Not sure when this league is gonna get it's act together if they want to market speed and skill over brute, enforcement, and tight checking. It's like the league has pretty much made the enforcer role obsolete and made the game a bit faster, yet the ice surface does not cater to small, fast offensive players. The current ice surface caters to big players for tight checking games. So, for team that are big and somewhat possess all the right qualities for playoff series matchups, they're gonna do well. Otherwise, teams like the Flames, Canucks, Oilers, and others that are smaller or have more speed aren't going anywhere. This is why I keep saying if the Flames are going to build a Cup contending team with the way the NHL and owners have it's ways to pack each arena, you need to build the franchise big up front to back. You can inject one or two small playmakers into the lineup but if you want to win at least one series and not bounce off of bodies or get injured in the opening round of the playoffs, you need as many big bodies as possible who can play tight checking games. Majority of the small players are a pipe dream for NHL fans and they're made for international ice surfaces. Unfortunately, the Flames have way too many small guys and mid-sized guys who play small. If pre-pandemic era with the rebuilt playoff teams we've seen hasn't shown why the Flames can't win a series, this pandemic season sure showed you why.
It's gonna be some painful next few years for the Flames and with Sutter as a coach, I cannot see this team swallowing its pride to try and get a franchise player to move this team in the right direction. I still can't believe Sutter is still play the full roster and still riding Markstrom to the end - for what?!?
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