Flames - how to cure the rot for 2019/20

[Jore]

Thread title seems hyperbolic. I'm not sure there's a rot, more like a few specific areas that need improvement in terms of balance. Flames are good and young on the whole, but definitely have weaknesses.

Generally, I don't think you improve by trading your best offensive player. Instead you try to build around him and find players who can help him out. Monahan complements Gaudreau in one way only, and that is his shot. He leaves Gaudreau to do every other part of the sport by himself. My first priority would be to get an upgrade on Monahan either through trading him or signing Duchene (this might mean packaging him with Neal). Or play Bennett back at centre with non AHL linemates like GranteedEV says. Second priority would be to find a steady goalie who can support Rittich next year.

Try do dump Stone on whoever, trade one of Hanifin or Hamonic for a high end forward. Maybe Toronto will bite on Hanifin's cachet and trade Kadri for him.

[doctajones428]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Monahan is permanently injured. He has no heart. Also missing a gut.

Atleast he’s not a whiner

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by doctajones428

Monahan is clearly injured. Why keep throwing him under the bus? Johnny was just as useless

If true, that would excuse a lot of his poor play.
However it would still be a concern if he's too injury prone to be an effective crunch time player.
That in itself isn't good enough for our #1C, even if it's not his fault.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

I said it in the game thread, and I’ll repeat it here: Gaudreau is going to be dogged physically every time we make the playoffs here on in. Were I an opposing team, I’d be beating him up badly.

So for every slash Gaudreau takes, give MacKinnon two. Problem solved.

[charcoalbg]

I don't usually post but how about something between Jack Eichel for Monahan and Brodie + heck throw in Kylington.. Maybe change of scenery will help both players? Would be great BOA between Mcsavior and Eichel for storylines from same draft class

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[btimbit]

I hope we can revisit that Zucker deal that almost happened.

[AltaGuy]

Originally Posted by SebC

So for every slash Gaudreau takes, give MacKinnon two. Problem solved.

Yeah... I don’t know if that’s a great plan. haha

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Ped

Sorry but teams that get dominated in a first round like the Flames just did don't get to have 8+ core players that absolutely can't be moved.

Almost all nder 25? Sure you do. But that's neither here nor there. This was a major learning lesson for an inexperienced playoff team.

Give it a couple of weeks. Cooler heads will prevail. I promise.

[Patek23]

Johnny was rendered ineffective this round but ultimately it comes down on Monahan he thrives in the regular season where guys coast in 3rd gear through the 82 game schedule. In the playoffs where he scores all those “garbage” goals those positions are incredibly more contested. We either move Monahan for someone with more size and grit. Or we move Brodie for someone who does (which I think should be Plan A) and bump Monahan to 2c. Johnny is easy to shut down his game when he has no support. He’s not physical enough to carry a line on his back. Having someone who fights for those spots could of been a series changer. Even Bennett I don’t think is big enough. How many times do you see Johnny getting double manned and flip the puck out towards the front of the net and no ones there this playoffs?

[doctajones428]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

If true, that would excuse a lot of his poor play.
However it would still be a concern if he's too injury prone to be an effective crunch time player.
That in itself isn't good enough for our #1C, even if it's not his fault.

It’s hard not to get injured when you’re in the dirt all the time

[CalgaryFan1988]

Philly has a lot of interesting pieces.

Nolan Patrick
Carter Hart
Sean Couturier

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

My preference:

Out -
Neal
Frolik
Brodie
Czarnik
Prout
Stone

Trade ‘em if you need to -
Jankowski
Monahan
Rittich

Promote (full time) -
Mangiapane
Dube
Valimaki

Focus on upgrading -
Bangers
Power Forward
Goaltending
Two way center

Out of thanks, but this is pretty bang on IMO.

Not sure I'd trade Rittich though. The guy had a fantastic season, and I think he'll be even better next year and still has the potential to take the reins as the #1.

[Flames fan 4 life]

Originally Posted by charcoalbg

I don't usually post but how about something between Jack Eichel for Monahan and Brodie + heck throw in Kylington.. Maybe change of scenery will help both players? Would be great BOA between Mcsavior and Eichel for storylines from same draft class

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Eichel is a pipe dream, but I wonder how an O’Reilly for Monahan last off season would look now. RoR really stepped up down the stretch where Monohan was invisible. But I’m sure there will be a good excuse for Sean ...

[Racki]

I wonder if we revisit Sam Bennett as a centerman in 2019/2020?

[Ped]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Almost all nder 25? Sure you do. But that's neither here nor there. This was a major learning lesson for an inexperienced playoff team.

Give it a couple of weeks. Cooler heads will prevail. I promise.

What did they learn exactly? No push back at all. They gave up in this game.


People like to say hold the course and hold steady but that's not how it works. People like to point at Washington and say look what happens when you keep the same core but you know what? Washington constantly made changes to their roster to try to get over the hump. You can't trade everyone and you might not want to trade most of your players, but there has to be changes when something doesn't work, and not just cosmetic changes.


Washington got rid of or let go guys like Green, Williams, Johansson, etc who were all very productive players, and brought in guys like TJ Oshie who was integral to their cup win. They realized a guy like Alzner who had been a warrior for them wasn't cutting it any more and let him go.


Yes, they kept Holtby and Ovechkin and Kuznetsov and Niskanen, but they were willing to move pieces in and out to get the right fit.


The Flames got embarrassed and changes need to be made. Not wholesale changes, because that doesn't happen, but changes. You can't just keep bringing back the same core group time after time, failure after failure, and hope they'll put it all together.

[blender]

You know what sucks more than this series loss?
The hot-headed armchair message board GMs who have all the answers.
Give me a break, please. I'm sure Treliving will make some changes to improve the team.
We all know that no one on this board is qualified to be a GM in the NHL, so there is no need to act like it.

[Red]

The Flames are a good team. But to win in the playoffs you cant rely on skill alone. Need size and toughness. How many plays did the Aves break up by having longer reach? How many did they win because of toughness? Size matters.

Just upgrade on top line C, Brodie and add couple more players that can battle.

I said that earlier, who would have been a better D this series, Brodie or Engelland?

We need a good stay at home D to compliment Ras and Hamonic.

[djsFlames]

nm

[GullFoss]

Another couple players that would have been great for Johnny: E Kane, M Stone

This series would have been so different in Tre had traded for Stone.

[SofaProfessor]

I hope they don't trade Monahan unless some sweet deal comes up. I do hope, however, he has a much shorter leash from now on. He's been stapled to that top line spot and it seems like they never want to bump him down the lineup. Meanwhile, you anchor guys like Sam Bennett to Neal and Janko, only giving him a shot with real talent in the final do or die game as if he's magically going to just have that chemistry and turn the series around.