Does this team have to get younger

[CaptainCrunch]

Usually when you rebuild properly you draft or pick up a young nucleus or core of young players and surround them with Vets who can "Show them the way"

I think that we can agree that the young core of this team is built around

Monahan, Gaudreau, MT, Bennett, Brodie, Ferland, and Hamilton.

We can agree that the vets in this lineup are Engellend, Stajan, Versteeg and to an extent Widemen

The rest of the players are in that useful players between the ages of 25 to 29.

So is this the year that a proper rebuild shows that you have to eject these older players "Leaders" hope that you've developed leadership in the room and bring in younger players that you've hopefully drafted and developed. The Anderssons, Jankowski's, Kulaks for example and take the risk of adding more inexperience and hoping that the Monahan's and Brodies can act as that buffer and leadership caste?

At the same time this probably allows for a more in control payroll situation.

At the same time is this the summer that you do the ulimate roll of the dice leadership wise and trade your beloved captain in Gio? which could allow you to continue to restock your shelves.

This is a crucial time in a rebuild where I believe that you now have to start moving more strongly to the fruits of your labor in terms of your older prospects.

Or do we try to solve our problems in the out of control world of UFA's?

[Ashasx]

It would probably be best to use younger players specifically on the bottom defence pairing.

Would save a lot of money, and they couldn't possibly do worse than what we had this season.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Usually when you rebuild properly you draft or pick up a young nucleus or core of young players and surround them with Vets who can "Show them the way"

I think that we can agree that the young core of this team is built around

Monahan, Gaudreau, MT, Bennett, Brodie, Ferland, and Hamilton.

We can agree that the vets in this lineup are Engellend, Stajan, Versteeg and to an extent Widemen

The rest of the players are in that useful players between the ages of 25 to 29.

So is this the year that a proper rebuild shows that you have to eject these older players "Leaders" hope that you've developed leadership in the room and bring in younger players that you've hopefully drafted and developed. The Anderssons, Jankowski's, Kulaks for example and take the risk of adding more inexperience and hoping that the Monahan's and Brodies can act as that buffer and leadership caste?

At the same time this probably allows for a more in control payroll situation.

At the same time is this the summer that you do the ulimate roll of the dice leadership wise and trade your beloved captain in Gio? which could allow you to continue to restock your shelves.

This is a crucial time in a rebuild where I believe that you now have to start moving more strongly to the fruits of your labor in terms of your older prospects.

Or do we try to solve our problems in the out of control world of UFA's?

Gio's a vet obviously. I don't think you trade him. I'd like to keep Engellend and Versteeg. I'm indifferent about Stajan and would love to not have Wideman next year.

[Samuelsson]

Massively in the minority I'm sure, but I'd trade Gio. Said it was gonna anchor us when he signed it, and it gives us a lot more cap space to play with in a couple of years when he inevitably starts to decline.

Anyway, back to the discussion at hand. I do think we could do with playing our younger players from Stockton, but then the discussion becomes whether they deserve it or not; obviously you don't want to go full Edmonton, but throwing them in at the start of the season wouldn't hurt, providing they've had a good training camp etc.

[Vinny01]

Flames have had an impact rookie every year in the rebuild and I think that trend continues one more year at least
2014 - Monahan
2015 - Gaudreau
2016 - Bennett
2017 - Tkachuk
2018 - Jankowski

[Love]

I think that the majority of the bottom six should be comprised with hungry youth, that can chip in offensively. Stajan too old and slow. Brouwer too useless. Bouma, glimmer faded away when he lost the Backlund-bump.

Hathaway, Chiasson, Klimchuk, Poirier types should be in our bottom six. I actually think Poirier would thrive in Brouwer's role. Straight speed demon, that has an offensive upside, can play on the PK and is a ferocious forechecker.

We were taken to school by Wagner, Shaw, Thompson, Ritchie...etc

[Fighting Banana Slug]

If "getting younger", you mean getting rid of Wideman and Stajan, sure. But overall, they still need some vets to help guide the young guys. The core is young and strong, but I am in favour of bringing back Versteeg and Stone, perhaps Engelland, to help build depth. UFA's aren't typically the answer, but now I think there are some good finds in the bargain bin, PTO type situation.

[Mass_nerder]

I think out of the "old" guys, Versteeg is the only one I'd like to see back.

[Roof-Daddy]

Need to get younger and cheaper on the bottom end of the roster IMO.

And they will. Over the next two off seasons we will see Wideman, Engelland, Stajan, Bouma all very likely exit. Hopefully BT can move on from the Brouwer mistake too.

Top end is fine as if you look at the teams scoring...

23
22
28
24
19
29

That's our top 6 scorers ages before you get to Gio and Versteeg who are quickly followed by Brodie, Bennett and Ferland.

Core is very young overall.

[Buff]

Sure, if younger means faster and hungrier guys. I think older players lose some of that hunger and speed that a team requires to be successful in today's NHL. Bouma wasn't ineffective, but he wasn't doing what made him awesome just two years ago. Stajan is great for veteran leadership but he isn't fast. Brouwer... after watching him for a full season, I'm not sure what kind of player he is. That's not good. Versteeg has good speed still, and is still tenacious and he's older and plenty of people still think he should come back. So it's not necessarily age, but it is easier for the younger guys to bring the attributes that this team needs.

[Jore]

in general, they should have graduated a few youth on the farm this year. kulak made the team out of camp through his own abilities even though they insisted on playing grossmann ahead of him. all of his results pointed to his being an everyday nhl player, but instead they played wideman over him and then later bartkowski. there was no way that a bottom pairing of young players could have been worse than bartkowski/engelland, who were the worst pairing in the league in the playoffs.

i'm not sure the flames have to get younger now. they have to fill the bottom of the roster with effective players who can get out of the defensive zone, who can make a pass, who can hang on to the puck, who can cycle around in the offensive zone. sometimes this comes in the form of cheap players like versteeg and chiasson, sometimes through prospect graduation. maybe jankowski, kulak, lazar, whoever else has enough to play 12 mins a game and push the right way, maybe they don't but you have to give them a chance.

what they can't do is continue filling the bottom of the roster with unskilled gritangible leaders like brouwer, bouma, engelland and the like. these guys sink the team, kill momentum, and put the other lines behind the eight ball.

[CliffFletcher]

The team really needs players in the system to step up and fill depth roles on the roster. The ability to fill positions internally is essential to any successful NHL franchise, and one where the Flames have been weak for a long time.

I expect Jankowski to make the jump next season. Maybe Klimchuk. Lazar will also add some young legs up front.

It's a bit of a stretch to expect any of the defencemen to step in as NHL regulars next season, though. Unless they're blue-chippers, defencemen usually need 2-3 seasons in the AHL to hone their game. Kylington is a project, and Andersson only has one season in the AHL under his belt. Hickey will probably need a season in the minors. Kulak and Wotherspoon didn't show much in their call-ups. It may be another season before we can expect graduates on the blue-line.

[jlh2640]

Lose Brouwer somehow.
Trade Gio for a young top forward if there is a deal to be had.
Let the UFA guys walk.

Thats what we should likely do.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Yes. Hell yes. Jankowski, Kulak, Andersson/Kylington, Gillies in. Give Shinkaruk, Klimchuk, Hathaway, and Poirier a long look in camp so you know where you are. Fill the holes with free agents after the fact, like they did with Bartkowski. Give the kids a freaking shot!

[Roof-Daddy]

I'd be loving it if we had a 4th line like this next year.

Ferland - Lazar - Chiasson

Big, fast, physical, heavy line that would probably bring you 30+ goals all for the grand total of what Stajan alone costs you in cap space.

[dammage79]

Spots need to be left open over the off season for Gillies, Andersson or Kylington and Jankowski. And perhaps a surprise forward who will make the jump. So I'm that aspect, yeah the Flames need to get younger.

What they need is for Brouwer to be upgraded by either himself by picking up his play or finding a better solution.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

It would probably be best to use younger players specifically on the bottom defence pairing.

Would save a lot of money, and they couldn't possibly do worse than what we had this season.

This, 100x this.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I'd be loving it if we had a 4th line like this next year.

Ferland - Lazar - Chiasson

Big, fast, physical, heavy line that would probably bring you 30+ goals all for the grand total of what Stajan alone costs you in cap space.

I'd rather see Ferly get 20-25 on the 1RW spot.

[SuperMatt18]

They should just naturally due to who their UFAs are.

Wideman - 33
Engelland - 34
Elliott - 31
Johnson - 30

They should all be gone.

Hopefully one of Brouwer (31) or Stajan (32) go to Las Vegas as part of that team's building.

Goal should be to go with Giordano, and Versteeg as our only players over 30 at the start of next season.

[TheAlpineOracle]

What would the cap hit be to buy out Stajan's last year?