[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

If the flames aren't up for a big splash trade/signing, and intend to fill the top 6 organically, then it absolutely requires Bennett moving up into the top 6, as early as next season.

Here's the biggest problem i think the flames are having (based on their regular forwards of use this year):
Right Handed forwards: Brouwer, Hathaway, Lazar, Versteeg

Left Handed Forwards: Monahan, Gaudreau, Ferland, Tkachuk, Backlund, Frolik, Bennett, Jankowski, Stajan

Quantity aside, there is also a major disparity on the quality of the 2 groups. Flames have no high skill guys that are right handed. I think this is a major issue that has plagued the PP also. Their limited in the types of set plays, cross seam/one-timer setups, based on the personnel.

of course hind sight is 20/20, but i wonder how the flames would have fared having iggy play a 3rd/4th line, PP specialist role rather than taking the gamble on Jagr. I would have voted for jagr no doubt, but looking back, perhaps that may have been a move that could have filled a need a bit better.

On a side note. I think i read that only 10% of the world are left handed. How come we see such a dominance in Hockey for lefthanded shooters?? I remember being a righty, whether it was a stick, bat, racket, i always was taught and played sports as a righty too. Perhaps a stupid question, and one where the answer is obvious, but i've got no clue.

When I was a kid, right handed people shot right. That's what I did and still do. Golf as well. For some reason it changed, I think sometime in the 90s. Someone decided that your dominant hand should be at the end of the stick, they say for control in stickhandling (although my stickhandling was always controlled by my pivot hand - the right in my case - if it's good enough for Mario, it's good enough for me).

Going "opposite" hand also leaves your strong hand on the stick when poking or sweeping one handed.