Brad Treliving Interview: Thoughts on the First 20 Games of the Season

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

I think the remark was undeserving and disrespectful.

So if you are paying somebody 6.75 Million dollars a year, you have shown them respect, which they have earned, and now there are future expectations. If they are not living up to them, even if relative to the expectations set by the actual play of someone also recently signed to a more modest contract, albeit with the same challenges ...

Or more simply Gio is paid to be the captain, set the example, and be the best D. Brodie has emerged as being beyond expectations, arguably better at the end of last year with Engelland than this year with Gio

That is a pretty big elephant. So let's look at the comment in another way

If you would like to look at the actual comment in terms of its diplomacy, consider it rephrased as "Brodie is the best D man on Calgary other than Gio, so it liberates Gio to not have to worry about the shortcomings of lesser D men than Brodie, thereby giving him more time to think about challenging things"

Saying Brodie makes Gio smarter may be like saying Brodie makes Engalland more likely to succeed in a top pairing

It just means that Brodie is really good. Maybe the Flames best d man. I think he is

[flamesfever]

I can appreciate where management is frustrated with our poor start, and placing a significant part of the blame on Gio for not having a more positive influence on the team by setting an example on the ice...especially after rewarding him with a large contract. However, in Gio's defence, he has suffered a very serious injury, had an extended recovery period off the ice, and has had to deal with things like a sudden loss in team confidence, Hamiltons's slowness in adapting to his new team, a series of injuries to key players, etc.

Does playing with Brodie make Gio better? Of course...that's a given when one considers their success last year. Whether which one has had the greater influence on the other, I believe depends on which time period. Initially, I think Gio had a great positive influence in Brodie's early rapid development. Lately, it looks like Brodie's return, after an injury, is helping Gio get his game back.