I don't buy the Monahan for Ristolainen rumour at all - not one bit. Flames had Giordano coming off as the #1 D in the league, and part of arguably the best (or one of the best anyway) complete pairings in the NHL. They have Hanifin who is young and still getting better.
Organizationally, they have NOBODY who can put up numbers like Monahan at C. Nobody. There isn't anybody on the team right now or coming up the pipeline. Flames already established a good history of having a defensive corps 'nearing the best in the NHL', and winning jack squat with it. They have never won a cup without defence AND a #1 centre. Came close in '04 I guess.
Plus, when did Ristolainen get the "do not acquire" stamp from Calgary? It was a while ago, no? Further evidence that the Flames weren't going to give up Monahan. The only way that this rumour had legs is if this was about a much bigger package.
I am still clinging onto hope that the Flames manage to retain Gaudreau and Monahan, sign Hall, and try and run 3 better lines. Of course it is going to be extremely difficult to make the cap work, but boy would that be a difficult team to defend against. Of course in this - my little dream - Calgary also hires Laviolette and he figures out a system for the players. I remember one poster (I forgot who - sorry, I am forgetful) that spoke to someone in the Flames org who felt confident that they could bring in Hall next season, and they were going to keep Gaudreau while they were at it. Of course that was before Covid, and maybe with the top line's production, that might not be the plan any longer anyway...
I just see a team that if you just continually focus on the top line, you will beat Calgary in the long run. It is awesome that Bennett's line has contributed, but they have dried up a bit of late, and the 2nd line with Tkachuk just isn't generating enough - though Backlund did get a goal last game (and looked fantastic in that one).
I don't want a top-heavy team. I don't know how to make the money work, but I want 2-3 lines that can consistently chip-in on offence - RELIABLY.
The more 'game-breakers' you have in your lineup, the more games you will break, so to speak. Teams usually can't afford to focus on 2 lines in a game as much - you only have so many really good defensive players in a lineup. Teams that have reliable scoring depth are difficult teams to contain.
A good coach can come in and figure out what combos to start with - lots of really good options, and he can mix and match to form 3 lines.
Gaudreau - Monahan
Tkachuk - Backlund
Dube - Bennett
Hall - Linholm?
You get what I mean. Focus on getting 3 solid pairings out of it, and switch the remaining players around until something clicks.
No idea what you do with D, however, in this situation. Don't think it can work any longer with the way the cap is stagnated.... but I am not in the camp that thinks Johnny just isn't a 'playoff' guy - I think it is combination of attention from the other teams, and the insistence of having that line generate off the cycle. That's what I see from my perspective, anyway, though I do also assign half the blame on Johnny (and the rest of the top line) as well for not being more productive - I just think with the system they are being asked to play just makes it harder for them to generate offence, that's all. I want to see them fighting through it more, and I am not happy with their decision making and production, but I do think that the system is at least partly responsible for their lack of production.
I don't think this core is a bunch of 'coach killers'. I just don't happen to see a single coach being brought in that maximizes this teams' potential in the least. I thought Hartley was good (especially given the roster he had to work with), but every other coach got less than the sum of the parts, at least in the playoffs. There has been a long line of coaches who haven't got another sniff at a head coaching role on another team.
I do, however, think that Gaudreau will be traded, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the return, what other moves are made, and what coach (if any - aside from removing the interim tag) is brought in.
Interesting times ahead.
I just hope that this team doesn't do an 'overreaction' of sorts like the 2010 Flames did when they let Cammalleri walk and brought in Brent Sutter. Team stopped being a reliably scoring team with too much focus on defence (and a god-awful predictable system that didn't fit the core either, but that's another story).
I believe Calgary is a good team overall, with really good talent, that have some holes in the roster and who are poorly coached and poorly led (not pointing a finger at Giordano - the biggest leader on a team is always the coach IMO).
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