Put Gaudreau on any of those other teams and he’d be doing just fine in the playoffs. He’s won gold at the World Juniors, he won a Frozen Four tournament when he was in College. He’s played in some big games and has shown up, just needs a better supporting cast. Flames did the same thing to Iggy and Theo for years, built shallow teams for them to carry on their backs.
Put him on instead of Crosby, Kane or Ovie? I’m not sure they win cups. Put him on instead of Marchand - maybe.
In a league where small guys have to prove they can play, and big guys have to prove they can’t, Johnny beat the odds. I’ll always be a fan of his no matter what jersey he throws on in the future (and it won’t be an oil drop so don’t bother mentioning it)
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In a league where small guys have to prove they can play, and big guys have to prove they can’t, Johnny beat the odds. I’ll always be a fan of his no matter what jersey he throws on in the future (and it won’t be an oil drop so don’t bother mentioning it)
100 percent. Brett Ritchie is on his 3rd team fighting that fight.
One of my favorite all time Flames. It's a shame its ending like this but that's more an indictment of the teams the GM built as the team was always missing something whether is be goaltenders, right wingers, good head coaches, etc. I will probably become a bit of a fan of the team he ends up playing for as I have never minded the Flyers anyway.
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Agreed...but put him on instead of Kessell, Panarin* or any of the other Washington wingers and I am pretty sure they do.
Not saying Johnny is better than panarin today...just in that context...I don't think the gap is that big.
Well, sure - I often compare Gaudreau to Kessel, who was the definition of a guy who was a great complementary player in Pittsburgh, but not cut out to be the main guy in Toronto.
Gaudreau hopes he's Panarin come next contract signing.
Congarts to Johnny on 500. Hell of a game he had. I've always seen his entire career with the Flames as gravy for the most part. 4th round picks aren't supposed to play a single game in the NHL, let alone 500. I'd be curious to see the actual number of 4th rounds picks with >500 NHL games played in league history. I don't imagine it's very long. I thought if he did play in the NHL, he was supposed to top out as a skilled middle 6 winger who could play mostly on the PP and be lucky to put up 40 points in his prime.
Instead he played on the 1st line almost immediately (took 4-5 games into his career to be fixture on the top line). He became the de facto face of the franchise, an Art Ross contender one season, 4th in Hart voting. Played in a couple all-star games. A superstar at times.
Yet he catches so much flack for the team faltering in both the regular season and post season. While it's not ideal to have an undersized winger to carry the team, he HAS in fact done so at various points and for extended periods of time. It's a complete failure by management to force him to carry the team on his shoulders when they should have built a proper team around him properly.
I think if he can find his groove with Sutter's style, he'll be fine going forward. He's not one of the players I look down upon when it comes to effort. Seems like he's also one of the few who genuinely hates to lose. Often when he's faltering I think it's more so because he lacks the skillset to play a more rugged grinding style which some team can impose upon Calgary. At the skilled game he's obviously great.
Will be interesting to see what the plans are for him when the inevitable changes occur next season.
Gaudreau is the first in the last 10 years but there are lots of 4th round players who have played 500, about 20 in the 10 years before Gaudreau, Brodie is one of them.
Last edited by Snuffleupagus; 03-28-2021 at 03:35 PM.
Gaudreau is the first in the last 10 years but there are lots of 4th round players who have played 500, about 20 in the 10 years before Gaudreau, Brodie is one of them.
So not many. Mangiapane will be one
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^^ He said Johnny plays at his best when he’s got the puck on his stick and being dynamic, shifty, and creative. Said that’s what he needs to do to have success under Sutter, and his teammates have to help him do that. At the same time, Sutter needs him to play with energy and with a purpose. For Johnny that doesn’t mean being physical and grinding along the boards because that isn’t his game.
I’m not a huge fan of Craig’s commentary but agree with him here.
^^ He said Johnny plays at his best when he’s got the puck on his stick and being dynamic, shifty, and creative. Said that’s what he needs to do to have success under Sutter, and his teammates have to help him do that. At the same time, Sutter needs him to play with energy and with a purpose. For Johnny that doesn’t mean being physical and grinding along the boards because that isn’t his game.
I’m not a huge fan of Craig’s commentary but agree with him here.
Johnny doesn’t grind, but he could get in there with his stick and body to steal some pucks.
Crazy that Iggy was nearly a point a game player with the Flames after his first 500 games.
713 points in 719 games.
It's only dawned on me since his retirement just how elite he was.
It's not just the points but everything else he brought on top of the points, as well as the most consistent goal scoring over a decade plus you'll ever see.
It feels like we would have the perfect supporting cast for a guy like Iggy now, whereas back then we had aging and declining players around him.
Smallest guy with the biggest heart!
