Gaudreau with a career high in points

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

You mean the generational #1 overall pick vs the 4th round pick in Gaudreau? Surprise, Surprise, McDavid is better. Of course he is. But Gaudreau isn’t far off and we’re lucky to have him and in my opinion, he’s very under appreciated around here.

Without him, we’re a bottom feeder this season without a 1st round pick.

What a weird completely change of topic argument.

You were talking about Gaudreau getting an Art Ross, which would require him to beat everyone in the league including McDavid, and your argument was that he wouldn't win one with his current linemates holding him back and then his lack of PP production due to his linemates.

My argument was that other Art Ross winners had done so with worse linemates and, in the case of McDavid's bid this year, a much worse PP record.

My point is simple, it's not Monahan's fault Gaudreau won't win an Art Ross. If he can't win with a player like Monahan, he doesn't deserve to win one. Although I think it's possible, and you're just really underrating Monahan.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Celebrating the individual achievements of a single player in a non-playoff season on a miserable team is quintessential Oilers.

Gaudreau isn’t the reason this team is struggling to get into the playoffs. He deserves recognition

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

What a weird completely change of topic argument.

You were talking about Gaudreau getting an Art Ross, which would require him to beat everyone in the league including McDavid, and your argument was that he wouldn't win one with his current linemates holding him back and then his lack of PP production due to his linemates.

My argument was that other Art Ross winners had done so with worse linemates and, in the case of McDavid's bid this year, a much worse PP record.

My point is simple, it's not Monahan's fault Gaudreau won't win an Art Ross. If he can't win with a player like Monahan, he doesn't deserve to win one. Although I think it's possible, and you're just really underrating Monahan.

I don’t think I’m underrating Monahan at all. If he didn’t go completely invisible when he’s not scoring, then maybe I’d be more impressed. I’m not saying Monahan is chopped liver, just saying there’s better situations out there.

My main point is that if Gaudreau was playing with higher caliber players this season, then he could be leading the league in scoring; say if you swapped him for Kucherov’s position or Kessel’s and etc.

That’s my personal belief and I don’t think I’m crazy to think so seeing as he was sitting 2nd in Art Ross scoring various times this season. With a PP structure and improved finishers, I think it’s more than just a possibility.

[Reaper]

I'm too slow.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I'm not so sure that he's going to make it. He'll need to score 9,545 goals over the next dozen games to get that average up to 30 goals a game.

Made me laugh. Thank you!

[crapshoot]

Johnny is a fantastic player and it's been good to see him rewarded on the score sheet. With a new coaching staff and a system that plays more to our strenghts it would certainly not be out of the question to see him take yet another step the next couple of years. The only real issue I have with Johnny is that he makes a bunch of very high risk-very low reward plays each and every game, getting cute and giving up breakaways and odd man rushes when he could just have made a really easy play to create better results than he was gunning for in the first place. His give-away leading to the Senators penalty shot last game, and his botched zone entry during the last minute against the Islanders leading to the EN goal are prime examples of that flaw. I appreciate that he has to play with that edge to be as effective as he is, but I wish he would at least make a few more judgement calls and take his chances on high risk-potential high reward plays, instead of taking that kind of risks at pretty meh opportunities. Iron those issues out and Johnny will be a damn near perfect hockey player.

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

They still have 2 games against the Oilers though so very possible.

You mean the Oilers who are 7-0 against us in the GG era

[FireGilbert]

80 points now for Gaudreau. First Flame to hit the plateau since Iginla in 2010-2011.

When gets to 60 assists he will be the first Flames since Fleury in 1992-1993 and when he gets to 90 points he will be the first Flame since Iginla in 2007-2008.

[HelloHockeyFans]

The Flames are lucky to have such a talented player on the team.

[Huntingwhale]

Flames are lucky to not only have Gaudreau, but that he panned out like we'd all hope for.

He was the very definition of a superstar/bust player. Even though he kept proving everyone wrong at each level, the NHL is the best league and their were tons of questions still surrounding him about whether he could keep playing at that level. He was either going to translate his skills to this level and be a star, or not last in the league. He definitely wasn't going to be a bottom 6 guy.

I honestly would have been happy with a skilled top 6 guy who could put up 40+points a season. But to see him now, an Art Ross contender and being the main driver of the team's offence is pretty amazing. And to boot, he's on an awesome contract that any team would gladly take.

Really can't say enough about Johnny. The city loves him and his parents should be extremely proud of how he's turning out!

[renny]

The guy actually makes people around him better. Whenever Johnny gets double shifted or is asked to play with other players, you can just see that he elevates the game of guys around him. It's no mistake that Bennett always looks much better whenever he gets a chance to play with Johnny. Johnny's ability to hold the puck and make plays creates so much space for his teammates. Johnny's a special/elite hockey player, and we're lucky to have him.

[Badgers Nose]

replace the smelling salts with skittles so that he can play 60 minutes per game, please

[Erick Estrada]

Has this organization ever made better use of a 4th round pick?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Has this organization ever made better use of a 4th round pick?

No, but there are a bunch of honourable mentions: Brodie, Reichel, Lydman, Kruse.

And they've had later picks that turned out great: 8th round Theo and Hrdina, 9th round Loob and Suter, 10th round Titov and 12th round Makarov.

[Joe Nieuwendyk]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No, but there are a bunch of honourable mentions: Brodie, Reichel, Lydman, Kruse.

And they've had later picks that turned out great: 8th round Theo and Hrdina, 9th round Loob and Suter, 10th round Titov and 12th round Makarov.

Paul Kruse? I think you're being a bit generous there.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Joe Nieuwendyk

Paul Kruse? I think you're being a bit generous there.

Kruse was a pretty good use of a fourth round pick. Frankly, any player that outs in a couple hundred games is a good use of a fourth round pick. A fair bit better than the use the Flames made of their first rounders in 1985-88, 1993, 97, 98, 2000, 2004-6, 2008-9 and probably the picks after Monahan in 2013.

[Joe Nieuwendyk]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Kruse was a pretty good use of a fourth round pick. Frankly, any player that outs in a couple hundred games is a good use of a fourth round pick. A fair bit better than the use the Flames made of their first rounders in 1985-88, 1993, 97, 98, 2000, 2004-6, 2008-9 and probably the picks after Monahan in 2013.

I don't disagree...but there's a difference between "a pretty good pick" and "one of the best picks ever"

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Joe Nieuwendyk

I don't disagree...but there's a difference between "a pretty good pick" and "one of the best picks ever"

H'es not just a pretty good pick. he's a fourth rounder who made the NHL and played for a number of seasons. That's a 1% chance or less I bet. Anyway, the question was "best use of a fourth round pick" and he was last out of the group I listed. I'd say he's probably wind up in the top ten of any team's fourth rounders.

[BigErnSalute_16]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Fantastic. Blame our brutal coaching staff for burning a year of JG's contract with nothing to show for all of his achievements this season.

Pisses me off to no end.

EDIT: Free of GG's "system" Johnny would probably be leading the NHL in all scoring categories.

You think Johnny would have 23 more goals at this point of the season without Gulutzan as the coach? You are clearly blinded by delusion. This is already the best season of his career how much more could you reasonably expect from him?

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No, but there are a bunch of honourable mentions: Brodie, Reichel, Lydman, Kruse.

And they've had later picks that turned out great: 8th round Theo and Hrdina, 9th round Loob and Suter, 10th round Titov and 12th round Makarov.

I think the Flames should start taking some chances with the Russians in some of the mid to late round draft picks. Do what the Lightnings and Red Wings have done. I think Gaudreau needs to have complimentary players that can go east west as well as have more hockey IQ on positioning rather than just shoot the puck at the goalie or miss the net altogether.

We all can complain about the coaching staff, but the execution on ice by most of the players we have is probably why it'll be hard for Gaudreau to get the Art Ross trophy or the team to succeed on their special teams.