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Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto
And what was the Flames record during those first 83 days? You know, when Brouwer was kicking ass. I mean top 5 among Flames forwards. Wowsers.
When I say he wasn't a good fit, I meant exactly that. Was he a good fit on the top line? Second line? Powerplay? Third line?
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Do you think top-five scoring on a team is a middling accomplishment? How curious.
During the first three months of the season I think Brouwer and Bennett were actually a decent fit, in that they provided top-six level offense, which was needed at a time when other players were struggling to find their game.
It is unsurprisingly typical that you would draw such an arbitrary link between Brouwer's offensive production and team performance:
Brouwer, good! = Team, bad.
Brouwer, bad. = Team, good!
So, Sam Bennett was tied with him for fifth in Flames scoring before Brouwer's injury, after which he then scored only five goals and nine points in 45 games. By your measure we should conclude from this that the Flames are much better off with Bennett continuing to play a less offensive role.
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When the Flames were rolling in March Brouwers' roll on the team was reduced to to the fourth line (and he didn't even do that very well). When things got tough in April Brouwer completely disappeared.
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Do you think then that returning from injury had no effect at all on his performance in the second half of the season?
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Yeah, it's possible he could have a bounce back year but I wouldn't bet on it. Seems to me like the less of a role Brouwer plays, the better the Flames are. He had a good preseason though...
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See, that's the funny thing about impressions—without all the information at hand they are just as likely to be right as wrong.
Here is what I cannot fathom:
· There is strong evidence to suggest that Brouwer is still a +35-point-producer at his age when healthy.
· There is strong evidence to suggest that Brouwer's injury had a significant impact on his production and effectiveness in the second half of the season.
· There is nothing beyond the fact that he is now a year older after suffering through the worst single season of his professional career to indicate that he has suddenly diminished to the level of a fourth-line checker.
And yet, there are plenty of posters—including yourself—who seem absolutely convinced that the last point completely nullifies the former two. That looks to me like the textbook definition of "irrational" and "obtuse."
Pardon me for believing that the evidence matters.