Francis: Flames plan on carrying 10 defencemen soon

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I don't think most people view Brodie quite like the handful of posters here on CP. I think most view him as a more than capable top 4.

That might be true if he wasn't the unluckiest defencemen in NHL history!
Every dman coughs up a puck or makes mistakes every game. Seems like every one of TJ's mistakes end up in our net. Poor guy.

[BruceCody]

Originally Posted by Dion

Stone and Fantenberg as the final paring on defence would be my guess going into the playoffs.

for additional four post-season games no, thanks

[FlamesFanFromBC]

FYI: Stockton's last game is on April 14th

Fri 3/15/19 7:00 PM Tucson
Sat 3/16/19 6:00 PM Tucson
Fri 3/22/19 7:00 PM Iowa
Sun 3/24/19 5:00 PM Iowa
Sat 3/30/19 7:00 PM @ San Diego
Sun 3/31/19 3:00 PM @ Ontario
Sat 4/6/19 2:00 PM @ Manitoba
Sun 4/7/19 2:00 PM @ Manitoba
Wed 4/10/19 7:00 PM Ontario
Fri 4/12/19 7:00 PM @ Ontario
Sun 4/14/19 5:00 PM Bakersfield

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Brodie should be sitting asap. His trade value is decreasing with every single game played after the allstar break.

Yup. That'll fix his value for sure.

Don't quit your day job.

[Imported_Aussie]

Brodie is in an interesting spot - he plays well with Gio, but then has brain farts, which in the playoffs when Gio will face the toughest opposition actively gameplanning against any weakness, this could be exaggerated.
But if you don't play Brodie there, you play Andersson - who is a rookie. Is this a case of the devil you know vs the devil you don't?

That all being said, Brodie can play both sides a lot more competently than Andersson, who is playing well on the right, but looked out of position playing on Stone's left in the past. Brodie as a guy who can flex between 1RD and 3LD (or 3RD) is a great asset

I like the idea of exposing Andersson to top pairing time more and more as the season wears on, and given Peters' habit of shortening the bench, could the Flames play a few games down the stretch with 7D and 11F, to allow some in-game deployment management?

These are the pairings I like, some from seeing in action, others in theory:

Giordano - Brodie
Giordano - Andersson
Hanifin - Hamonic
Hanifin - Stone
Valimaki - Hamonic
Fantenberg - Andersson
Brodie - Stone
Brodie - Prout
Kylington - Andersson
Valimaki - Andersson
Fantenberg- Stone

Observations:
Gio is ALWAYS 1LD
Hamonic is ALWAYS 2RD - don't play him with Gio outside PK
Prout, Fantenberg, Kylington are only 3rd pairing
Valimaki could play 2LD if you wanted Hanifin's skating next to Stone - bit scratching Brodie or Andersson for Stone would be a big statement (and would depend on Stone coming back and being rock solid)

I think you start building the D corps by slotting in Giordano and Hamonic, Gio as the all-situations guy and Hamonic as a lock down PK guy.

Assuming Gio anchors PP1, for PP2, you best options are Hanifin and/or Andersson (4+1 vs 3+2 setup), as Brodie is a pass-only player with his shot lacking penetration. Stone can't hit the net, and guys like Kylington, Valimaki and Fantenberg are the next tier down.

Beyond Gio and Hamonic as PK1, your next best PK options would be Stone and Hanifin, followed by Brodie and Valimaki.
Hanifin coughs up the puck less, whereas Brodie creates more turnovers.

Given that Hanifin plays both ways on special teams as well, he is the next guy added.

Brodie, Valimaki and Andersson are at best the 4th option, at worst the 7th
Stone is bottom pairing, but offers a bit more than Kylington when he is fully fit IMO.

Kylington and Fantenberg are both bottom pairing, but offer vastly different styles - Kylington can have more impact, but Fantenberg is more of a low event player (the Derek Ryan of the D). In the playoffs, especially after his steady showing last year, he is likely ahead.

Prout likely does not factor unless there is a bloodbath game where he is the 7D/major injuries.

That to me sets the depth chart (handedness not considered) as:
Giordano
Hamonic
Hanifin
Brodie, Andersson, Valimaki
Stone
Fantenberg
Kylington
Prout


So here are some potential top 6s:

Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Valimaki - Andersson

Giordano - Andersson
Hanifin - Hamonic
Brodie - Stone

Giordano - Brodie
Valimaki - Hamonic
Hanifin - Stone

Giordano - Andersson
Hanifin - Hamonic
Fantenberg - Brodie

Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Fantenberg - Andersson

Giordano - Brodie
Hanifin - Hamonic
Fantenberg - Stone

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Toonage

If the Flames start sitting Brodie at the end of the year, his value is fine. If they sit him during the playoffs, they had best adjust their internal price tag for him cause its going to take a tumble league wide.

I completely disagree. Brodie's value relative to his own team mates would have a negligible affect his value Leaguewide. Even if there are six better defensemen on THIS team, he is still easily a top four defenseman on MOST NHL teams.

By way of illustration, Brett Kulak was not good enough of a defenseman to break the Flames top six, yet he is good enough to play on Montreal's second pairing. Unlike Brett Kulak, TJ Brodie has a long history of consistent offensive production, and years of experience playing top-four NHL minutes. Teams will pay a premium for that even if he plays only a handful of playoff games.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FlamesFanFromBC

FYI: Stockton's last game is on April 14th...

Jusso Valimaki will be back in Calgary long before then. I bet he is recalled by the end of the week.