[djsFlames]

Trading Hall and Yak did a lot for the Oilers. Retooling the rebuild. I'm starting to think that's something the flames should consider. A lateral move, young player for younger player? These young guys aren't bad. They're good and have potential yet, of course, but I don't know if they're all the sort you win with. When has Monahan shown more leadership than scoring the odd goal in a losing effort? Shown any grit or unhinged emotion for his team? Sam Bennett has all the potential in the world but is incredibly fragile mentally and undisciplined. I still remember when he didn't make the team out of his first camp and how petty/entitled his attitude about it seemed afterwards. Perhaps those two guys don't have the intangibles to help make this team a winning one, as much as we know they'll be productive NHLers. There's guts who can make careers as nhlers and then there's guys that make teams winners. I'm not sold on this crop, because I don't see any of them stepping up, in any sense of the word.

Gaudreau and Monahan are taking less responsibility or accountability than they showed last season despite receiving massive bumps in pay. The team is paying them to take the reigns and carry this team and they have instead turtled and neither has worked to progress their individual games and show some form of growth as players or leaders. That irks me more than anything.