[News] Mark Giordano Extension Done! 6 years, $40.5 million ($6.75 million AAV)

[bax]

Originally Posted by jayswin

It's not a myth that Burnaby based EA sports has always rated Flames players lower than they should.

Actually yes it is a myth. The people who work on the game don't even do the ratings. They hire an outside scout to do them.

Still disagree about Gio not being in the top 10 though.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Soliak

Interesting that you think Gio is 'better especially compared to Hedman'. Out of the three you listed in that sentence I would have Hedman as the clear cut #1 of the group. He is way better than Piet or McD IMO and is probably as good, if not better than Gio. He was very dominant in the playoffs. A scary proposition moving forward.

My D-man top 10...

Doughty
Keith
Weber
Gio
Hedman
Suter
Karlsson
Subban
Piet
McD

D who are elite defensively >>>>> elite offensive D.

Good list except I think you're underrating Pietrangelo, I would have him right between Giordano and Hedman. He's a tremendous 2-way force who still has room to get even better. I think there will be a Norris or two in his future if the voters can start getting it though their heads that points aren't everything with defensemen.

[Soliak]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Good list except I think you're underrating Pietrangelo, I would have him right between Giordano and Hedman. He's a tremendous 2-way force who still has room to get even better. I think there will be a Norris or two in his future if the voters can start getting it though their heads that points aren't everything with defensemen.

Thanks man.

McD and Piet are two D who have had big down years this year. I think both will bounce back and are definite top 10'ers, however I will admit my opinion of Piet is based off maybe 15 viewings this season and reading on the other forum.

Completely agree about points not being everything. Karlsson and Subban are brilliant offensive d-men, but I just can't get over the fact that both of them aren't 'elite' defensively, yet are in the majority of peoples top 5. It's like how people mention that because Brodie's offensive production declined without Gio he somehow was not a top pairing d-men and was getting carried, yet completely ignore the fact he carried bloody Engy through top pairing minutes in the playoffs AND double shifted on 3rd pairing minutes.

[Da_Chief]

Aight, let's take the homer glasses off now and rank these dmen properly.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Aight, let's take the homer glasses off now and rank these dmen properly.

You don't think Giordano deserves to be in the top 10? You don't think his good offense/elite defense is more valuable than Subban and Karlsson's elite offense/average defense? You don't think he's a better defenseman than Roman fricking Josi?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Soliak

Interesting that you think Gio is 'better especially compared to Hedman'. Out of the three you listed in that sentence I would have Hedman as the clear cut #1 of the group. He is way better than Piet or McD IMO and is probably as good, if not better than Gio. He was very dominant in the playoffs. A scary proposition moving forward.

My D-man top 10...

Doughty
Keith
Weber
Gio
Hedman
Suter
Karlsson
Subban
Piet
McD

D who are elite defensively >>>>> elite offensive D.

While I agree with most of the list, I can't agree with Karlsson. He's so dynamic offensively that it more than makes up for the defensive part. If the goal of hockey is to score more than your opponent, he's my defenseman. I actually would choose him over Gio (leadership aside) or anyone else, although I know I'm the minority. Certainly defensive acumen is important, but nobody in that Ottawa team gets any points without Karlsson. He's just amazing to watch

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

You don't think Giordano deserves to be in the top 10? You don't think his good offense/elite defense is more valuable than Subban and Karlsson's elite offense/average defense? You don't think he's a better defenseman than Roman fricking Josi?

He is top 10. I love Gio but guys like Karlsson and Subban take over a game, sure they make defensive gaffes here and there but thats only cuz they're trying to create offense all the time.

I love Gio but I wouldn't be worried one bit if he was replaced with Subban or Karlssob on the Flames.

Roman Josi is a very under-rated dman. Last year he was arguably better then his teammate who have you in the upper echelon.

It's hard to quantify who's better when all these guys are top players. Guys like McDonagh/Hedman/Pietrangelo are all amazing players.

Thats the elite NHl Dmen group:

Doughty/Weber/Keith/Suter/Karlsson/Subban/McDonagh/Pietrangelo/Josi/Gio/Hedman/OEL in no order

[Calgary4LIfe]

If I was building a team and had to choose between Subban and Giordano, I would choose Subban. Why?

1) His age.
2) I would hope that given the first point, I could round him out to be elite defensively like Giordano, hopefully develop Giordano's character and leadership, but perhaps have a better point shot on top of it.

Giordano is pretty damn close to being one of the great ideal defencemen of the Lidstrom mould. Guys like Doughty, Keith, Pronger, Weber, etc. Guys who were counted on just as much for stopping the opposition as they were for helping the team win on the scoreboard.

Give me one of these guys any day over the one-trick (but still very highly skilled and valuable) ponies that often win the Norris.

I loved Al MacInnis, but he used to aggravate me as a kid early on. Suddenly, he became a much more reliable defencemen in his own end, and I thought really started coming into his own as the years went on until I thought it was a near travesty he didn't win the Norris.

Doughty may not look like the game changer Subban is, or Karlsson is, but I bet he helps the Kings tilt the ice so much more in helping them win than Subban or Karlsson. Subban and Karlsson tilt the ice more - but it often goes either way. You don't often see Doughty tilting the ice in the opposition's favor as often.

Don't get me wrong - I would love Subban and Karlsson here of course. I would absolutely love it if Kylington becomes Karlsson 2.0. They do also help a team win, that's for sure. They just help a team lose more often than a Doughty, Keith, Giordano, etc., as well.

Game 7 of a Stanley cup Finals in overtime. Who do you want to throw over the boards? Doughty and Keith, or Subban and Karlsson? I know what my choice would be (and I hate Keith by the way - but he is a heck of a 2-way defencemen).

[heep223]

If age wasn't a factor, I'd take Gio over Subban 10/10 times.

[Vulcan]

Doughty may not look like the game changer Subban is, or Karlsson is, but I bet he helps the Kings tilt the ice so much more in helping them win than Subban or Karlsson. Subban and Karlsson tilt the ice more - but it often goes either way. You don't often see Doughty tilting the ice in the opposition's favor as often.

It's got to be frustrating for Doughty to be passed over in the Norris voting for someone who is a fantasy hockey darling. He and others sacrifice their potential scoring stats in order to play the game the right way.

Here's a year old NHL article that ranks Giordano 9th for defencemen who excel at both ends of the ice.

Perhaps no player in the NHL benefited from the advent of advanced statistics to show the merits of his game last season more than Giordano. According to stats.hockeyanalysis.com, there were nine Flames forwards who played at least 200 minutes at 5-on-5 with Giordano. All nine saw their Corsi-for percentage, measuring shot attempts for and against, plunge dramatically when they were on the ice without Giordano. The average drop was a whopping 11.1 percent. On top of that, Giordano had the third-highest points-per-game average among NHL defensemen, behind only Karlsson and Keith.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=729524

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by heep223

If age wasn't a factor, I'd take Gio over Subban 10/10 times.

It is though.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

It is though.

No, it shouldn't be. These are current rankings of players for the upcoming season only, not ranking the player that they have the potential to become. If you had to pick a player for this season and this season only to build your Stanley Cup team, you'd still pick Subban, Hedman, Josi, Karlsson, McDonagh over Giordano? Not me. Hell, Giordano was out scoring the offensive phenom Karlsson before getting injured.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

No, it shouldn't be. These are current rankings of players for the upcoming season only, not ranking the player that they have the potential to become. If you had to pick a player for this season and this season only to build your Stanley Cup team, you'd still pick Subban, Hedman, Josi, Karlsson, McDonagh over Giordano? Not me. Hell, Giordano was out scoring the offensive phenom Karlsson before getting injured.

Out of those guys I'd take Hedman. Karlsson came on really strong just like the rest of Sens in the last 3rd of the season.

[FlameZilla]

It's lame when people post stuff like this, but I just can't help myself.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...&postcount=107

I predict Treliving will evaluate his play at the beginning of the season, just to make sure there isn't any lingering damage to his game from the bicep injury, and then around Christmas he'll sign Giordano to a 6 year deal with a $6.75m AAV.

[YYC in LAX]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

It's lame when people post stuff like this, but I just can't help myself.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...&postcount=107

Fail for thinking Treliving would allow a contract distraction during the season.

[Tinordi]

Roman Josi is absolutely in the conversation for top tier defensemen. Gee was arguably better than Weber last year.

[sureLoss]

Brian Costello @bcostellothn
At the end of Giordano's contract in 2022, he'll have earned $63.7 mil from the Cgy Flames, second all-time behind Iginla ($71.7 mil).

[Fire]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Brian Costello @bcostellothn
At the end of Giordano's contract in 2022, he'll have earned $63.7 mil from the Cgy Flames, second all-time behind Iginla ($71.7 mil).

Hopefully Gaudreau, Monahan, Hamilton and Bennett surpass Iginla.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

You need to build a culture and a team before you win a Cup. Teams build on playing meaningful games, making the playoffs and winning series, meshing together as a team and making that final push.

Any team in any sport that sells its most productive players while they are making a push to the playoffs loses credibility with its players and its fans. The Flames do not have to sell off their prospects but they also do not need to be stocking up on picks anymore. Sometimes you take a gamble. Players do go to free agency every year. Sometimes you replace those players with another free agent. Sometimes you replace from within the system.

It may well be that Hudler demands more than the Flames can pay and it may be appropriate to move him depending on where we are and how his season is going, but if we do I would expect a quality forward to come back that meshes with both short-term and long-term plans.

Couldnt agree more.

Watch the Chicago Blackhawks this past playoffs, never once did they panic.

They know who they are, they know what they are, never panic and they somehow managed to always come out on top.

Hell, they almost made it look easy.

[GoJetsGo]

Gio was on track to win the Norris last season, and by many accounts, would have had he not been injured. Therefor, there's an argument to be made to have him near the top. He's in the middle of that list. In no way is there homerism to have him ahead of any of those guys. It's really subjective right now.

Who you'd take for free right now if building a team is a different discussion because of age, and really a moot point anyway.

Gio has shown the ability to take over a game the last few years, and is rock solid in both ends of the ice. He might just be the most well rounded d-man in the league at present.