Get Chiasson OFF the Gaudreau line!

[FBI]

Ok so he's a big body. Big whoop. He never wins any board battles, has no hands, no finish, plays die on his stick, and he does nothing productive. He also has no hockey IQ.

No wonder Monahan was slumping when it was Gaudreau-Monahan-Chiasson.
No wonder Johnny and Sam are slumping now. I guarantee you if you switch Chiasson out those guys will play better.

Even when Ferland was playing up with Johnny, at least he can actually cause a ruckus and dig the puck out from the boards unlike Chiasson.

I really really REALLY don't understand why Chiasson is playing with any of our skill guys.

[ThaBrink]

Originally Posted by FBI

Ok so he's a big body. Big whoop. He never wins any board battles, has no hands, no finish, plays die on his stick, and he does nothing productive. He also has no hockey IQ.

No wonder Monahan was slumping when it was Gaudreau-Monahan-Chiasson.
No wonder Johnny and Sam are slumping now. I guarantee you if you switch Chiasson out those guys will play better.

Even when Ferland was playing up with Johnny, at least he can actually cause a ruckus and dig the puck out from the boards unlike Chiasson.

I really really REALLY don't understand why Chiasson is playing with any of our skill guys.

I have to disagree with what you're saying about board battles. From what I've seen, he seems to win far more of them than a lot of the team right now. He knows what he's doing when he goes to the boards. Wouldn't disagree with the rest though. Not a ton of finish.

[Finger Cookin]

FBI fixed the special teams with a thread, so I'm on board.

Who plays in that spot? Ferland when he's healthy? One of Brouwer or Versteeg?

[GoJetsGo]

While I don't necessarily disagree (I find Chiasson = David Moss), I'm more concerned with the constant, egregious penalties against Gaudreau - EVERY GAME - that aren't called. It's like it's a known thing among officials it's open season on him.

It's at the point it's ridiculous.

Need AC to make a good 10 - 15 min video chronicling all the blatantly missed calls.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

FBI fixed the special teams with a thread, so I'm on board.

Who plays in that spot? Ferland when he's healthy? One of Brouwer or Versteeg?

Speaking of that, time to bump that thread again

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by FBI

Ok so he's a big body. Big whoop. He never wins any board battles, has no hands, no finish, plays die on his stick, and he does nothing productive. He also has no hockey IQ.

No wonder Monahan was slumping when it was Gaudreau-Monahan-Chiasson.
No wonder Johnny and Sam are slumping now. I guarantee you if you switch Chiasson out those guys will play better.

Even when Ferland was playing up with Johnny, at least he can actually cause a ruckus and dig the puck out from the boards unlike Chiasson.

I really really REALLY don't understand why Chiasson is playing with any of our skill guys.

Pretty much agree with most of this. There's a reason both Dallas and Ottawa gave up on him even though he was a 6'4, potential point producing power forward drafted just out of the first round in 2009. Seemingly, a lot of tantalizing elements. But then you watch him play and you're left disappointed game after game after game. I've watched him closely wondering what Gulutzen sees in him and I can't think of anything half way through the season.

He's slow to get into the play, he's average along the boards, doesn't generate any scoring chances on his own and plays constantly die on his stick which is the thing I've noticed most. It's hard to believe that he's sitting behind Matt Stajan in scoring even though he's played along side Johnny Gaudreau almost exclusively and has seen plenty of power play time on the top unit.

At this point, I'm okay with putting Johnny on a line with Matt Stajan at centre and Bennett or Ferland on the wing. Freddie Hamilton, Chiasson and the extra forward can form the 4th line which should in theory be good enough. If we can form 1 elite line, 2 solid scoring lines coupled with the new found defensive game that the team has shown recently, then I like our chances going forward.

[Beninho]

The best way to describe Chiasson is 95% of promising plays that end up on his stick just die. He has hands made of bricks, can't finish, and is very slow but can win board battles but that's about it. I thought he was coming here to be a bottom line guy which I would have no problem with as I think he wouldn't be bad in that role. I know this team isn't filled with top 6 RW's but Chiasson just shouldn't be with Johnny and keeping them together just is dumb. Chiasson on the PP is also painful to watch when he isn't screening the goalie. Best hope in the short term is Ferland gets on Johnnys line with Bennett and does well. Tre isn't dumb, he knows this team is lacking a top 6 RW and I don't think Chiasson was brought here to be that but the Flames have had to make due with what they have and that's what they are doing. The Chiasson on the top line experiment should've ended a while ago but we'll see what happens.

[Alberta_Beef]

The only way Chiasson ends up not playing with one of our skilled players is if he is put on the 4th line, but I doubt that will happen as it would push Hathaway out of the lineup. That said, I would love to see Bennett tried on a line with both Monahan and Gaudreau and Stajan given a shot on a 3rd line with Brouwer as I think those two would mesh quite well. However, that would push Bouma and Hathaway out of the lineup as Freddie Hamilton would have to draw in as the 4th line center.

Gaudreau/Monahan/Bennett
Tkachuk/Backlund/Frolik
Versteeg/Stajan/Brouwer
Ferland/Hamilton/Chiasson

[Mister Yamoto]

Gaudreau/Monahan/Tkachuk
Ferland/Backlund/Frolik
Versteeg/Bennett/Brouwer
Bouma/Stajan/Chaisson

Hathaway/Hamilton

[gunnner]

Our 4th line players are all playing well, from Hathaway to Stajan and Bouma. Leave that group with Hamilton rotating in alone, and just sit Chiasson in the press box till someone gets hurt. Chiasson definitely is my least favorite flame with Wideman.

[GullFoss]

Iginla would look real good on this line

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

While I don't necessarily disagree (I find Chiasson = David Moss), I'm more concerned with the constant, egregious penalties against Gaudreau - EVERY GAME - that aren't called. It's like it's a known thing among officials it's open season on him.

It's at the point it's ridiculous.

Need AC to make a good 10 - 15 min video chronicling all the blatantly missed calls.

Gaudreau embellishes and constantly complains. Officials hate that.
Until he stops, stripes will let the hacking continue.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by FBI

Ok so he's a big body. Big whoop. He never wins any board battles, has no hands, no finish, plays die on his stick, and he does nothing productive. He also has no hockey IQ.

No wonder Monahan was slumping when it was Gaudreau-Monahan-Chiasson.
No wonder Johnny and Sam are slumping now. I guarantee you if you switch Chiasson out those guys will play better.

Even when Ferland was playing up with Johnny, at least he can actually cause a ruckus and dig the puck out from the boards unlike Chiasson.

I really really REALLY don't understand why Chiasson is playing with any of our skill guys.

These are categorically false. He wins plenty of board battles, it's just that he won't win every single one of them. Just last game, Chiasson was the winger covering up high for a pinching defenseman, and he saved a glorious chance for the opposition with his defensive play. He's done a great job of playing his position in all 3 zones and has been a strong net front presence screening the goalie and tipping pucks. He whiffed badly on his chance tonight that should have been an easy tap-in, and that's why he's not a permanent solution in the top 6, but let's not pretend that Chiasson is a terrible player or anything.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Iginla would look real good on this line

Yup, get on it Brad.

Chiasson isn't ideal, but Gaudreau's line sometimes has real trouble getting out of the d-zone and into the offensive zone and without Chiasson I don't know if they would spend as much time in the offensive zone as they do. He's quite good at loose puck retrievals and setting up Johnny on the breakouts. The only player that I think would be a better offensive fit would be Versteeg, but putti g him and Gaudreau on the same line would lead to more goals against than additional goals scored imo. Brouwer is slow and also useless with the puck, and Ferland is just not getting breaks this season. Chiasson is the best option for now.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Young Iginla would look real good on this line

fyp

[Erick Estrada]

He's just not a top six player. You can see why the Senators had to get him off their roster as he's the classic bid body player that has very little offensive skill. He would be a great 4th line player but he's badly miscast playing in the top 6. His lack of skills pretty well means Johnny has to carry the line all by himself and it's just too much to ask of a small forward. As was said above he's David Moss and those guys are bad fits for line mates with offensive creativity.

[GranteedEV]

He may not have the best hands, but Chiasson does more positive things than Brouwer outside of power play scoring. If you combined the strengths of those two you might even have a competent 2nd liner.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

fyp

Iginla, as-is, would be an improvement on Chiasson.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Iginla, as-is, would be an improvement on Chiasson.

Not to rain on the nostalgia, again, but Chiasson does have more goals and more assists than Iginla.

[Toonage]

Gaudreau-Bennett-Ferland

Give it a shot when Ferland is healthy.

Bouma-Stajan-Chiasson

Worked well to start the season. Which isn't saying much, I know. But if Hathaway is out a while, this works.