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GreenLantern2814 · 09-16-2020, 07:54 PM

We talk about core players a lot, but it’s not an especially well defined term. So let’s try to do that.

For me, the core is something like this:

-Your two best centres
-Your two best wingers
-Your two best defensemen
-Your goalie

For starters, if you don’t have a goalie that you consider a core piece, you are in no position to trade 1st round picks. Arguably, without the goalie, the other pieces are irrelevant.

The core skaters represent everyone you’d have out in the last minute of a game to save your season. This is why it’s important to not have an excessive amount of money tied up on the blue line - at most, you’re only ever going to have two D out in any crunch time situation, and they’re going to spend the entire time 45-60 feet away from the cage.

So don’t have an extra $5M or 6M defenseman when you can have an extra $6M forward that you can put within 20 feet of the cage when you absolutely have to have a goal.

Have two higher-priced D, who don’t play with each other, and fill out the rest of the blue line with unspectacular, but functional, role players who know how to get in the way and disrupt an attack. Your #1 has to be able to play 27 minutes a night in the playoffs at MVP levels - he has to be a player with that next gear in the post season.

You have to look at your top two centres and ask yourself if they’re good enough to beat Crosby and Malkin. If the answer is no, you don’t have core centres, and you shouldn’t be married to them.

The wingers are the easiest part. You can acquire 1st line wingers for relatively little, when the time is right- you can spend a 1st round pick, you can sign a Hossa caliber UFA - if you’re a self evident contender, that option is going to be available to you, regardless of perceptions about playing in Canada. Players will come here to win, but they won’t come here just to here.

The most important question to ask, always, is “can you win a Stanley Cup if X is your Y”.

With all this said, let’s apply it to the Flames.

Goalie - Talbot. Can you win a championship with Talbot as a starter? I say no.

D1 - Gio. The still-reigning Norris trophy winner. Can you win a championship with him as your #1D? Probably not.

D2 - Rasmus. Kid is a nice player. Can you win with Rasmus Andersson as your 2nd best D? Not at his current level, and not if Gio is the #1.

W1 - Gaudreau. Best single season point production for the franchise this century just a season ago. Can you win a championship with Johnny as your best winger? Maybe, if he was the third most important player on that line.

W2 - Tkachuk. Yes, you can win with him as your #2 LW, and any group we put together in the next eight years has a better chance with him than without. Core piece.

C1 - Monahan. Maybe just maybe you can win if he’s your #2, but obviously he’s not a #1C in the NHL playoff.

C2 - Lindholm. I put Lindy here because he’s a core piece if he’s your #2C. You’re not winning a goddamn thing with Elias Lindholm as your #1C, and if Backlund is your 2nd best centre, you’re the definition of a pretender. Now, of course, we just have to start playing Elias down the middle.

So near as I can tell, we’re 1/8. We have a 2nd Winger, and possibly a #2C if we ever decide to play him at the position.

Needs work.

09-16-2020, 07:54 PM	#1
GreenLantern2814 Franchise Player Join Date: Mar 2011 Exp:	Define a Core We talk about core players a lot, but it’s not an especially well defined term. So let’s try to do that. For me, the core is something like this: -Your two best centres -Your two best wingers -Your two best defensemen -Your goalie For starters, if you don’t have a goalie that you consider a core piece, you are in no position to trade 1st round picks. Arguably, without the goalie, the other pieces are irrelevant. The core skaters represent everyone you’d have out in the last minute of a game to save your season. This is why it’s important to not have an excessive amount of money tied up on the blue line - at most, you’re only ever going to have two D out in any crunch time situation, and they’re going to spend the entire time 45-60 feet away from the cage. So don’t have an extra $5M or 6M defenseman when you can have an extra $6M forward that you can put within 20 feet of the cage when you absolutely have to have a goal. Have two higher-priced D, who don’t play with each other, and fill out the rest of the blue line with unspectacular, but functional, role players who know how to get in the way and disrupt an attack. Your #1 has to be able to play 27 minutes a night in the playoffs at MVP levels - he has to be a player with that next gear in the post season. You have to look at your top two centres and ask yourself if they’re good enough to beat Crosby and Malkin. If the answer is no, you don’t have core centres, and you shouldn’t be married to them. The wingers are the easiest part. You can acquire 1st line wingers for relatively little, when the time is right- you can spend a 1st round pick, you can sign a Hossa caliber UFA - if you’re a self evident contender, that option is going to be available to you, regardless of perceptions about playing in Canada. Players will come here to win, but they won’t come here just to here. The most important question to ask, always, is “can you win a Stanley Cup if X is your Y”. With all this said, let’s apply it to the Flames. Goalie - Talbot. Can you win a championship with Talbot as a starter? I say no. D1 - Gio. The still-reigning Norris trophy winner. Can you win a championship with him as your #1D? Probably not. D2 - Rasmus. Kid is a nice player. Can you win with Rasmus Andersson as your 2nd best D? Not at his current level, and not if Gio is the #1. W1 - Gaudreau. Best single season point production for the franchise this century just a season ago. Can you win a championship with Johnny as your best winger? Maybe, if he was the third most important player on that line. W2 - Tkachuk. Yes, you can win with him as your #2 LW, and any group we put together in the next eight years has a better chance with him than without. Core piece. C1 - Monahan. Maybe just maybe you can win if he’s your #2, but obviously he’s not a #1C in the NHL playoff. C2 - Lindholm. I put Lindy here because he’s a core piece if he’s your #2C. You’re not winning a goddamn thing with Elias Lindholm as your #1C, and if Backlund is your 2nd best centre, you’re the definition of a pretender. Now, of course, we just have to start playing Elias down the middle. So near as I can tell, we’re 1/8. We have a 2nd Winger, and possibly a #2C if we ever decide to play him at the position. Needs work.