Halfway point - Grade the players

[squiggs96]

If we have as many As and Bs as many people have graded (half, or almost half, the team on many ballots), we wouldn't have the 3rd worst record in the league.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

If we have as many As and Bs as many people have graded (half, or almost half, the team on many ballots), we wouldn't have the 3rd worst record in the league.

Did you read the thread at all?

Clearly most people were grading players based on their expectations. So if a 4th line player was doing his job well, he could get a B. This team was expected to be one of the worst in the league. They are meeting expectations in that regard.

Obviously the roster doesn't have a lot of talent. We could be overachieving and still blow chunks in the standings.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Did you read the thread at all?

Clearly most people were grading players based on their expectations. So if a 4th line player was doing his job well, he could get a B. This team was expected to be one of the worst in the league. They are meeting expectations in that regard.

Obviously the roster doesn't have a lot of talent. We could be overachieving and still blow chunks in the standings.

I read every post. I'm also not the only one who shares that sentiment. I understand that if someone is doing his job well, he can earn a B. I'm also aware that the Flames have lost six of the last seven games. In those six losses they were shut out five times and only scored one goal in the other game. They are eight games below .500 and are 3rd last in the league. I don't think there are 10-15 players on the roster who are doing their jobs, and deserving of at least a B. If there were, the results would be different, and maybe they'd score some goals. The only players I would say that have earned a B or higher are Monahan, Hudler, Gio, Backlund, and Russell.

Just because a team has low expectations, doesn't mean that when they meet them, they deserve an A or B. If you exceed those expectations, then you start earning As and Bs. The team would also be exceeding the expectations because the players were earning As and Bs.

I am happy with the way the rebuild has gone. They won a few games at the beginning of the year, have come back in many games and made a lot interesting. Although they've been awful since Christmas, the Colorado game was fun to watch. I'm patient and I look forward to a roster that could include Monahan, Baertschi, Poirier, Byron, Seiloff, Giordano, Russell, Brodie, Street, Bouma, Ortio, Gillies, Jankowski, and from the next two drafts Reinhart/= or Ekblad and, dare to dream, McDavid.

None of that means that we have 15 players deserving of a B or higher. Hopefully many of them evolve into As and Bs. I'll be cheering for it to happen, but great grades are reserved for great players. If you are a bad student in university, and are expected to get the lowest mark in math class, you don't get an A or B when you had in an exam where you only got 55% right. Just because it's higher than you were expected to get, doesn't make it an A paper.

[JobHopper]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

Not meaning to sound rude, but how many of these games do you watch?

Glencross has been at over .5 PPG this season. He can and has been putting up points.

Stempniak is really a 3rd liner but has been playing top minutes. That's why he has such a bad +/- cause he plays top minutes.

Russel has been good, I'll give him a C+.

Byron as well, he's playing as well as you would expect him to, C is not a bad mark for him.

Smid as well, in big games he's just not there, just like Backlund.

I don't believe I'm that far off here.

[MikeMc]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

No, they're pretty much in line with reality.

I'm sorry that people expect more from a frequent healthy scratch on one of the weakest forward groups in the NHL. That isn't "meeting expectations" that is "you won't be in the NHL next year".

That's an F.

You don't have to apologize.

So you expected a player who likely projects to net 30 points year over year to net beyond that? TJ has had one decent stat year (2009-10) in his career.

The guy skates hard most nights but the talent just isn't there. If he's below expectations then expectations were incorrect. He is a 3rd line expendable player.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Relative to expectations. My expectations were low

A: Hudler, Gio, Russell
B: Monahan, Byron
C: Backlund, Smid, Berra, Ramo, Colborne, O'Brien, Bouma,
D: Brodie, McGrattan, Glencross
F+: Stajan, Stempniak, Cammalleri, Butler
F: D. Jones, Smith, Breen, Galiardi

With more weight on the past 20 games, Stempniak and Cammalleri are definitely moving closer to F. Ramo and Berra through December were strongly trending towards a B, both have been improving.

[Poe969]

Hudler gets a b+. Monahan gets a b+. Gio gets a b. then it's F's across the board

[FlameZilla]

A)Franchise players; essential to the success of the franchise: Nil

B)Players I like; part of the solution going forward: Giordano, Backlund, Monahan, Hudler, Brodie, Russell, Colborne, Bouma, Smid, Byron*

C)Players I abide but expect a lot more from: Ramo, Baertschi*, Wideman, Cammalleri, Berra, McGrattan, Glencross, B. Jones, D. Jones*, Galiardi*

D)Players I cannot wait to see moved; part of the problem: Westgarth*, Stempniak, Stajan, O'Brien, Butler, Smith

F) Players with zero talent or character who have no business playing in the NHL: Nil

*Jury is still out on these players on players marked with an asterisk.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by MikeMc

You don't have to apologize.

So you expected a player who likely projects to net 30 points year over year to net beyond that? TJ has had one decent stat year (2009-10) in his career.

The guy skates hard most nights but the talent just isn't there. If he's below expectations then expectations were incorrect. He is a 3rd line expendable player.

He isn't a 3rd line player who is on pace for 30 points. "3rd line players" don't consistently get scratched in the NHL. He's a 4th line, potential AHL player right now.

He is on pace to be out of the NHL next year.

[Kolbe31]

Can't believe the amount of average grades Kris Russell is getting. Somehow a plus player on this train wreck. He's been our best defenseman, better than Gio, in my opinion.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

Glencross has been at over .5 PPG this season. He can and has been putting up points.

Stempniak is really a 3rd liner but has been playing top minutes. That's why he has such a bad +/- cause he plays top minutes.



I don't believe I'm that far off here.

Stempniak is getting a minute or so a game more than he did last year. He is #3 in forward ice time.

Last year he was #5, The year before #6, The year before he was cut back to #7 in Phx after being #4 in Toronto


He has never been out of the top 6 forwards in his career except when Phx saw his play fall off and cut back on his ice time. That is what makes Phx a playoff team. If Stempniak played this bad in Phx he would be sitting in the stands or on waivers.

He is getting top line ice time and playing with the Flames best players and getting #1 PP time and has 5 pts in his last 27 games!!!


His total crap play and the fact that he keeps getting his huge ice-time is just bad for the team. There is absolutely no merit based rewards on this team. That has to be building up against Hartley and teh coaches in the room.

Maybe Burke is hoping for a sling-shot effect when he replaces Hartley with a new coach that the kids feel they have a chance with.

Ben Street in his 8 game look with the Flames played better than Stempniak over his last 27 and he is in the AHL.