Are the Flames BETTER than they were in 2021-22?

[gunnner]

Reverse of last year. Not as good regular season due to less explosive top line and more injuries so we finish 3rd in the Pacific. But better built for the playoffs and we beat the oilers in the second round for revenge!
Then lose to Colorado....

[FlamesAreOne]

After we land _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , yes we'll be better.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by gunnner

Reverse of last year. Not as good regular season due to less explosive top line and more injuries so we finish 3rd in the Pacific. But better built for the playoffs and we beat the oilers in the second round for revenge!
Then lose to Colorado....

I think they have a legitimate chance to beat Colorado with this lineup because there isn't just one line the Avs have to shut down.

[Enoch Root]

In ----------- Out:
Huberdeau = Gaudreau
Kadri...... << Tkachuk
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

On paper, I think they are a little better.

But there are three important details to consider: first, they switched their strength from wing to C; second, they strengthened and deepened their D; and third, they have strengthened their ability to play the Oilers.

Factoring in those things, I think they are fairly significantly better.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I think Gaudreau is slightly better than Huberdeau and Tkachuk is better than Kadri, but Kadri being a center covers some of that talent gap.

So the question is whether Weegar is a top 2 defenseman for this team. If he is, it's an upgrade overall, even though Gudbranson played over his head last year. If he's more of a 2nd pairing guy, then it's probably about a wash.

Most of whether the Flames will be worse, as good or better next year than last year is going to depend on Markstrom. It should probably go without saying, but a lot of people seem to be taking for granted that he'll be Vezina level again. You hope so, but you never know. Goalies are weird.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

If you go through the teams on CapFriendly, we are in really good shape. Pretty much rostered out with $2.1MM in space.

Ruzicka the only guy to sign.

No LTIR reliance so the Flames will have a tonne of deadline cap space.

Talent wise, we may have lost a tiny bit, but I think we're better slotted now in that our two best players aren't left wingers. We should have a far far more balanced line up.

Older roster up front, but it's a two year window. If necessary, a complete overhaul can be done in 2024/25.

I have to give Treliving a tonne of credit for making lemons into lemonade. Just an amazing offseason. Pretty excited for the season.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Sarcasm right?

Not sure you caught those GWGs this year.

Kind of

More an easy set up if anyone wanted to bring up his ‘kiss my ass’ quote

Oh well

[TheSquatch]

To me, the clincher on "better this year" is what happens at wing.

That is, if the center depth is Lindholm, Kadri, Backlund, Ruzicka, that's better than last year. But that probably means finding a top end winger.

If the plan is Kadri at 1C and Lindholm on his wing, I like that less and I think it makes the team worse.

So I'm really hoping to see a D man out for a winger here, and I wouldn't cry if it was Hanifin, honestly, although I do see potential for him, I think the team needs a scoring winger more than they need him. His game was better last year, but still error prone including some real doozies in the playoffs. I don't consider him a 1D.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

In ----------- Out:
Huberdeau = Gaudreau
Kadri...... << Tkachuk
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

On paper, I think they are a little better.

But there are three important details to consider: first, they switched their strength from wing to C; second, they strengthened and deepened their D; and third, they have strengthened their ability to play the Oilers.

Factoring in those things, I think they are fairly significantly better.

Kadri vs Tkachuk... excuse me?

I'd swap Tkachuk for Kadri in these last playoffs in a heartbeat. One guy was playing on another level.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

In ----------- Out:
Huberdeau = Gaudreau
Kadri...... << Tkachuk
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

On paper, I think they are a little better.

But there are three important details to consider: first, they switched their strength from wing to C; second, they strengthened and deepened their D; and third, they have strengthened their ability to play the Oilers.

Factoring in those things, I think they are fairly significantly better.

This is the way I see it...


Huberdeau > Gaudreau --> based on size
Kadri...... >> Tkachuk --> based on last playoff
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

This is the way I see it...


Huberdeau > Gaudreau --> based on size
Kadri...... >> Tkachuk --> based on last playoff
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

I would be reasonable enough to give Kadri one ">" over Tkachuk. It's close. Playoff performance matters a lot. In the regular season Tkachuk might have a slight edge in production when playing with top players. But they both draw loads of penalties and are effective pests.

People shouldn't be fooled by a 104 point season in a contract year next to Johnny and Elias. I think there may be a 30 point drop off for Matthew this year or greater, which puts him basically neck and neck with Kadri, while Nazem still has that notable edge in playoff performance.

If I'm building a team to win, I think i take the guy that plays center and has been successful in the pressure of the post season.

[bubbsy]

I don't even look at individual vs individual.

Gaudreau, tkachuk, monahan, gurdbranson out

Huberdaeu, kadri, weegar in

I think our top 6 is better because it's more deep, having a true #2 center. And adding a top2/4 d to a group that already had a decent top4 is incredible.

I am so happy today.

[Burning Beard]

This team is a better suited one to Darryl Sutter hockey and that has me stoked.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

This is the way I see it...


Huberdeau > Gaudreau --> based on size
Kadri...... >> Tkachuk --> based on last playoff
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

Look I love the Flames but Kadri >> MT is the most insane thing I have seen on this board in a long time

Never go full Oil

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Look I love the Flames but Kadri >> MT is the most insane thing I have seen on this board in a long time

Did you miss where it said ‘based on last playoff’?

Tkachuk has a history of making himself ineffective in the playoffs with self-inflicted injuries. Happened in the bubble a couple of years ago, and again this past season.

Kadri, it seems, has finally learned not to make himself detrimental when the chips are down.

[indes]

Absolutely looking better this year on paper. JG & MT weren't going to get anywhere against MacKinnon and Kadri. This top 6 looks way better suited to making noise in the playoffs.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Did you miss where it said ‘based on last playoff’?

Tkachuk has a history of making himself ineffective in the playoffs with self-inflicted injuries. Happened in the bubble a couple of years ago, and again this past season.

Kadri, it seems, has finally learned not to make himself detrimental when the chips are down.

It’s still a asinine comment

MAYBE = if you said based on playoffs - and even then 90% of people would
Laugh you out of the building

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

It’s still a asinine comment

Explain to me how Tkachuk was a better player in the '22 playoffs than Kadri, then.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Explain to me how Tkachuk was a better player in the '22 playoffs than Kadri, then.

He wasn’t

But last years playoffs does not elevate a 32 year old with a career high 85pts to >> then a 24 year old with a 100 pt season

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

This is the way I see it...


Huberdeau > Gaudreau --> based on size
Kadri...... >> Tkachuk --> based on last playoff
Weegar >>> Gudbranson
Pelletier.. >> 2021 Monahan

Kadri is not better than Tkachuk

Huberdeau maybe better than Johnny but he would do very well just to duplicate Johnny’s production last year