Bring back Gio!

[Shazam]

Bring back Loob. It would just be constant LOOOOOOO in the dome.

[BigRed]

Sutter loves his vets. By all accounts he loved Giordano. He played him almost half of every game in all circumstances last season and called him his #1 guy.

People, that was **8 months ago**. Anyone who doesn't think Sutter is all for bringing Giordano back, give your head a shake. Doesn't mean it'll happen. But if it does, it will be because Sutter wanted it. I'm willing to allow that he knows better than anyone on here. Except you, Johnny Makorov. You know everything, apparently.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Sure it is. Giordano really struggled the tail end of 2019

No, he didn't. His production dipped a little, which is to be expected considering he was PPG as a defenseman for most of the year (hardly a sustainable level of play). He struggled in a playoff series against MacKinnon, but was still tiers above Hanifin, Hamonic, and Andersson. Only Brodie was clearly better than him, and perhaps a two or three game stint of Valimaki on the 3rd pair.

and then 2020 as the games got quicker and more intense.

Everyone struggled in 2020, between Peters' system change and Ward's overall incompetency. I think Ryan, Brodie and Mangiapane were the only guys on the entire roster who had a decent regular season. They all played their best hockey in the Bubble on the other hand, and many considered the Flames-Jets series to be by far the most intense series of the play-in round. Gio also wasn't responsible for the loss to Dallas - although yes he was outclassed by Heiskanen when comparing number ones. That speaks more about Heiskanen than it does Gio.

Last year he was a liability for much of the year because he was playing way too high in the lineup.

He was a "liability" because we let Brodie walk for nothing on the assumption that Andersson had made him expendable. When Sutter paired Gio with Tanev, that pair was thriving. Maybe not to the same extent as Giordano-Brodie or Kylington-Tanev on either side of last year, but that's because the former and latter pairings are awesome in terms of fit and balance.

This year has not been kind to the captain either. He's a few steps behind where he was when he last played the game at the level people love to reminisce over.

He's been solid this year

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Sure. how about this stat? ZERO Playoff series wins and constant complaints of his captained teams performing below expectations. Even by you. Or is it 100% on our crappy coaches and the Captain of our team gets 0 blame?


Name one dman this year on the Flames who hasn't played better than Gio did the past 2 years?

So Gio wasn't the captain of the 2015 Flames who were supposed to be the frontrunners for the McDavid lotto, but won a playoff round as an underdog instead?

And no, the coaches don't take 100% of the blame.

In 2017, Gulutzan takes maybe 40% of the blame and brian elliott takes 60% of it.

In 2019, Peters takes a solid 30-40% of the blame, the Hanifin-Hamonic takes about 30-40% more, poor officiating in key moments takes another 10%, and guys like Gio, Backlund, etc take the final 10-20% of it.

In 2020, an injury to Tkachuk probably takes 75% of the blame for the series loss, because the Tkachuk-Backlund-Mangiapane line which has always been dominant was replaced by the Reider-Backlund-Mangiapane line, who were constantly pinned in the D zone. Monahan and Lindholm being invisible might be another source of blame. Talbot's chokejob in game 6 with a three goal lead takes the final 20% of the blame.

And Andersson has not played any better this year than Gio did the last couple. Probably not Hanifin either, though his skating helps more as Andersson's partner.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Bring back Loob. It would just be constant LOOOOOOO in the dome.

I always thought Kristian Huselius never got a really fair shake here! Unfinished Business!

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Sure it is. Giordano really struggled the tail end of 2019 and then 2020 as the games got quicker and more intense. Last year he was a liability for much of the year because he was playing way too high in the lineup. This year has not been kind to the captain either. He's a few steps behind where he was when he last played the game at the level people love to reminisce over. Can he still play in the NHL? Sure. Can he still play on a team that could go deep into the post season and not hurt the team? That is open for debate, but I would not want him out there in anything but a bottom pair supporting role, and even that is not something I would be comfortable with.

The games actually slow down in the playoffs, so in this case, Gio's mobility wouldn't be as big of an issue.

Last year, he looked like a liability because they played a flawed system for the roster that was constructed. If you listen to Darryl's interview today about last season, he said this team was "too slow" and like I said, the system they played was very taxing on the dmen, especially Gio because at his age, mobility is not his strength.

But under Darryl's system, the dmen have more support and have the ability to step up and make the required plays in the neutral zone to defend the opposition's transition game which was eating this team alive under Peters and Ward.

Like I said in previous post, there was marked change in the final month of last season. That was the turning point of Sutter's tenure here and who was one of the main catalysts? Gio. Just check out his his stat line from that time period.



16GP - 3G - 6A - 9P - +15 - 55 shots - 24:47 TOI - 59.1 SAT% - 46.1 OZ%



Gio in this stretch, basically lead every player on the team shots, shifts, +/-, all ice time categories, lead all defensemen in goals, assists, points and etc. This is not a dman who lost his game last season, this is a dman who found his game under Darryl Sutter.

He played almost 3 minutes more than any other player on the team. His +/- was ridiculous. His shot totals were off the charts. His GF-GA was mind boggling. The guy was an absolute ####ing force when the team was trying to make a final push for the playoffs. He wasn't just good, he might have been Sutter's most important player to finish off the season. There's no doubt in my mind Gio wouldn't just be fine here, he would likely flourish again.

[BigRed]

At minimum, it's obvious Giordano is a useful player. Some of us think he's far more than that, but ok -- let's leave it there.

What's undeniable I think is the emotional lift his return would bring the team. Emotion is a huge part of sports, and of success in sports. Yes, the team's humming right now. The coach gets a ton of credit for that. Imagine what a Giordano return, properly managed by the best coach we've probably ever had, would do?

[Mindtravellee]

Coach Gio?

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

So Gio wasn't the captain of the 2015 Flames who were supposed to be the frontrunners for the McDavid lotto, but won a playoff round as an underdog instead?

ummm yeah..... he was out for the year after tearing his pec muscle against the Devils.

Wideman, Russell and Engelland led us past the Canucks in round 1 that year.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

ummm yeah..... he was out for the year after tearing his pec muscle against the Devils.

Wideman, Russell and Engelland led us past the Canucks in round 1 that year.

So Gio ceased to be the captain because he tore his tricep?

Who was the captain of the 2020 Lightning?

[powderjunkie]

Love Gio, but at this point Iggy would be more helpful as a 13th forward.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

So Gio ceased to be the captain because he tore his tricep?

Who was the captain of the 2020 Lightning?

Holy mother EFFING! hhahahahahah.

Ok fine. I"m all for Gio back on the Flames and to be captain if stays in the pressbox for the rest of his career!

[Young Guns]

Love Gio but frankly we don't need him. Not sure why so many seem to hate Zadorov. He hasn't been perfect but has been pretty damn good. He coughs up the puck once in awhile as do all the d-men. But some are quick to jump all over him for it while others get a free pass.

Zadorov and Gudbranson have been very good together. Big, physical and really don't give up much for chances. They play simple hockey...puck comes into the Flames end, they retrieve it and get it out. So much more relaxing watching this year than last season when we couldn't get the puck out of our zone.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Bring back Loob. It would just be constant LOOOOOOO in the dome.

Um

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

So Gio ceased to be the captain because he tore his tricep?

Who was the captain of the 2020 Lightning?

Or last year's Isles for that matter?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Sure it is. Giordano really struggled the tail end of 2019 and then 2020 as the games got quicker and more intense. Last year he was a liability for much of the year because he was playing way too high in the lineup. This year has not been kind to the captain either. He's a few steps behind where he was when he last played the game at the level people love to reminisce over. Can he still play in the NHL? Sure. Can he still play on a team that could go deep into the post season and not hurt the team? That is open for debate, but I would not want him out there in anything but a bottom pair supporting role, and even that is not something I would be comfortable with.

I get the disrupting angle.

I get the Hanifin and Kylington need to play angle.

But he wasn't a liability. The numbers just aren't there to support that.

Last two years 5 on 5

23rd for dmen in CF%
33rd in xGF%
14th in CA60
23rd in xGA60.

The guy is still a solid defenseman.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Sure. how about this stat? ZERO Playoff series wins and constant complaints of his captained teams performing below expectations. Even by you. Or is it 100% on our crappy coaches and the Captain of our team gets 0 blame?


Name one dman this year on the Flames who hasn't played better than Gio did the past 2 years? Maybe Stone because he hasn't played much? but the other 7 guys have passed Giold by.

Which is not his fault. He is old and has sacrificed his body all those previous years for us and now he is just broken. The wheels have not only come off but the spares have flats in them.

Well beyond the fact that playoff wins is a team stat ...

I've always said his game isn't as good in the playoffs when other players can match his work ethic.

Chris Tanev was Calgary's best defenseman last year, he's passed Giordano by for sure.

The rest? Not an argument I'd make. And certainly the stats support they haven't.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Well beyond the fact that playoff wins is a team stat ...

I've always said his game isn't as good in the playoffs when other players can match his work ethic.

Chris Tanev was Calgary's best defenseman last year, he's passed Giordano by for sure.

The rest? Not an argument I'd make. And certainly the stats support they haven't.

You don't think Kylington or Hanifin or Tanev or Gudbradson has been better this year than Gio was the past 2 years?

I mean there is no more point in beating this dead horse. You and many other posters on here have been clamoring for a new core the past 5 years.
Well now with Brodie gone, Monahan regulated to 3rd line status and the biggest core piece gone to the Kraken, why the hell would you want to bring Gio back?

Especially after watching the first 21 games this season. Unless you think this start is a mirage and they are going to go cliff diving, this team is a not Gio core.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I’d rather bring back Iggy.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

16GP - 3G - 6A - 9P - +15 - 55 shots - 24:47 TOI - 59.1 SAT% - 46.1 OZ%


Gio in this stretch, basically lead every player on the team shots, shifts, +/-, all ice time categories, lead all defensemen in goals, assists, points and etc. This is not a dman who lost his game last season, this is a dman who found his game under Darryl Sutter.
...
He wasn't just good, he might have been Sutter's most important player to finish off the season. There's no doubt in my mind Gio wouldn't just be fine here, he would likely flourish again.

^^^^ This.

But yeah, bring back Iggy. Hilarious. Some of you people.

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by BigRed

^^^^ This.

But yeah, bring back Iggy. Hilarious. Some of you people.

Agree Gio is still a useful player, but I would be way more worried about the chemistry in the room. The team wasn't clicking last year and now that Gio is gone the chemistry seems better and bringing him back might upset that.
The team is clicking right now, why mess with it? Nothing against his leadership or character, but it obviously didn't work when he was here and now that he is gone the Flames look elite.