Flames Future: Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I get the disappointment in the season, but now Sam Bennett is a middle six or third line forward?

Sam Bennett is not a third line forward. But he is not going to be the answer to our top line center problems playing third line left wing. This team's hole is at center. Our best center is Mikael Backlund who will never be a franchise center as much as I love him. You don't build a championship team without an elite center. You don't develop an elite center by having him play 3rd line left wing. So it stands to reason that whether the glass is half-full or half-empty depends entirely, solely, singularily on Sean Monahan.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by RoughRiderRowdy

He is a bottom 6 depth guy. We are loaded with bottom 6 depth guys. Hence the bottom 6 in the standings. I want this team to be great! It simply isnt. Simple as that.

Threads about our future.

You really thought we would be a contender this year?

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You mean like Josh Jooris who couldn't stick with this team but made the Rangers?

Right.

Brandon Bollig played 82 games for the Hawks the year before he was traded to Calgary. Does that mean he should have done the same in Calgary. We don't need bottom line plugs like Jooris or Bollig but when guys like Versteeg and Chaisson are getting consistent top 6 minutes the problem is the top 2 lines not the bottom 2

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by polak

Okay ignore where Sam Bennett was drafted.

If he continues to play like he has at this point next year, am I crazy to say that he's looking more like a middle 6 forward on a good team?

But the whole point is where Bennett was drafted! That indicates star potential.

[Parallex]

Not sure about this half-empty/half-full business. The Flames are pretty much what I expected with two exceptions...

A: I didn't figure we'd have the worst special team play in the league,
B: I thought we were getting a legit starting goaltender in Elliott.

... 5 on 5 the team has been pretty good on the whole. Not great but I figured the Flames would be a bubble team which is where I figure we'd be absent the above.

[Strange Brew]

Great thread IMO and really encapsulates much of the discussion in the other threads.

To me the key is "half" which is just about right. I see things I like and things I don't like. I think I'm critical by nature so I'm more likely to look for things that I would like to improve but doesn't mean I'm not optimistic.

Like it or not I think we are all in with this core and this management team. If they don't get it done, you almost end up starting again.

I would be more glass full if they didn't look so bad on the ice. Their record is not a mirage so guess I'm a little more half empty until they start playing better.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Sam Bennett is not a third line forward. But he is not going to be the answer to our top line center problems playing third line left wing. This team's hole is at center. Our best center is Mikael Backlund who will never be a franchise center as much as I love him. You don't build a championship team without an elite center. You don't develop an elite center by having him play 3rd line left wing. So it stands to reason that whether the glass is half-full or half-empty depends entirely, solely, singularily on Sean Monahan.

No it doesn't.

You have made some idiotic connection between currently playing 3rd line wing to that meaning he can therefore never be a 1st line C.

First of all, there is no connection there at all. The fact that Bennett is currently playing wing does not mean he will never be a 1st line C.

And 2nd, he is not on the 3rd line. THis is some sort of figment of your imagination. Is Backlund's line playing the best right now? Absolutely. Does that mean that Bennett - Monahan - Brouwer is the Flames 3rd line? Get a grip.

I don't know who pissed in your cornflakes, but your posts have gone seriously downhill this year.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Brandon Bollig played 82 games for the Hawks the year before he was traded to Calgary. Does that mean he should have done the same in Calgary. We don't need bottom line plugs like Jooris or Bollig but when guys like Versteeg and Chaisson are getting consistent top 6 minutes the problem is the top 2 lines not the bottom 2

No, it strengthens my point. Every team has players that wouldn't/"shouldn't" make other teams, even contenders.

Look around the league. Average 3rd/4th liners filled out spaces in the top two lines on almost every single team in the NHL.

The problem isn't that Versteeg is playing with Monahan and Gaudreau, the problem has been Monahan and (until just before his injury) Gaudreau.

The salary cap has been around for 10+ years and people still don't seem to get how teams end up being built because of it. Any scenario where the top two lines are filled with bonafide top 6 guys is one where our bottom six are awful.

And just like the Rangers, our third line is our best. It was just a comparison that made no sense.

[Robbob]

(In regards to Bennett)
Exactly. His numbers are pretty similar to Drouin. Is Drouin a bust?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

But the whole point is where Bennett was drafted! That indicates star potential.

Nail Yakupov says "Hi."

[polak]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

But the whole point is where Bennett was drafted! That indicates star potential.

Seriously? If in his 3rd season he's looking set for another 30 point season you're still going to pencil him in as a likely top center?

Or at that point is it far more likely that he's probably going to be a 40-ish point player? Not saying it's impossible that he doesn't break out at 22 or older but at what point to you start to lower your expectations?

You can't build a team expecting that all players reach their peak potential. That's how you get Darryl Sutter and his "This team has the most 20 goal scorers in the league" garbage.

[Enoch Root]

I am about 3 quarters full.

Are there still some holes? Absolutely.

Is there talent here upon which to build a winning core? I have no doubt.

Obviously, Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett and Brodie are the most important young pieces towards building that core. And yes, all 4 of them have gotten off to slow starts this year.

But the way some fans panic and throw in the towel on players' future potential, based on 10 or 20 bad games, absolutely astounds me.

Get some perspective people.

Lots to like. Add Tkachuk to that group. And Hamilton.

Then there is the leadership of Giordano, Backlund, Frolik and Brouwer.

Then there is a plethora of young prospects from which we need to find a few more pieces.

There's Gillies and Parsons in net. There's Kylington, Andersson, Hickey and Kulak on the point. There's Jankowski, Klimchuk, Poirier, Shinkaruk and others up front.

They aren't all going to be NHLers obviously. But if 3 or 4 of them are, and a couple can become key players, this team is a lot closer to building a contender than some of you what-have-you-done-for-me-lately whiners would like to believe.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

No it doesn't.

You have made some idiotic connection between currently playing 3rd line wing to that meaning he can therefore never be a 1st line C.

First of all, there is no connection there at all. The fact that Bennett is currently playing wing does not mean he will never be a 1st line C.

And 2nd, he is not on the 3rd line. THis is some sort of figment of your imagination. Is Backlund's line playing the best right now? Absolutely. Does that mean that Bennett - Monahan - Brouwer is the Flames 3rd line? Get a grip.

I don't know who pissed in your cornflakes, but your posts have gone seriously downhill this year.

I think he's referring to the fact that Versteeg is replacing Bennett on the Monahan line tonight.

[Huntingwhale]

I'm a glass half full observer. I think the Flames have a great future ahead.

But that future is not now. And probably not for a while.

[Hakan and the Loobs]

My glass is overflowing because we have Jankowski!!

And I drink out of one of those huge beer steins.....

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by polak

Seriously? If in his 3rd season he's looking set for another 30 point season you're still going to pencil him in as a likely top center?

Or at that point is it far more likely that he's probably going to be a 40-ish point player? Not saying it's impossible that he doesn't break out at 22 or older but at what point to you start to lower your expectations?

You can't build a team expecting that all players reach their peak potential. That's how you get Darryl Sutter and his "This team has the most 20 goal scorers in the league" garbage.

I know right? Just look at Scheifele, or Galchenyuk, or Kevin Hayes, or Benn, or Jeff Carter, or...

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

I think he's referring to the fact that Versteeg is replacing Bennett on the Monahan line tonight.

Oh, well then my mistake... clearly his progression path has come to a skreaching halt.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

I think he's referring to the fact that Versteeg is replacing Bennett on the Monahan line tonight.

Which is hilarious. It's Versteeg.

This is obviously not about skill. It's about trying to get depth scoring with Johnny gone. Bennett scores more on the wing than he does at center.

The third line has been a black hole recently. They need someone to pump it up.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I know right? Just look at Scheifele, or Galchenyuk, or Kevin Hayes, or Benn, or Jeff Carter, or...

Scheifele: 34, 49, 61 point seasons
Benn: 41, 56, 63, 33 (Lockout), 79, 87, 89 Point seasons
Carter: 42, 37, 53, 84 .....


Those guys all showed great progression. Galchenyuk fits in there too. Hayes the jury is still out but looks to be progressing.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Hakan and the Loobs

My glass is overflowing because we have Jankowski!!

And I drink out of one of those huge beer steins.....

Clearly.