Flames Defensive Core: Best since '04? Better?

[thymebalm]

On hockey night in Canada and in the Darryl Sutter interview, he mentioned how different the defensive core is this year compared to last. I’m looking at the roster, and not only is it well balanced, with grit, speed, vision and size, but all six guys are having near career best years.

Tanev
2020 - 69GP, 2G, 18A, 20pts, +4
2022 - 44GP, 4G, 14A, 18pts, +26

Tanev scored 6 goals 2014, and has individual career highs of 18A, 20pts, and +15. Offensive output isn’t even what’s expected of him, but he’s been amazing for the Flames all around, and will likely surpass his assists, points, and +/- bests.

Kylington
2019 - 33GP, 3G, 5A, 8Pts, +3
2022 - 47GP, 6G, 18A, 24pts, +27

Kylington showed promise in junior, the AHL, and in his rookie year with sheltered minutes. This year he exploded, and already has career highs in G, A, Pts, +/-, and will hit a career high for games in a couple more (48 career high). Most exciting D in the system.

Andersson
2020 - 70GP, 5G, 17A, 22pts, -7
2022 - 48GP, 2, 25A, 27Pts, +14

Andersson is the future captain material and a dynamic defender. He's already hit career highs in Points, Assists, and could very likely eclipse plus/minus (+17) this year as well. This is all while shooting at 2.2%. He's scored 5 goals in a season twice.

Nikita Zadorov
2018 - 77GP, 7G, 13A, 20Pts, +4
2022 - 41GP, 3G, 10A, 13Pts, +5
Big Z has been a great addition to the blue line, and is having his best year in the last three. Depending how the rest of his season goes he could reach his career highs in assists (13) and Points (20). He's going to have tougher battle reaching goals (7), +/- (+19) but its possible. If Zadarov doesn't hit a career high in points he might be the only one to miss the mark.

Noah Hanafin
2019 - 80GP, 5G, 28A, 33Pts, +18
2022 - 47GP, 5G, 18A, 23Pts, +10

Hanafin is another that could hit a new career high in points (33), and could flirst with a new highs in assists (28A), and +/- (+18). He scored 10 goals in 2018.

Erik Gudbranson
2015 - 76GP, 4G, 9A, 13Pts, -4
2022 - 48GP, 3G, 8A, 11Pts, +6

Gudbranson needs two more points to tie a career high at (13). One more goal would match a career high (4). One more apple would be a career high as well (9). He is holding his career best +/- (second is +3). No doubt in my mind he has his best offensive year ever while still being a rock in his own end. At 30 years old, he's looking more like a former #3 overall pick than ever before.

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So, what do you think? Will all the Flames D have career high offensive seasons while allowing the fewest GA as a team? It's a really great core. Knowing that Valimaki is in the wings is comforting as well. For me, they rate right up there with the Regehr, Lydman, Leopold, Warrener, Ference, Gauthier, Commodore/Mondator group. Maybe even more exciting as a group.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Regehr might be the only D to have cracked this year's lineup.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Regehr might be the only D to have cracked this year's lineup.

Ok slow down a little.

[Vedder]

Darryl Sutter. Simple as that.

Can't believe we gave the keys of this roster to Geoff Ward and neutered a year of this core.

[TheScorpion]

On paper? No. The core with Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton, and Hamonic indisputably had more raw talent.

On the ice? There's definitely a very strong argument. The Flames have five guys playing at a top-four level and a capable #6 in Gudbranson. They've all come together to form a core that's posted better results than any other Flames unit in recent memory.

[powderjunkie]

2010: Bouw/Phaneuf*/Regehr/Gio/Sarich...Pardy (24 yo Phaneuf traded mid season; Gio and Bouw were both ~age 26, Regehr 29. Gio's first full season...Darryl might deserve a little bit more credit for seeing that Gio would make Phaneuf expendable, trade execution notwithstanding).

2007: Phaneuf/Hamrlik/Regehr/B Stuart*(Ference)/Warrener...Zyuzin/Hale/etc

2006: Regehr/Leopold/Hamrlik/Phaneuf/Ference/Warrener

2004: Regehr/Leopold/Lydman/Warrener/Gauthier/Ference


2004 wasn't anything special. 2010 should have been way better, albeit 5 LHS to start.

Aside from Gio's norris(ish) years, we have a long history of having three or four #2 D-men

[PuckSlap]

The best part is, we didn’t go into this season hearing all about how great they were gonna be. Allot of individuals playing their best, with what roles they are given.


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[GranteedEV]

To be honest, 2018-19 was really damn good...

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson

until they suddenly weren't. Hanifin-Hamonic were a disaster in the playoffs, and Kylington didn't even play in lieu of Fantenberg.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

To be honest, 2018-19 was really damn good...

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson

until they suddenly weren't. Hanifin-Hamonic were a disaster in the playoffs, and Kylington didn't even play in lieu of Fantenberg.

Andersson and Hanifin were 22. Kylington was 21.

That's half the D core barely old enough to have a beer.

No chance you're going anywhere in the playoffs with a D that young

[PugnaciousIntern]

Agreed that the 2018-19 D corps was excellent and a huge reason for the regular season success. Also agreed that the Kylington, Andersson, and to a lesser extent Hanifin, we have now are very different players.

It was also a pretty mobile backend (worse when you replace Kylington with Fantenberg). That’s why it surprised me that the Avs speed was the difference in the playoffs. Overall they are definitely slower now, but play an entirely different team style as well

[Cali Panthers Fan]

This group is pretty solid and doesn't seem to have many holes, but no outright stars either, just my opinion.

I still think that 08/09 group was pretty great:

Phaneuf
Regehr
Aucoin
Giordano
Leopold
Sarich
Vandermeer
Pardy

That's 8 NHLers deep, and quality at every position. Plus, that team had plenty of forwards that could score and Kipper in net. They were poised to do some damage that year, but ran into the Blackhawks just as they were emerging into their window and exited in the first round. I remember being particularly bummed about the way that season ended.

Jesus..just looked at it and I can't believe this number: Kipper had 45 wins that year. Insane.

[FlamesAddiction]

Every single defenseman on the team right now is playing well in both ends of the ice. There is always a lot of talk about forwards needing to play a 200' game, but the same is true for defensemen. Even Gudbranson and Zadorov, who are defensive guys first, have not been afraid to shoot or jump into the play.

With that in mind, I would say that the defense now is better than 2004. The blue line back then was not quite as well rounded. I mean it was decent but not nearly as versatile and didn't add a lot of offense. In 2004, Leopold was the only defenseman to get more than 20 points (granted, Lydman would have if he stayed healthy).

Right now over 48 games, there are already 3 defensemen with more than 20 points (Tanev close at 18) and every one of the regular top 6 are on pace to get or exceed 20 points while still minding defense.

(Ok, Gudbranson is technically on pace for 19 points, but seems to be producing more now than at the beginning of the season, so I think he will reach 20 points)

[Jay Random]

It's my belief that one of the chief causes of the dead puck era was coaches training young defencemen (from junior on up, and possibly earlier) to do nothing but defend. The generation of D-men who grew up wanting to be Bobby Orr had come and gone, and the young players were being coached by guys who all wanted to be Jacques Lemaire. Offence from the blue line declined drastically in the 90s. I'm very glad it's come back.

[JackIsBack]

What about Mike Commodore in the 2003-2004 playoff run... I know he was just an injury fill in.... but what a fill in he turned out to be.

*** I just saw it said since 2004 **

[Sylvanfan]

The 05/06 team had the best defence core since the 1990's teams. Only Flames team to win the Jennings.

[DoubleK]

No love for the top 4 of Gio/Brodie, Russell/Wideman?

That was pretty solid IMO.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

If Russell is in your top 4, you're gonna have a bad time.

I'm ambivalent on Wideman. Offensively, pretty creative and had great chemistry with Gaudreau. Defensively? Well, let's just say that I would have been fine if the team converted him to forward.

And let's not reopen the linesman incident and what that did to the franchise.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

The 05/06 team had the best defence core since the 1990's teams. Only Flames team to win the Jennings.

Tough to argue with those results considering they were 1st in Ga/gp and 27th in GF/gp. Obviously Kipper had a ton to do with that, but subsequent teams had Kipper, too.

11 Flames had 26+ points in that season. 4 of them were D, including Phaneuf 3rd in both pts and goals.

[EVERLAST]

We've done okay this year but the real season hasn't started yet....it appears we're headed in the right direction though.
Having Mackey, Stone and Valimaki waiting is okay but we need another piece just in case.

I'm pretty fond of a few D cores of the past that did well enough to get us to the finals in 86, 89, 04

Guys like Suter, Chopper, Macoun, McCrimmon, Ramage, Reinhart, Baxter and Borg

In 04 missing Gauthier and Lydman to start was hard as each of them had elements we missed but the doors (Steve and Mike) did pretty good filling in .

I hope injuries don't become an issue because I see this team doing well , going far. ...especially with Darryl at the helm and having the asst we have that know our players well.

I really like our core allot right now.....they've embraced ALL the challenges and WOW I think the best is yet to come.

GFG

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I still think that 08/09 group was pretty great:

Ya, no.