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Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
1. All players are inconsistent even the best. Expecting complete consistency from a team or a player is absurd
2. Hockey is a team game, you don't build around one player. It wouldn't be Tkachuk's team, he would just be one of the more important parts.
3. Tkachuk just turned 22. It's highly unlikely we've seen the best from him. He could easily continue to get better. Even if it's just his consistency that he improves on, he'll grow.
I think this boils down to us needing more heart, more competitiveness, more grit, more fire. It's been a need for a while. It's why we dealt Hamilton (he lacked it), why we acquired Lindholm and Lucic, and why the loss of Hathaway has stung. I had reached a frustration point with Hamilton when Treliving dealt him and I'm quickly reaching that point with Gaudreau's careless, scared play this year.
Tkachuk is definitely a guy you build around because his style of play is needed in the playoffs. I think it's why you keep Bennett too unless somebody wants to really blow your socks off with an offer. I think you have to have some gritty, physical players to succeed in the playoffs.
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Who is expecting complete consistency? My point is that the scapegoating of the playoffs and the current season on Johnny Gaudreau is over reaching. Other players aren’t playing well and often that includes Tkachuk.
I like Tkachuk a lot and I hope he stays. Lots of people expect Gaudreau to leave after he reaches UFA and Tkachuk has the exact same risk. Maybe you didn’t mean to say it the way you did, but Tkachuk is not a player you “build around” IMO. He could though be an extremely useful piece on a good team.
I hear you on grit and competitiveness but I don’t like judging players “heart” too much. There are a lot of players on this team I could see being very successful on a team that is built differently.