Will we ever be a successful playoff team until we get a line driving #1C?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I am intrigued by this Barlow fellow.

He's good in traffic
ba-dum-cha.

[dammage79]

We replacing Monahan? I mean Barkov would be legit but uh hes not going anywhere.

I'd advocate for one of 3 top 2 centers (or projected) that could be available.

1. Matt Duchene (UFA)
2. Pavel Zacha (RFA)
3. Ivan Barbashev (RFA)

None of them inspire me the way Lindholm did. But other available Centers like W.Karlsson or Kerfoot or any of that Ilk are pretty much going nowhere.

With options 2 and 3, top 2 center upside and can play a tough game. Duchene I think speaks for himself. Hes stepped up huge in CLB. Although I am getting a little gun shy about signing UFAs. That's two good wingers in a row we gotten egg on our face.

Neal really needs to come back with a normal James Neal season next year.

[dammage79]

Also. Sean Monahan is a #1 C despite the irate frustration this series has placed upon him. The fanbase right now are acting like spoiled brats.

It's not just Monahan out ther struggling, gaudreau, Backlund and his stupid lack of discipline, frolik has been hot garbage. Tkachuk outside of game 1 has been 1/4 of what he usually is. 4th lines been stymied too.

So wtf. Trade Monahan......no way Jose.

[dammage79]

And of the last remaining 2013 1st round centers left for the pickins, Wennberg would be the only one that's available. And we want moar Swedes right? Right???

[Icon]

Maybe we find room to sign Duchene?

I dunno, unless Bennett or Dube can turn into this role we're probably stick relying on wingers

[Flames Draft Watcher]

This thread is at least half a day premature, maybe more

One thought experiment though on this Good Friday.

Do the Flames go from a mediocre centre ice lineup with Monahan-Backlund-Janko-Ryan to a very strong one with Lindholm-Monahan-Backlund/Janko-Ryan?

Treliving could use Brodie+ to fix the hole at RW that moving Lindholm out of there would create.

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk

gives Gaudreau two players who excel in physical puck battles since that is Gaudreau's biggest weakness. All 3 players can pass and shoot. A true triple threat line.

Bennett-Monahan-Czarnik/Dube/Mangiapane

Bennett gives the line some grit and bite. Czarnik/Dube can be a playmaker and Monahan works as a finisher. If we could manufacture a true secondary scoring threat line that would be where we become extremely hard to check. Bennett and Czarnik/Dube/Mangiapane would have to take steps forward

Jankowski-Backlund-Frolik

What a shutdown line! And if Backlund/Frolik are on the 3rd line their mediocre offensive production is just fine coming from there.

4th line hasn't been a problem. Ryan-Hathaway and whoever on LW.

Or just keep the Gaudreau-Monahan line together and have Lindholm centre another scoring line with Backlund on the 3rd.

Bennett-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Gaudreau-Monahan-????
????-Backlund-Frolik

Then again Frolik is probably gone this summer you'd think.

[Always Earned Never Given]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

I think Monahan and Co are finding out what’s needed to take that next step. Win or lose, some grim determination is needed to win.

Monahan is part of the solution, he’s not the problem. Every team in the league want that player at that contract.

No team EVER wins without all pieces just coming together, its such a crap shoot. Look at Tampa - built the wrong way? Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Stamkos and all the other stars are not good enough?

It’s luck, , timing, experience, talent, coaching, leadership, goaltending. President Trophy teams are rare SC winners. Hot teams that are clicking win the Cup. Crosby and Malkin are not guaranteed to win you the cup - these play driving centres got SWEPT. A year ago fans poo pooed all over O’Reilly and Duchesne, now they’re awesome again.

Calgary is slumping at the wrong time. Peters is not adjusting the game plan (####ing trap that neutral zone already and cloooooose the gaps). Avs are hotter than hell riding the confidence of McKinnon and Aebischer.

It’s sucks to see it, but win or lose, this team will be better for it.

Wonder what he's up to these days?

[Dajazz]

Haha meant Grubauer of course...

[FireGilbert]

Please don’t trade Monahan. The Flames need another top 6 centre to take the offensive pressure off Monahan, reduce Backlund’s ice time, and move Jankowski to the wing.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Please don’t trade Monahan. The Flames need another top 6 centre to take the offensive pressure off Monahan, reduce Backlund’s ice time, and move Jankowski to the wing.

I think the challenge is that it'll be difficult to bring in that player without giving up a major asset, and that would likely have to include Monahan.

Johnny needs a centre that plays fast, strong, and has puck handling skills to carry the puck in themselves on the rush. Avalanche knew they just had to left wing lockdown Johnny, and it was as easy as that to shut down the first line offense. You need to be able to rush down the centre of the ice to make the defense more honest.

Monahan is a player that produces off of his linemates, moreso than him making his own offense. It would be better to get rid of him to bring in that top line need, or if it's possible to keep him and Johnny while bringing in that ideal #1 C type of player, then Monahan can be on the second line with Tkachuk where he may be more suitable. Backlund will finally be slotted as a #3 C which is what he's best suited as.

[kyuss275]

I agree that the flames need an upgrade on a #1 center, but those kind of centers don't grow on trees. Teams don't tend to trade those kind of players. You pretty much have to draft one. Don't see flames drafting in the top 10 for a while either.

I guess they could try for Duchene, but he is going to get paid on July 1st. Have to think it would take $9 million per.

Would Pens finally think about trading Malkin? That said, i don't think he would be a good fit long term.

I would like to add Kadri if possible, but thats not helping out the 1st line.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

This thread is at least half a day premature, maybe more

One thought experiment though on this Good Friday.

Do the Flames go from a mediocre centre ice lineup with Monahan-Backlund-Janko-Ryan to a very strong one with Lindholm-Monahan-Backlund/Janko-Ryan?

Treliving could use Brodie+ to fix the hole at RW that moving Lindholm out of there would create.

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk

gives Gaudreau two players who excel in physical puck battles since that is Gaudreau's biggest weakness. All 3 players can pass and shoot. A true triple threat line.

Bennett-Monahan-Czarnik/Dube/Mangiapane

Bennett gives the line some grit and bite. Czarnik/Dube can be a playmaker and Monahan works as a finisher. If we could manufacture a true secondary scoring threat line that would be where we become extremely hard to check. Bennett and Czarnik/Dube/Mangiapane would have to take steps forward

Jankowski-Backlund-Frolik

What a shutdown line! And if Backlund/Frolik are on the 3rd line their mediocre offensive production is just fine coming from there.

4th line hasn't been a problem. Ryan-Hathaway and whoever on LW.

Or just keep the Gaudreau-Monahan line together and have Lindholm centre another scoring line with Backlund on the 3rd.

Bennett-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Gaudreau-Monahan-????
????-Backlund-Frolik

Then again Frolik is probably gone this summer you'd think.

Lindholm is not the answer to the flames centre ice woes.

The Flames need a top tier centre. Assembling a collection of middling centres isn't going to do it. The only team that has sort of made that work is Nashville, and I don't see a ton of similarities between the two organizations.

I like Lindholm a lot, but I see him as a backlund-esque player, which is not getting it done.

If you're going to keep Monahan you need to add a centre that brings basically all the qualities that he doesn't, but who still also brings goals and points. So maybe the centre the flames acquire isn't a 40 goal 100 point player, but a 30 goal Kadri type might be workable.

I would be using Backlund as my trade bait to acquire a top flight centre.

The more I think about it, the best solution in terms of availability, skill, cap and term might be Getzlaf.

2 Years left at 8.2 but a final year salary of just 6 million.

[Classic_Sniper]

Flames should open the books for Matt Duchene. 7 points in 4 games vs the Lightning. He was almost a ppg this season as well. He’s one of those types of players who can keep up with Johnny Gaudreau because of his skating ability.

Just removing Frolik and Stone’s contracts could open up enough cap space to make this feasible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[2macinnis2]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Flames should open the books for Matt Duchene. 7 points in 4 games vs the Lightning. He was almost a ppg this season as well. He’s one of those types of players who can keep up with Johnny Gaudreau because of his skating ability.

Just removing Frolik and Stone’s contracts could open up enough cap space to make this feasible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They have 10 mil in cap space with no goalies signed and they have to resign Tkachuk. Anyone expecting a big splash in UFA this off-season is going to be disappointed.

They should tweak no doubt, but the core is the core, unless you pull a blockbuster trade.

[Buff]

I think we can succeed with Monahan as our #1 center but he has to do two things:
1. Be more physically durable. His body needs to hold up. I'm expecting to hear about an injury for him.
2. He needs to learn from this and figure out how to battle hard. He didn't seem to have that.

I'm 2nd guessing if he can fix either point. However, a guy with similar skill can work as #1 if he doesn't have those two concerns.

[gamesaver]

Originally Posted by dammage79

We replacing Monahan? I mean Barkov would be legit but uh hes not going anywhere.

I'd advocate for one of 3 top 2 centers (or projected) that could be available.

1. Matt Duchene (UFA)
2. Pavel Zacha (RFA)
3. Ivan Barbashev (RFA)

None of them inspire me the way Lindholm did. But other available Centers like W.Karlsson or Kerfoot or any of that Ilk are pretty much going nowhere.

With options 2 and 3, top 2 center upside and can play a tough game. Duchene I think speaks for himself. Hes stepped up huge in CLB. Although I am getting a little gun shy about signing UFAs. That's two good wingers in a row we gotten egg on our face.

Neal really needs to come back with a normal James Neal season next year.

Zacha is a 1st round bust. Basically Bennet but lesser talent. Can fill in bottom six role but he is not going to be an answer for top 6 center.