[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not to be a Debbie downer but I'm a little skeptical this pair will be as good as we remember them. Gio while still very good is no longer in his prime as he was when paired with Brodie last and Brodie has been borderline terrible for two seasons now. I think he's going to be instantly better on the right side with Gio but I'm expecting a drop off over the Hamilton/Gio pairing. The hope is that the 2nd and 3rd pairings will be better to overcome that.

I don't think they'll ever reclaim their 2014-15 level of dominance, because that is one tough bar. You're talking about arguably the best pairing in the league at the time. They were regularly being decimated in terms of zone starts and given the toughest matchups, and they were not only getting it out of trouble, for a while they were leading the team in scoring (and were #1 and #2 for league defencemen scoring during that time).

Here's some feel-good articles from a while back documenting how great they were as a pairing.

CBS Sports: Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie and the players that are Carrying their Teams

Playing more than 24 minutes a night, Giordano and Brodie have spent almost all of their 5-on-5 ice-time on the ice together and play some of the toughest minutes in the NHL, especially when it comes to where they have been deployed on the ice, starting the overwhelming majority of their shifts in the defensive zone. Even with those tough minutes and the brutal usage, Giordano and Brodie are still able to play their way out of trouble on most shifts and are the driving forces behind their team offensively. Seriously, almost everything that happens for the Flames runs through Giordano and Brodie.

Calgary Herald: Flames defensive duo Giordano and Brodie among league's elite

“Just the way they possess the puck, the way they break up plays, lead the rush,” says Engelland, a former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. “Definitely one of the top pairings I’ve played with. Their mobility, great. Their offensive instincts, great. Then you throw them in the defensive zone and they’re great there, too.

“There’s not a weak spot from what I’ve seen.”

[...]

Best pair in the NHL?

“They’re certainly very close,” replies coach Bob Hartley. “Gio and Brodes, gosh, the way that they skate, the way that they perform. They’re a big reason why we’re (high) in the standings. They’re the backbone of our hockey club.”

THW: Brodie and Giordano make a run at the Norris

Thrown together in training camp last season as a pairing, Brodie and Giordano became an anchor for the club – if all else failed, coach Bob Hartley could throw them onto the ice and things would be just fine. The pairing boast speed, offensive creativity and strong 200-foot awareness. Their value to the team became really evident last season during Giordano’s 18-game absence due to an injury – Brodie was paired with Chris Butler, the Flames constantly got out-shot and out-scored, and they went 5-11-2 and fell towards the bottom of the NHL’s standings.