[Rumour] Friedman: Flames have looked at Kunitz and Zuccarello

[gamesaver]

Damn, now I want Zuc with Chuck and Backs.. Do it Tre, please!

[doctajones428]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

How are Kunitz and Zuccarello "guys like that"?

Zuccarello has lead his team in scoring most recent years, is a strong two-way player and goes in the dirty areas but is small. Is 31 and looks like he has a lot left to give, outside of some injuries this year.

Kunitz has been a passenger for years, has 3 points this year and is 39 and done.

Lazy reporting, "guys like that, you know professional hockey players"

Leadership? Playoff experience?

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Flames already lack size in their top 6.

Adding another undersized player up front wouldn't be my first choice.

Not that Zuccarello would be a bad addition, but I think the Flames get a lot more benefit out of a guy like Ferland. Or like Neal was supposed to be.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Flames already lack size in their top 6.

Adding another undersized player up front wouldn't be my first choice.

Not that Zuccarello would be a bad addition, but I think the Flames get a lot more benefit out of a guy like Ferland. Or like Neal was supposed to be.

If Zuccarello pushes Mangiapane out of the lineup, that's a net gain in physicality.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Flames already lack size in their top 6...

Do they actually?

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Itse

If Zuccarello pushes Mangiapane out of the lineup, that's a net gain in physicality.

I get your point, but Mangiapane plays like 8 minutes per game.

If Zuccarollo pushes Frolik or Neal onto the 4th line, then the number of minutes getting played by a guy who can hit will still go down.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Do they actually?

There are no monsters but only Gaudreau is below six feet. Backlund is 6'0" and the rest are slightly taller. TBF only Chuckie is over 200 pounds.

But the third line is pretty big - Neal and Janko are both big guys and Bennett is tough.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

I get your point, but Mangiapane plays like 8 minutes per game.

If Zuccarollo pushes Frolik or Neal onto the 4th line, then the number of minutes getting played by a guy who can hit will still go down.

Zuccarello has a few more hits than Frolik or Neal. FWIW of course. It's a badly recorded stat.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Do they actually?

Yeah, I think so.

That's why I keep saying it.

I can't think of a single game where the Flames top forwards have played an effective physical game, while I can think of several games where I feel their effectiveness was reduced by opponents who did.

The motivation and reward for physically dominating another team dramatically increases in the playoffs. I think it's the Flames biggest weakness going into the playoffs.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Zuccarello has a few more hits than Frolik or Neal. FWIW of course. It's a badly recorded stat.

Yeah, I mean I have a soft spot for Frolik, but it's not because of physicality.



Not saying he's the best possible option for upgrade, but Zuccarello doesn't play small. I wouldn't worry about that, at worst it would be a lateral move in physicality.

[Coach]

F*** Chris Kunitz.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Yeah, I think so.

That's why I keep saying it.

I can't think of a single game where the Flames top forwards have played an effective physical game, while I can think of several games where I feel their effectiveness was reduced by opponents who did.

Comparatively speaking, is the Flames top line more or less effective than top lines for other teams? Are other teams's top line effectiveness reduced as often as is the Flames? Less often?

The way I look at it, no team is perfect. All teams have shortcomings that are exposed from time to time, and not all teams are equally as effective in every area. I don't see that the Flames suffer at all for having a supposedly "undersized" top six (and I am not entirely sure that it can be rightly classified as "undersized"). If it is a shortcoming, then it sure is not something that holds them back much compared to other teams.

The motivation and reward for physically dominating another team dramatically increases in the playoffs. I think it's the Flames biggest weakness going into the playoffs.

Perhaps, but I am not convinced that additional size in the top six makes much of a difference. There are various ways for teams to impose their will in the playoffs. If the physical push comes from a handful of players on a couple different lines, that could be enough.

[djsFlames]

I'll take Zucarello on that second RW every day of the week and twice of Sunday.

I'm a firm believer that in the current NHL skill and speed beats "toughness".

[Scroopy Noopers]

Again, he’s just naming players who are knowingly available from struggling teams, and suggesting teams who are doing well would be looking to add.

It’s the same formula every time. CP provides all the info Elliot, Dreger, McKenzie, etc... provide, and then some.

Informed speculation.

[TheScorpion]

The Flames with Zuccarello would have the following players who can play with edge and toughness:

- Matthew Tkachuk (obvious reasons, 2 fights this year, 80 hits last year, pest)
- Sam Bennett (again, obvious reasons. 3 fights this year, 92 hits already this year, 140 hits last year)
- Michael Stone (106 hits last year, tough as nails)
- Garnet Hathaway (117 hits this year, 12 career fights)
- Mark Giordano (can hit with the best of them. 19 career fights)
- Dalton Prout (if nothing else, a really tough customer with a huge fight card)
- Mats Zuccarello (scrappy. career-high of 117 hits in 2015. on pace for 93 this year)

In short: the Flames would have plenty of punch.

[Bunk]

Watching the Rangers game, it would appear Zuccarello's playing style would fit extremely well on the Flames. Zibanejad would also be super awesome, but he's not a rental.

[JurassicTunga12]

Zuccarello would be a very nice add. Not afraid to go to the dirty areas as far as I can tell. Would be cool to have another Norwegian in the org too.

[Wolfman]

They love Zuccarello NY, this from last week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GYmEbCC8vg

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by Coach

F*** Chris Kunitz.

And some people think the quality of cp posts has gone down. What could they ever be talking about?

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Zevo

And some people think the quality of cp posts has gone down. What could they ever be talking about?

Are you a Kunitz apologist?