"Mature" Tkachuk a force for the Flames

[Steve Macfarlane]

So is last year's locker-room rift repaired? Does winning cure everything? Is it the Sutter effect? This team sure looks tight.

https://calgaryhockeynow.com/calgary...ootout-winner/

[Goriders]

Coaching and the right players brought in to change the culture in my mind.

No one is accepting the half assed efforts we watched last season.

Players have bought in to working hard. Because at the top levels where everyone is good that’s what differentiates teams. Game planning and effort.

[PaperBagger'14]

There's a lot of good flames content posted here and your articles stand up well against all of them. Thanks Steve

[Newton]

I personally think that covid and protocols affected different players in different ways last season too. Players with families at home seemed to do better ... younger players playing in a world where things were still mostly shut down I think had a harder year.

They are professional and paid millions but life still affects people. I don't think sports teams should make career decisions based on covid bubbles and locked down play.

[Steve Macfarlane]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

There's a lot of good flames content posted here and your articles stand up well against all of them. Thanks Steve

Much appreciated!

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Coaching and the right players brought in to change the culture in my mind.

No one is accepting the half assed efforts we watched last season.

Players have bought in to working hard. Because at the top levels where everyone is good that’s what differentiates teams. Game planning and effort.

I personally think that effort was related to coaching. They tried to rein him in and he stopped doing his thing. Tkachuk needs to be given some rope to do his thing and the thing he does, Sutter appreciates.

[EVERLAST]

I'm sure there were a few players Sutter was extremely blunt with ....DS...so your a leader huh? Okay. So the Tkachuks do things a certain way huh?
MT...? Huh?
DS...yeah kid ....I'm talking to you! And here's what I got.
Get in shape and be ready to do whatever I ask next season....because the Sutters do business a certain way too. My 2 cups prove it.

[Classic_Sniper]

I think the formation of the Gaudreau-Tkachuk pairing has done wonders for both players. Tkachuk's season didn't turn this season IMO, it started last season. Prior to Gaudreau promotion to Lindholm's line, Tkachuk was on pace for something like 50ish points in an 82 game season, but post-Gaudreau, he went a point per game. Now he's managed to carry his fine play into this season and it's paying dividends for the team's overall success.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I personally think that effort was related to coaching. They tried to rein him in and he stopped doing his thing. Tkachuk needs to be given some rope to do his thing and the thing he does, Sutter appreciates.

I think the opposite. I don’t think previous coaches said anything about his behaviour - that was teammates. I think Sutter told him to get down to business, and more importantly put him on the first line.

[transplant99]

So this aged awfully well. Props Steve.

Tkachuk is, simply, an elite talent in the NHL.

Clearly his hockey IQ is off the charts when you consider that his skating is no more than average, but he continually is able to read the game and get himsrlf into the right position.

After getting 3 pts last night, he is now 9th in the entire NHL overall.

Even after a terrible season last year along with his team mates(and fans many calling for him to be sent packing) when you factor in his entire career to date, it becomes clear he is an elite winger in the game and can do it from either side of his centerman.

Since entering the league 6 years ago, he is 30th in offense among all forwards. 6th among LW's.

Clearly he can play with anyone and in multiple roles, is stellar at both ends of the ice, and has those intangibles that allow him to both draw penalties and piss off the entire roster of his opponents.

All of this done at the tender age of 24.

So is he really "not worth" a large and lengthy new deal?

6 fewer pts than Johnny this year. More than guys like Rantanen, Kane. Marner, Stamkos etc..

Of course the real test for he and many others is how they look in the post-season and how that all goes, but Im finding it harder and harder to see how so many can say "give Johnny whatever he wants" at age 28, but then say you cant commit 9M a year to a winger like MT at age 24.

Unique player and one you simply cannot replace via trade or draft.