Kevin Allen: Five NHL teams that had the most impressive offseasons

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I don't know how the Flames couldn't be the most improved team in the NHL...league worst goal tending by a country mile to at the very least NHL caliber tending. Significant upgrade at the most important position.

Well that's the easy answer but it could be the rest of the players and the coach also had something to do with giving up the most goals in the NHL.

[GranteedEV]

Flames probably did improve the most based on goaltending alone, but Flames' need of a strong top #2 winger, like Sharp/Okposo/Toffoli/Oshie etc is still as glaring as ever especially with the subtraction of a 55-60 point guy in Hudler. If we had the "best" offseason then I guess no one really had an amazing off-season. Unless the author is banking on Tkachuk having a Landeskog type rookie season. Which is possible although unlikely.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Would it be all that surprising if Tkachuk put up 15 goals 40 points?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Would it be all that surprising if Tkachuk put up 15 goals 40 points?

A rookie season on par with Bennett's is about my expectation.

You remove the 4 goal game and I think that's what Tkachuk could produce next season.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Would it be all that surprising if Tkachuk put up 15 goals 40 points?

It would be shocking!!! That's a lot of points in 9 games!!

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Would it be all that surprising if Tkachuk put up 15 goals 40 points?

IDK. This might be the year Flames send a top pick back to junior. Save a year on his ELC and a good chance of moving up Pronman's rankings next year...

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Well that's the easy answer but it could be the rest of the players and the coach also had something to do with giving up the most goals in the NHL.

come on now...how does the team defend long wrist shots from the point sailing over Hiller's shoulder? They did defend them properly

[GoJetsGo]

I think coming in at 200+ lbs, Tkachuk may surprise some people with how NHL ready he'll look. He has the size and work ethic and by the sounds of it will be given every opportunity.

One thing that struck me as interesting watching his videos from last season is the amount of damage he did from the right side of the ice in the o-zone. While I don't think he'll be top line right away, there's a good chance his size and style might compliment Johnny and Monahan despite being a left shot.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by dino7c

come on now...how does the team defend long wrist shots from the point sailing over Hiller's shoulder? They did defend them properly

Well yeah the goalies are gone but so is the coach, so there is more to it.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

IDK. This might be the year Flames send a top pick back to junior. Save a year on his ELC and a good chance of moving up Pronman's rankings next year...

Why?

Tkachuk plays the easiest position for young players to break in at (wing)
Tkachuk has NHL size
Tkachuk has NHL vision, playmaking, passing and shooting
Tkachuk fills a need (powerforward)

He's as NHL ready or more so than any player we've drafted in the last 20 years

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Why?

Tkachuk plays the easiest position for young players to break in at (wing)
Tkachuk has NHL size
Tkachuk has NHL vision, playmaking, passing and shooting
Tkachuk fills a need (powerforward)

He's as NHL ready or more so than any player we've drafted in the last 20 years

While all of that is completely true, the difference between junior and pro is huge and most kids regardless of size and position struggle with that

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

While all of that is completely true, the difference between junior and pro is huge and most kids regardless of size and position struggle with that

I for one will be more surprised to see Tkachuk play the year in juniour than I will to see him make the team and stick.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I for one will be more surprised to see Tkachuk play the year in juniour than I will to see him make the team and stick.

Me too. If he has improved his first couple of strides this summer I think he'll stick.

[FlamesFanFromBC]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I'd say it's not a Semin situation because Radulov has still been playing at an elite level in the KHL.

Montreal is paying him like an elite level player at $5.75M.

More of a gamble compared to Semin situation at $1.1M cap hit but also a lot higher potential for reward.

[Flash Walken]

I'm usually pretty cautious with my projections for rookies and prospects, and I'll be the first to point out I don't watch much junior hockey anymore. Having said that, I don't see much of a difference between Bennett and Tkachuk when it comes to how the appear as players on the ice.

Different positions obviously but I feel like Tkachuk is every bit as good an NHL prospect this year as Bennett was last year and if anything, might be more physically ready for the NHL than Bennett was.

Am I taking crazy pills?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

While all of that is completely true, the difference between junior and pro is huge and most kids regardless of size and position struggle with that

Do most forwards taken top 6 in good drafts struggle to make the jump to pro? I think you'll find historically that a very high percentage of them make the NHL right away. Tkachuk is a top tier prospect.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

but I feel like Tkachuk is every bit as good an NHL prospect this year as Bennett was last year and if anything, might be more physically ready for the NHL than Bennett was.

Am I taking crazy pills?

Bennett is listed as 186lbs at 20 years old on the Flames official website.

Tkachuk has been listed at 205lbs just after being drafted.

I wouldn't be calling Ripleys. That's a substantial difference in size at that age.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I'm usually pretty cautious with my projections for rookies and prospects, and I'll be the first to point out I don't watch much junior hockey anymore. Having said that, I don't see much of a difference between Bennett and Tkachuk when it comes to how the appear as players on the ice.

Different positions obviously but I feel like Tkachuk is every bit as good an NHL prospect this year as Bennett was last year and if anything, might be more physically ready for the NHL than Bennett was.

Am I taking crazy pills?

Definitely 'more physically ready', no question about it.

IMO, not quite as high a level of talent. But that is offset by the fact that he is playing an easier position in which to make the jump.

All else equal, I think Tkachuk is in a better position to make the team than Bennett was. The one (large) caveat however, is that the lineup he's trying to crack is deeper.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Bennett is listed as 186lbs at 20 years old on the Flames official website.

Tkachuk has been listed at 205lbs just after being drafted.

I wouldn't be calling Ripleys. That's a substantial difference in size at that age.

While it's true Bennett plays a fairly nasty game and gets away with it while not being very big, I believe Tkachuk's game is up a level on the physical play. He may not be ready to take on more mature NHL power forwards yet. I'd guess his chances of making the team for a full season at about 50/50 and his main competition for a spot may be Shinkaruk. I'll be happy with either one making a strong contribution.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Definitely 'more physically ready', no question about it.

IMO, not quite as high a level of talent. But that is offset by the fact that he is playing an easier position in which to make the jump.

All else equal, I think Tkachuk is in a better position to make the team than Bennett was. The one (large) caveat however, is that the lineup he's trying to crack is deeper.

I agree with this, apart from the depth remark. What does Calgary's LW look like past JG? Ferland, Bouma, Shinkaruk, Mangiapane, Higgins?

There is not much there. For a guy with an NHLe of 55, it would almost be a disgrace if he couldn't outplay most of those guys. His NHLe is fairly inflated from playing on the best line in juniors, but there is definitely room for a player of his type and skill level. In fact, it's wide open.

I could see a scenario where Higgins earns a contract, and the Flames stuff all 3 of Shink, Mangiapane, and Tkachuk back into the A/O. Hopefully this doesn't happen, as I believe that each of these 3 players should be able to comfortably outperform Higgins (and probably Bouma, and possibly Ferland) in camp.