Reimagining the Top 9

[blender]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Fun fact of the day: I'm not Bill Peters.

Exactly, so why bother telling us what you would do if you were?

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by blender

Exactly, so why bother telling us what you would do if you were?

Isn’t that what everyone has done in the thread and this forum? It’s really incredibly irrelevant on all levels and beyond the thought in your head after you’ve comprehended the text on the screen it’s all just ether.

If you’re not annoyed, entertained, or neutral to it, it doesn’t bother me much.

[David Struch]

I'd say Neal definitely needs to play alongside one of Gaudreau or Tkachuk, he'd probably score 30 if he did over 82 games.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Mangiapane
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Neal
Dube - Backlund - Bennett
Jankowski - Ryan - Czarnik

Mangiapane earns a promotion and Frolik is traded.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by David Struch

I'd say Neal definitely needs to play alongside one of Gaudreau or Tkachuk, he'd probably score 30 if he did over 82 games.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Mangiapane
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Neal
Dube - Backlund - Bennett
Jankowski - Ryan - Czarnik

Mangiapane earns a promotion and Frolik is traded.

That’s got 11th place in the Western conference written all over it.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Yoho

That’s got 11th place in the Western conference written all over it.

Kind of explains why they are looking to trade Brodie for a forward. Otherwise that’s what we’re looking at.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Yoho

That’s got 11th place in the Western conference written all over it.

Even though all of those players contributed to a league wide 2nd place finish last year? I don’t think the loss of Frolik and Hathaway, while decent players, and shuffling of lines that happens all the time will be that catastrophic.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I like keeping Gaudreau and Tkachuk on separate lines mainly because they are both such great playmakers. I think you can get the most out of them by putting them each on a line with two finishers.

It’s a very strong argument you make. The only counter arguments I can make are thus.

1. Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Monahan, Lindholm are all good playmakers and finishers. If you take Lindholm or Monahan off the top line and still want to make a super 1st line then you’d replace them with Tkachuk. If you want to have two of them on each line that’s another approach I like too.

2. The most compelling argument for uniting them is that Tkachuk compliments Gaudreau’s weaknesses so well. Tkachuk excels along the boards and in front of the net. Gaudreau struggles mightily in board battles and is too small to be a consistent net front presence. Lindholm does these things as well although not quite at the same level. That’s why I was arguing the ideal line to maximize Gaudreau might be with Lindholm-Tkachuk. Those guys would make so much space for him.

I don’t usually love indulging conspiracy theories but does anyone think Treliving May have been playing the long game with Tkachuk by keeping him with Backlund so long? Tkachuk will get paid but if he had been in Lindholm’s spot he might’ve had 100+ points and the negotiations might’ve been even harder. Will they finally unleash Tkachuk on the top line once he’s locked up longer term?

[TheScorpion]

I doubt Treliving has that much say in day-to-day in-game personnel decisions. I think Peters, like Gulutzan, saw that Backlund and Tkachuk work well together and found little reason to change that chemistry.

Of course, that's just a guess.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Even though all of those players contributed to a league wide 2nd place finish last year? I don’t think the loss of Frolik and Hathaway, while decent players, and shuffling of lines that happens all the time will be that catastrophic.

Sure, and most of those players finished out of the playoffs the year before.

The problem with David's proposal is that he makes both of the top two lines far worse than last year with only a slight improvement to the third line. And apparently we give up Frolik for nothing.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by David Struch

I'd say Neal definitely needs to play alongside one of Gaudreau or Tkachuk, he'd probably score 30 if he did over 82 games.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Mangiapane
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Neal
Dube - Backlund - Bennett
Jankowski - Ryan - Czarnik

Mangiapane earns a promotion and Frolik is traded.

Neal will never score 30 goals again.
Putting him with Johnny or Chucky will just reduce their production, not boost his (to the same extent).
Net result will be negative.

[FanIn80]

Gaudreau Monahan Bennett
Tkachuk Lindholm [?]
Mangiapane Ryan Neal
Dube Jankowski Czarnik

Backlund + -> for top-six RW

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Sure, and most of those players finished out of the playoffs the year before.

The problem with David's proposal is that he makes both of the top two lines far worse than last year with only a slight improvement to the third line. And apparently we give up Frolik for nothing.

I don't think we're getting a roster player for Frolik if/when we trade him. I'm guessing late picks... really more of a cap dump.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Neal will never score 30 goals again.
Putting him with Johnny or Chucky will just reduce their production, not boost his (to the same extent).
Net result will be negative.

The Flames get 3.75 M in cap space buying out Neal.

What is the hold up? downside?

There is solid hope that Frolik plays well enough to be a top-6 on Backlund's line and an expectation that Brodie is top 2-4 on any team in the NHL including the Flames.

How important is the Gio window in doing some serious winning??

[Iceman57]

.....well why not

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Dube - Monahan - Bennett
Lucic - Backlund - Ryan
Mangiapane - Jankowski - Czarnik OR another trade acquisition with SIZE!

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Iceman57

.....well why not

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Dube - Monahan - Bennett
Lucic - Backlund - Ryan
Mangiapane - Jankowski - Czarnik OR another trade acquisition with SIZE!

Chucky is a LW, does that concern you that he’s out of position?

[TheScorpion]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Backlund - Mangiapane
Lucic - Ryan - Czarnik
Jankowski - Gawdin/Dube - Bennett

Or maybe throw Pat Maroon in there.

[SportsJunky]

Gawdin is the new Klimchuk.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Iceman57

.....well why not

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Dube - Monahan - Bennett
Lucic - Backlund - Ryan
Mangiapane - Jankowski - Czarnik OR another trade acquisition with SIZE!

Chucky is a LW, does that concern you that he’s out of position?

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Gawdin is the new Klimchuk.

I just think he's super underrated... 38 points as an AHL rookie!

Shoots right too!

[GranteedEV]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Backlund - Jankowski
Mangiapane - Bennett - Czarnik
Lucic - Ryan - Dube

Alternatively since the top line was useless down the stretch they get split up

Jankowski - Monahan - Ryan
Tkachuk - Backlund - Lindholm
Gaudreau - Bennett - Mangiapane
Lucic - Dube - Czarnik