Chiasson isn't a terrifically talented player, nor is he the best player, skill-wise, to ever suit up next to Monahan or Gaudreau.
However, history tells us that the best
fit on that top line leads to wins, not cramming all of your best players in that unit.
Ever since he was placed on the Monahan line, Chiasson has proven himself to be a good fit there. He's produced well, scoring seven points in the last seven games, and has appeared to be a more effective player than usually seen from the David Jones/Joe Colborne-types who have populated that right side in years' past.
We've seen many players suit up next to Monahan and Gaudreau over the past few years, and regardless of whether they were likable players in general, many of them haven't been very effective. We saw it a lot last year. I don't have exact statistics on this matter, but I'd bet that the three players who most frequently played in the RW slot on the "first line" last year were Jiri Hudler (until he was traded), David Jones (see Hudler), and Joe Colborne.
Hudler lost a step last year, and that seems to have carried over into this season. He became a lot slower, and didn't fit on that top line. Jones was overpaid, a poor skater, very inconsistent, didn't use his big body enough, and wasn't a fit on that top line. Colborne was decent at best, but he was riding crazy percentages last year and he's sunk like a stone in Colorado now.
Those three guys weren't very effective on the "top line" last year -- there was no chemistry. But if you look back to the previous season (2014-15, when the Flames went to the second round), there was a much different story. Most notably, two lines were effective at different times in that season, creating chemistry which, in turn, led to wins.
The first was that Monahan - Gaudreau - Hudler tandem. This was pre-injury/whatever Hudler, and he was a fantastic veteran presence on that top line. Everybody produced well, and there was loads of chemistry to be found. It just so happened that those were the three most skilled forwards on the team. However, the three most skilled forwards on the team today are Gaudreau, Monahan, and Bennett. They haven't been lined up together much this season, and when they have been, there hasn't been significant success. The best players needn't be forced to play together -- chemistry is necessary for success.
The other line that really clicked in 2014-15 was the Ferland - Stajan - Jones line. That line was essentially the Flames' "1st line" throughout the playoffs. They weren't the best players on the team, but they had loads of chemistry and a really balanced attack.
That's where Chiasson fits in. He provides chemistry on that "1st line", even if he isn't a "1st line" player, per se. However, I think we need to stop thinking of lines by number, where the numbers increasingly represent lesser quality of the line, and instead as four equal units. Putting all of your lesser-skilled players on one line may be the textbook definition of a "4th line", but rarely does it lead to offensive or defensive success. We also need to stop thinking of players as "1st line players" or "3rd line players" -- we need to instead think of them as players who fit in with other players well, creating chemistry.
That was a really long rant, but I feel like it had to be said.
TL;DR: we need to stop thinking of "1st lines" and "2nd lines", and instead think of four units with players who all work together effectively. While Chiasson isn't a "1st-liner" skill-wise, he fits in with other players who are, and that creates an effective unit.