[Cali Panthers Fan]

I agree on the "letting him loose" philosophy at this point in his development. He's learned how to be reliable in his own zone so long as he's got a strong defensive partner. I don't think he'll ever be great defensively either, and I also agree that you have to maximize the benefit he provides, which should be transition and driving the play into the offensive zone, more of a rover type of defenseman.

Between him and Hanifin, I think we are underutilizing the talent we have. Both of those guys are never going to be more than, "just okay" defensively, but they have the ability to skate with the puck and make plays in transition. If I was the coach, I would be urging them to skate up ice as soon as they get the puck to put pressure on the other team's defense. Coach a forward to hang back to cover for them if they're on a rush. That could instantly lead to more offense because you break down the coverage and systems. Chaos always creates more offense, but sometimes that chaos can go both ways, so you have to learn to live with it. But Gaudreau thrives on chaos in the offensive zone. If he can't create his own chaos, but someone else can, he often cleans up and finds ways to score once the defense is broken down a little.

If the Flames had a superior goalie to cover up a few errors now and then, that would be the best strategy.