Flames first quarter season report card

[DeluxeMoustache]

Here is a first pass at a first quarter report card. Nobody has done it so far, so I will get started. (Player grades are relative to expectations coming into the year, not draft position)

On the whole, the team has impressed. I would give the team an A so far. Lots of changes in the off-season, and so some bumps were expected in the first quarter. They seem to have racked up a decent record despite some breakdowns, and are trending the right direction

G
Rittich - A+ - What can you say? 8-1! Played great in the loss too. Good fundamentals and steady demeanour. Big Save Dave. Stopping everything he reasonably should stop. The team likes him and plays for him. Still a long season but has claimed the starter role, for now at least. The players say he is tough to score on in practice, and stats among league leaders agree. Quirky guy, good fun.

Smith - D- - I think he was the victim of some goals that were and a lot that weren’t on him up until that Pittsburgh game. His confidence seems to be down and he is lately good for at least a softie per game, and has cost the team points. He should be capable of being better and if he doesn’t get this sorted, it could be the last season of his career

D
Gio - A+ - Beast mode, Norris calibre season so far.

Brodie - A - Great return to form with the new coach and old partner. Even when some folks were on him earlier, he was victimized by some bad bounces.

Hanifin - B+ - steady and mobile. Great addition to the top 4

Hamonic - A - disappointing that he got hurt the first game, has been generally steady, and has had certain games where they are his best as a Flame. Making a much stronger case for the acquisition cost

Valimaki - B - claimed a regular spot in the top 6, along with Andersson making Kulak expendable, and has been trusted by the coach. Some lapses from time to time that are expected

Andersson - B - also a regular now, has made some confident plays that have resulted in game winning goals

Stone - B - has done what is asked of him. Hope he gets healthy soon

Overall, the d corps is, on the ice, as good as they are on paper. Trading Hamilton has seen all of Gio, Brodie and Hamonic improve significantly, and Hanifin is no slouch!

F
Monahan - A - on pace for a career year offensively. Impressed with how he quietly gets to the right spots and is deadly. Would be A+ but for some defensive lapses over the first 20

Gaudreau - A - doing the things he does. I like the more recent assertiveness with his shot

Lindholm - A+ - such a thoroughly solid all around player. Tre killed it on that trade

Tkachuk - A+ - Not sure what to say, as everyone can see it. Giant steps year over year. Gotta love how happy he was for Bennett’s goal too.

Backlund - B - Dependable and earning his cheque. Some quiet games, but some great ones, particularly neutralizing and frustrating that guy from the team up north . That was marvellous.

Bennett - A - noticeable every night and pushed his way up from the 4th line to the second, on a very deep team. Responding very well to a coach who has put him with good linemates for a stretch. I think most of us are pulling for the guy and he is bringing it every night.

Ryan - B- - I was really questioning this guy early in the year. Seemed to be a black hole given PP time he didn’t earn, but the second half of the first quarter, he has been a really solid and effective bottom 6-er. Wins draws, drives the puck up ice, despite limited scoring, and the other team sure doesn’t get much.

Neal - D+ - He is struggling and he knows it. His IQ and ability to snipe should mask his speed issues. Can’t give him a good grade for what he has done but I am not worried. He has been getting some looks, and streaky guys slump.

Frolik - B- - Was in the doghouse early and ultimately scratched, and frankly doesn’t belong on the top 6 on a team like this. After the scratch, he has responded well, contributing on the PK and racking up quite a few goals.

Jankowski - C- - has struggled quite a bit but the last couple of games has been trending the right direction

Hathaway - C- - he is the type of player that needs a few nights off from time to time to elevate the spark

Dube - C - I think he has the speed and the mind, but physically needs to nature. Has had opportunities and been unsuccessful until the Jets game. Could arguably use some time in the AHL

Czarnik - C- - looked good in pre season and got a handful of points but has struggled to find a role

Peters - A - I expected the first quarter to be 10-15 games feeling out the team, and hopefully having some identity and consistency beginning to emerge.
This seems to have happened, with a fair amount of drama.
The Pittsburgh drubbing was the absolute low point - it took the whole team working together to get crushed like that - and if that was what the outcome of adding him was, it was alarming to say the least.
I almost wonder in hindsight if he let the inmates run the asylum, knowing that he could use it to prove a point.
The whole team seems to have bought in recently.
If the current play is the new normal, he will be in the Jack Adams conversation

[FlamesFanTrev]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Peters - A - I expected the first quarter to be 10-15 games feeling out the team, and hopefully having some identity and consistency beginning to emerge.
This seems to have happened, with a fair amount of drama.
The Pittsburgh drubbing was the absolute low point - it took the whole team working together to get crushed like that - and if that was what the outcome of adding him was, it was alarming to say the least.
I almost wonder in hindsight if he let the inmates run the asylum, knowing that he could use it to prove a point.
The whole team seems to have bought in recently.
If the current play is the new normal, he will be in the Jack Adams conversation

Does that mean we have to fire him at the end of the season then?

[Samonadreau]

*Lindholm

Other than that pretty good evaluation.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

*Lindholm

Other than that pretty good evaluation.

Whoa, some autocorrect! Thanks, fixed

[Buff]

It's nice to look at a report card and see that many good marks. Not much I would change. I'm sure others would disagree on some of the players but it's just nice to see things so positive.

It means the team is doing well. Their record backs that up.

[flamesforcup]

I love how Bennetts playing but i would downgrade him to B until he starts getting more points (which seems to be happening now). Also upgrade Gaudreau to A+. Seems good otherwise

[Enoch Root]

Yeah, I agree that A is high for Bennett, to this point. He has been very impactful, and substantially improved, but the points haven't been there yet. And until that happens (and I think it's starting), A is too high.

[GullFoss]

Bennett and Hanifin look like they still have more to give relative to potential and expectations. Czarnik, Ryan and Janko rankings also look a bit generous.

I think you're being a bit hard on Hathaway and the two rookie defensemen though.

[Johnny Makarov]

Sorry but Peters loses his A for some of his Mike Smith starts.
A- is still a great grade and 3 letters above than his predecessor.

[N-E-B]

I’d give Smith a failing grade and despite the last two games Bennett hasn’t produced enough to get an A from me so I’d give him a B but other than that I agree with everything.

[Deegee]

I don't know if I like to grade individual players much, but I get that it's an interesting topic starter so people do it. What I really like at the quarter point is I find myself trying to watch games and going out of my way to do so. This is not because they are winning games. This is not because I have nothing else to do. My son plays hockey and I volunteer with a Junior B team, I'm busy. I find myself getting excited on Flames game days because the team is just fun to watch.

In addition to great individual efforts (love watching Tkachuk and Bennett drive other teams bonkers), I love how this team plays. For me, it was never about getting wins, but more about playing an entertaining brand of hockey.

I am really happy about Peters bench management. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't big on how the club managed Smith, but I get it's hard to go through the transition of a starter losing their way when your backup is unknown carrying the load. Overall it's been good, though. I love that Peters isn't afraid of putting people on the bench if they aren't working hard enough or are having an off night. I also like the blender Peters will use when chemistry seems to be off for a night. Frankly, it is that Peters isn't afraid to try a different shape when the square piece isn't fitting in the circle hole.

Getting back to the style this team plays, they seem to have some swagger, but they also work their butts off. For the most part, they have outworked teams they play night in and night out, and that bodes well moving forward. I also personally identify with a hard work ethic. Then you add in the shenanigans of Tkachuk and Bennett that seem to get under opposing teams skins and it's hard not to have fun watching this group if you're a fan. It's even rubbing off on other players, like Backlund. Watch the after whistle scrums and you'll notice the team is quick to converge on anyone trying to start anything, which is normally a sign of a strong bond between team mates. You can tell they are feeding off of each other and have that wolf pack mentality which I feel is so important for a team to be successful. It started early with Hamonic in the season opener, even though he lost that battle, I feel it really set the tone for this team. The fore check seems to be less passive than under GG, too.

I am pleasantly surprised with how Bennett's game has been this year. I was one in the camp of trading him before it got worse in the off season. I am so happy with what he is becoming as a fan. I was also very upset at the Peters hire as his track record didn't excite me at all. Ticked pink that so far I was wrong on both fronts.

I am so surprised that a head coaching change has had such a positive impact on returning players. Such a fun time to be a Flames fan.

[gamesaver]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Sorry but Peters loses his A for some of his Mike Smith starts.
A- is still a great grade and 3 letters above than his predecessor.

I tend to think we would have won games vs Ducks and Habs with Rittich in net, but looking at it now, giving Smith every chance to figure it out before BOA was probably right. That was a big game, hopefully the turning point of the season. Team broke out of scoring slump and found their new starter. Dropping those 4 points may prove a worthy sacrifice in long term.

[Matata]

I'd drop Gaudrea to a B, my expectation going into the season is that he'd be the standout points leader on the team, he hasn't done that but is still top tier in the league.

I don't think any current letter communicates my contempt for Smiths play, G--

I'd bump the rookie defenders to an A, I thought Andersson would split time between leagues this year, but they've both stuck it out and make for a dependable 3rd line, a huge accomplishment for two young rookies.

Even with Bennetts recent uptick playing with Tkachuk, I'd go B-, I'm still optimistic about him and was hoping for better.

[The Cobra]

It would appear that you have graded based on your expectations of what the players would do, at least in some cases.

Bennett has progressed nicely, but an "A"?

[Split98]

I think you've done an excellent job evaluating players here, well done!

IMO, with taking our expectations of them into account I only think a few are a little different for me

Smith - F
I think Smith has earned a full F in the first quarter. He was the starter, and a starter that they had enough confidence in to shake up the F and D in the off-season, but left G. Not only did he struggle, he downright cost games. If not for Rittich, this season is lost with Smith in net.

Valimaki - A-
I'd give him a bit more of a bump to A-, as his steady play has been huge for Calgary. With the top-4 playing as well as they are, having a solid and smart rookie-D back there has allowed this team to roll the D-corps with confidence. He's had a few odd moments that pull me back from 'A' but from what we could expect of him coming into the season he's definitely earned a good grade

Andersson - B+
See above

Gaudreau - A+
He is the catalyst on a top-line that is rolling. Gotta be a top grade

Bennett - A-
This is a tough one. I dropped down to A- as there's still a bit more he needs to finesse in his game - but it's actively happening. I'm really high on Bennett, so that could impact my grade as well. But to start the season, he's moved his way into top-player grades.

[ricardodw]

Everything looks a lot better on a 3 game winning streak. The top players deserve the grades as they are carrying the team.

The grades of the bottom 6 / 2 likely would be down a notch or two when the Flames have a 2-3 game losing streak .

Are Anderssen and Valamki really superior NHL D-men as B would indicate. Are they close to be considered for the Calder? Kulak had very similar stats after 21 games last season. This year he has just been called up by the Canadiens.

Are Ryan and Frolik better than Stajan and Brouwer? All are/were below average NHL players.

The play of Czarnik has shown why he was not able to stick with the Bruins. He is a guy that seems to need skilled line mates to do well. He is just hanging on to his roster spot.... waivers and a one-way contract are what is keeping him on the Flames roster rather Magnipane or Rychel.

Who looks more like an NHLer Dube or Czarnik? If Dube is a C Czarnik is a D.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Everything looks a lot better on a 3 game winning streak. The top players deserve the grades as they are carrying the team.

The grades of the bottom 6 / 2 likely would be down a notch or two when the Flames have a 2-3 game losing streak .

Are Anderssen and Valamki really superior NHL D-men as B would indicate. Are they close to be considered for the Calder? Kulak had very similar stats after 21 games last season. This year he has just been called up by the Canadiens.

Are Ryan and Frolik better than Stajan and Brouwer? All are/were below average NHL players.

The play of Czarnik has shown why he was not able to stick with the Bruins. He is a guy that seems to need skilled line mates to do well. He is just hanging on to his roster spot.... waivers and a one-way contract are what is keeping him on the Flames roster rather Magnipane or Rychel.

Who looks more like an NHLer Dube or Czarnik? If Dube is a C Czarnik is a D.

Are you just being a pest?

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Here is a first pass at a first quarter report card. Nobody has done it so far, so I will get started. (Player grades are relative to expectations coming into the year, not draft position)

No one ever has said that Anderssen and Valamki are Calder candidates. I hope that the OP doesn't have to be so specific that you can't read between the lines.

Let nice people have a nice conversation. No one needs you crop-dusting hyperbole looking for a fight.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Split98

Are you just being a pest?



No one ever has said that Anderssen and Valamki are Calder candidates. I hope that the OP doesn't have to be so specific that you can't read between the lines.

Let nice people have a nice conversation. No one needs you crop-dusting hyperbole looking for a fight.

If this is graded on expectations coming into the year then Hathaway, Dube and Valimaki are all A+. There was very long odds of them sticking with the NHL team.

[The Cobra]

If players grades are truly relative of player expectations coming into the year, I assume that everyone would have expected that Johnny would be doing what he's doing.

Wouldn't that be more reflective of a "C" as simply doing what is expected?

Now, I think what you've done, is combine expectations with results.

So Johnny get s superior grade because he's earned it, even though that's what we expected.

Guys like Bennett get a superior grade because they've progressed more than expected perhaps, combined with good play. Because there is still more for him to do to get to, for example, a Johnny "A".

And I am fine with that.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

If this is graded on expectations coming into the year then Hathaway, Dube and Valimaki are all A+. There was very long odds of them sticking with the NHL team.

If you thought of all 3 of them were going to be complete detriments to their team at an NHL level, then sure - you could give them an A+ I guess...

Is that the point you're trying to make?