Probably like a very good defensive centre who scores 65’ish points.
Huberdeau - Lindholm - Mangiapane? I could see a line like that all being a point a game each.
The big problem we have right now is our depth is going to get exposed. Monahan was not a good even strength player prior to injuries riddling his body, and Backlund’s 39 points is not good to be an anchor on the 2nd line.
Really looking at the roster shows that this team needs to acquire a 2nd line play driving centre who can generate offence at even strength.
Again, that's more an issue with Lindholm not being able to drive his own line like a number one centre.
Last year's president's trophy winner was essentially structured as the rough equivalent of:
Obviously Lundell was better than Ruzicka, but the major discrepency was that Barkov is miles ahead of Lindholm, even with worse linemates most of the time.
Backlund is not the weak link, needing Huberdeau to play exclusivepy with our "#1 Centre" is. A year ago few would even have said Kadri is in a different tier from Backlund. The difference is MacKinnon, the difference is Makar. In fact, that is exactly the mistake the Maple Leafs made when they signed Tavares - trying to push Kadri to the third line to be a defensive 3C.
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Unless there's another big move for a top 6 forward, I think you have to keep the Backlund/Mangiapane/Coleman line together. They were dominant at just about everything.
Give Toffoli a go at the top line and then piecemeal together your bottom 6.
Or perhaps if another centre isn't available via trade, but a RW is, give that RW top line duty, elevate Ruzicka to 2a/b centre duty and flank him with Toffoli and either Dube or Pelletier.
They've kind of cornered themselves with Ruzicka. Sutter says if he's going to play in the NHL, he needs to play at least in the top 9. But if you fancy yourself as a contender, do you want Ruzicka in your top 9? I don't know to be honest.
If there are no more moves at forward for this group, I think they are fine, especially under a Sutter system. There are players that are ready for bigger roles and with Weegar I think the Defense will provide more offense.
But to be a true contender I'd still like to see another move at forward.
I think that right now, the Flames NEED players to step up for this season to be a success. Gaudreau and Tkachuk gave the Flames 2 MVP type of seasons. I feel Gaudreau was adequately replaced with Huberdeau. Tkachuk is a big hole in the lineup (though I will not miss his antics - I still think most of those antics just made other teams play the Flames harder).
I think it is very possible to replace that point production as a group. It isn't like we are asking a bunch of old vets to suddenly post career years. The forward group for the most part is a young group.
Toffoli - this will be the biggest question mark for me on the season. Will get get to play on the top line? 2nd line? 3rd line? He didn't really 'fit' last season, and I think his production reflected that. I am hoping he is working his butt off this off-season and comes to camp in better shape and ready to go. Flames are going to need him to bounce back to Montreal level.
Mangiapane - if he plays on the top line, that's going to be a career year for him. He is a good young player who is very much still developing. Maybe his goal totals won't go up (though if he plays with Huberdeau, I wouldn't doubt that it would go up). His point production overall will increase. I like Coleman - plays a hard and honest game, and makes this team harder to play against even though he isn't a big player, but his offence is clearly a couple of steps below Mangiapane's abilities. Mangiapane can really break-out on the top line playing with other offensively capable players.
Dube - Ignoring the news... If there is one player in the lineup that I can point and say: "Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde", it's Dube. At times he looks like a player having his coming out party and looking like a future core piece. Then he looks like a tweener for long stretches. If Dube can find some consistency - and maintain his confidence, which I think is what holds him back - he can be a very good player for the Flames. It isn't unrealistic to expect him to take even a small step forward this season.
Ruzicka - He is big, skilled and he is a decent skater too. The knock on Ruzicka has always been a lack of work ethic. I think Sutter last season stated in one of his pressers: "Ruzicka has to decide who he is going to be in the NHL". I took it as "Ruzicka is talented enough to be a really good player, but he has to work harder." I am hoping he is having a hell of an off-season with his training program, and hopefully working with a skills coach too. Having a big skilled centre down the middle will really help the Flames control the ice better. I don't know here his ceiling is - I would like to think 2nd line centre. I do expect him to be better than last year based on age and experience.
Pelletier - Yes, don't count on rookies. I think, however, Pelletier makes himself a very difficult decision for Sutter. Pelletier is mature, plays a mature game, and has a lot of versatility and skill to his game.
Backlund is who he is - basically a 0.5PPG centre that usually gets his linemates to post very good numbers, while being fed murderous minutes against the league's best players and with horrific zone starts. I don't think he will suddenly start producing more. He doesn't have to - his job is to make life easier for the other lines to produce (while still helping with his own production). That's one player I will never say a bad word about.
Coleman - I don't think he has been bad. He just wasn't as good as he should have been. If you take a look at his stat line, you will see that this was his 2nd best season in terms of points (33 last season, and his high is 36). However, he got 31 in 55 with Tampa, and 31 in 57 with NJ. He is capable of scoring at a higher clip. I don't for a second believe he is going to break out into a bigger scorer, but he can put up points at the same rate as in Tampa or NJ. Not a step forward, but just generate at the same rate but for 82 games.
Rooney - this is a small add, but an add nonetheless. His direct replacement in the lineup in my eyes is Ritchie. Ritchie had no offence really. Rooney has 'some', so there's an improvement. I think Ritchie was good in some respects, and there will be things that the Flames will miss about him (his non-stop motor and willingness to hit and fight - kind of an intimidating player to play against, and losing both him and Gudbranson I think lowers that aspect substantially for the Flames). Still, Rooney is an upgrade here, and hopefully he can get hit 20 points this season simply by playing 82 games (not expecting a bump in PPG, just same scoring rate but over 82 games).
The one player that would be the biggest add on the Flames this season will be Monahan. If Monahan is feeling healthy, I do believe he can be a good 25-25-50 player, whether as a centre or a winger. I don't know if the wrist injury wrecked his shot for good, or if the hips just prevented him from getting that power, but it was gone last season. He is smart, he is a deadly shooter, and he is great at winning puck battles and generating off the cycle. He is also a very underrated playmaker, and was part of many quick passing plays leading to goals. Yes, Gaudreau was amazing, but Monahan became so overlooked and underappreciated. I hope he is healthy and really shuts a lot of people up this year. This would be the best feel-good story for the Flames this season.
I have no idea what Treliving has up his sleeve (if anything - maybe he is close to being done and just has some minor tweaks to balance things). I didn't talk about defence, but I do think that it is reasonable to expect the defence to do better - both from a combination that most of them are still young and improving, and replacing Gudbranson with Weegar is quite an enormous difference.
Flames will be no worse than middle of the pack in scoring. I could see them being a top 10 team again, however. There is opportunity and youth on this team, and the vets just have to maintain their levels. I don't think Huberdeau will get 115 like Gaudreau did here (and I didn't think Gaudreau would get 115 and Tkachuk 104 again this upcoming season anyway - league scoring was up last season and I expect it to normalize more this season). However, Huberdeau is likely to once again be above a PPG. Yes, playing a lot of minutes with Barkov surely helped, but Huberdeau is also a tremendous play-driver. It really is a wash in my mind. You always have to wonder how players gel together, however, at least to start the season.
Should be a good season for the Flames. Will be very interesting for us fans. I don't think there is a huge hole in the forward group. I agree in that finding another top 6 would helpful, and/or a top line RW, but I don't think it is a big hole right now. Certainly not enough of a hole to create a bigger one by trading Hanifin or someone else from the 'top 4' defence to fill - that would create a bigger hole on defence, and what Sutter stated was the weak link last season. It is a definite strength this season.
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I'm of the belief a very simple and low key trade sending the Rangers Valimaki and getting Kravstov has a very very big payoff for CGY. Top 6 RW on the cheap.
I know ppl don't value Kravstov a lot simply because he can't stick a spot on the Rangers but I believe he's a perfect change of scenery player.
Keeps the team flexible if there's other things they want to do.
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Lindholm is the best center this team has had in a long long time. Anyone saying he isn't a 1C is completely idiotic and I don't have time for any of their arguments.
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I've always said that IMO Lindholm is as good as Gaudreau. I still think he is very underrated and really hoping he clicks with Huberdeau and scores close to 50 or even gets 50. I think he has it in him
I've always said that IMO Lindholm is as good as Gaudreau. I still think he is very underrated and really hoping he clicks with Huberdeau and scores close to 50 or even gets 50. I think he has it in him
At this point it's just about ironing out that last little bit of inconsistency in his game (those occasional periods where he stops shooting and is less visible). When Lindy is on there are few that can do what he does.
At this point it's just about ironing out that last little bit of inconsistency in his game (those occasional periods where he stops shooting and is less visible). When Lindy is on there are few that can do what he does.
He’s 1 of the best defensive centers in hockey. He pots 50 and really why can’t he be considered a top 10ish player in the league?
Yea, I honestly can not imagine many scenarios in which the Flames aren't a top 3 defensive team next season, if not THE best, and aren't getting "Stanley Cup Contender" love again
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