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Flash Walken · 04-20-2019, 12:42 AM

The problem isn't Monahan, the problem is there's only Monahan.

Yes the flames would be better if they had barkov instead of Monahan, but they wouldn't be going anywhere if the drop off from line 1-2 was to Backlund.

It's the lack of total assets problem rearing it's ugly head again. If Bennett was Barkov and Monahan was Monahan, then you'd have something.

I don't think you trade Monahan and get any better as a club because you aren't going to move him 1 for 1 and get a better player. The goal needs to be supplanting him from the defacto #1 spot.

Right now there is just no other option than to play Gaudreau with Monahan, so when one of them is struggling, they both struggle. I look at the blues last year. Statsny was moving on, and even though Brayden Schenn put up 70 points with Tarasenko, they knew they needed a top flight centre. Just because Schenn wasn't a top line centre didn't mean they traded him, it meant they needed to push him down the lineup.

Fast Forward a year where O'Reilly is now the top guy, put up 77 points, basically a repeat of the season Schenn had the season before. Instead of the 2nd line centre putting up 40 points in 63 games (statsny), the 2nd line centre (schenn) put up 54 points in 72 games.

Tarasenko literally scored the same amount of goals both years but they managed to squeeze an extra 21 goals out of their lineup and finished 15th in the league in goals for this year compared to 24th in goals for last year. Basically all of St. Louis' number improved, PP%, PK%, Goals Against, Goals For, Faceoffs, Shots against. They only finished with one more win, but with 5 extra points. All of a sudden they have a hot goaltender and look at them now.

The PROBLEM though is you have to spend assets to get those players, and you have to have cap space available to bring them in. The Flames don't really have either.

You can have a shot at winning now if you're willing to blow up your ability to win with Tkachuk in the future, or you can with with Tkachuk in the future if you're willing to blow up your ability to win now, but you can't have both.

04-20-2019, 12:42 AM	#311
Flash Walken Lifetime Suspension Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Void between Darkness and Light Exp:	The problem isn't Monahan, the problem is there's only Monahan. Yes the flames would be better if they had barkov instead of Monahan, but they wouldn't be going anywhere if the drop off from line 1-2 was to Backlund. It's the lack of total assets problem rearing it's ugly head again. If Bennett was Barkov and Monahan was Monahan, then you'd have something. I don't think you trade Monahan and get any better as a club because you aren't going to move him 1 for 1 and get a better player. The goal needs to be supplanting him from the defacto #1 spot. Right now there is just no other option than to play Gaudreau with Monahan, so when one of them is struggling, they both struggle. I look at the blues last year. Statsny was moving on, and even though Brayden Schenn put up 70 points with Tarasenko, they knew they needed a top flight centre. Just because Schenn wasn't a top line centre didn't mean they traded him, it meant they needed to push him down the lineup. Fast Forward a year where O'Reilly is now the top guy, put up 77 points, basically a repeat of the season Schenn had the season before. Instead of the 2nd line centre putting up 40 points in 63 games (statsny), the 2nd line centre (schenn) put up 54 points in 72 games. Tarasenko literally scored the same amount of goals both years but they managed to squeeze an extra 21 goals out of their lineup and finished 15th in the league in goals for this year compared to 24th in goals for last year. Basically all of St. Louis' number improved, PP%, PK%, Goals Against, Goals For, Faceoffs, Shots against. They only finished with one more win, but with 5 extra points. All of a sudden they have a hot goaltender and look at them now. The PROBLEM though is you have to spend assets to get those players, and you have to have cap space available to bring them in. The Flames don't really have either. You can have a shot at winning now if you're willing to blow up your ability to win with Tkachuk in the future, or you can with with Tkachuk in the future if you're willing to blow up your ability to win now, but you can't have both.