(Flames) NHL Depth Chart Discussion

[FanIn80]

My take on what our current depth chart looks like at the NHL level.

I’ve listed them according to the position I think they should be playing, as well as ranked them within those positions. I’ve also included my interpretation as to whether I consider them a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th line player relative to the rest of the NHL.

Note that if I haven’t listed a player, it’s because I don’t consider them to be an NHL caliber player.

Please feel free to discuss and/or modify. My goal is to fully understand the holes on this team, as well as to clearly identify the realistically tradable assets.

Centers
1. Monahan [1]
2. Lindholm [1-2]
3. Backlund [3]
4. Ryan [3-4]
5. Dube [3-4]
6. Jankowski [4]

Left Wing
1. Gaudreau [1]
2. Mangiapane [3]
3. Bennett [4]
4. Lucic [4]

Right Wing
1. Tkachuk [1]
2. Czarnik [4]
3. Frolik [4]

Left Defence
1. Giordano [1]
2. Hanifin [1-2]
3. Kylington [2-3]
4. Valimaki [2-3]

Right Defence
1. Andersson [1-2]
2. Hamonic [3]
3. Brodie [3]

Goaltender
1. Rittich [1]
2. Talbot [2]

Based on the above, I see a need for:
- LW [2] or [2-3]
- RW [2] or [2-3]
- RW [2] or [2-3]
- RD [2] or [2-3]

I also see these players as the assets we should be trying to move:
- Backlund
- Jankowski
- Bennett
- Frolik
- Kylington
- Hamonic or Brodie

[TheScorpion]

I think Rieder is better than Frolik, to be honest.

[Harry Lime]

You're being nice calling Tkachuk a right wing. I'd put him as a left wing and expose the biggest problem on the club.

[SeanCharles]

Gaudreau-Lindholm-
Tkachuk-Monahan-
Bennett-Backlund-Mangiapane
Lucic-Ryan-Dube

Gio-Andersson
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Stone

Rittich
Talbot

IR: Czarnik, Valimaki

Trade: Frolik, Brodie, Jankowski

We need a couple top 6 RWers or 1 RWer and a center.

[Unknown]

We have seen it. Lindholm is a right winger, because Peters has decided it. The biggest need is a top6-center.

[Poe969]

Flames roster:

[CalgaryFan1988]

Yeah, Tkachuk should be slotted on LW. He is not a RWer and Kylington is a 3 (homerism calling him better than Brodie), Andersson is a 2/3 and Brodie is a 1/2. You also forgot Stone, who is a fine #3 RD (Good list overall though IMO).

[The Cobra]

The biggest problem is needing a bunch of 2’s and having a bunch of 3-4’s to trade for them


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CalgaryFan1988]

My opinion

Centers
1. Monahan [1-2]
2. Lindholm [2]
3. Backlund [3]
4. Ryan [3-4]
5. Dube [4]
6. Jankowski [4-5]

Left Wing
1. Gaudreau [1]
2. Tkachuk [1]
3. Mangiapane [3]
4. Bennett [3]
5. Lucic [4]

Right Wing
1. Czarnik [3-4]
2. Frolik [4-5]

Left Defence
1. Giordano [1]
2. Hanifin [1-2]
3. Valimaki [2-3]
4. Kylington [3]

Right Defence
1. Brodie [1-2]
2. Andersson [2]
3. Hamonic [3]
4. Stone [3]

Goaltender
1. Rittich [1]
2. Talbot [2]

[VilleN]

Great lists. I agree with the consensus that they bring us to: a top line RW would do wonders for this team... if Gaudreau and Monahan start playing like top line players again.

[Saqe]

Hanifin isn't a 1-2 at this point, that's the upside. He doesn't have the offense or the defense to be called that right now.

[Flames1217]

I would rank it as follows:

Gaudreau (1LW) - Monahan (lower tier 1C) - Lindholm (1RW)
Tkachuk(1LW) - Backlund (2C) - Mangiapane (3LW)
Bennett (3C/W) - Ryan (3C) - Frolik (4w)
Lucic (4LW) - Jankowski (4C/AHL) - Rieder, Rinaldo (AHL)
Dube (4C/W) - Czarnik (4W)

Gio (1D) - Brodie (4D-5D)
Han (3D) - Hammer(4D-5D)
Kylington (7D/AHL) - Anderson (3D-4D)
Stone (7D/AHL)

Rittich (1G)
Talbot (2G)

Our RW in my opinion is the problem. We have one true viable RW option in his true position. I also am not a huge fan of our defense blend, would love to get a guy like Edmunston from Carolina for example to strengthen the bottom pairing.

I have a feeling that a move will happen very soon.

[FanIn80]

I listed Tkachuk as a RW because I really like him on the right side. I also believe a good second line would allow a Gaudreau Monahan Tkachuk line the room they need to become dominant.

Getting a second line RW is going to be difficult enough without also having to get a first line right wing.

[ComixZone]

My opinion

Centers
1. Monahan [1]
2. Backlund [3]
3. Ryan [4]
4. Jankowski [5]

Left Wing
1. Gaudreau [1]
2. Tkachuk [1]
3. Mangiapane [3]
4. Lucic [4]
5. Dube [4]

Right Wing
1. Lindholm [1]
2. Bennett [3]
3. Czarnik [4]
4. Frolik [5]

Left Defence
1. Giordano [1]
2. Hanifin [2]
3. Valimaki [3]
4. Kylington [3]

Right Defence
1. Brodie [1]
2. Andersson [2]
3. Hamonic [3]
4. Stone [4]

Goaltender
1. Rittich [1]
2. Talbot [2]

Priorities:
1. #2 centre
2. #2 right wing

[David Struch]

Gaudreau (1LW) - Monahan (1C) - Lindholm (1RW)
Tkachuk(1LW) - Backlund (2C) - Phillips (2RW)
Mangiapane (2LW) - Ryan (3C) - Zavgorodny (2RW)
Pelletier (2LW) - Nikolayev (2C) - Dubé (2LW)
Koumontzis (2LW) - Emilio Pettersen (2C) - Gawdin (2RW)
Kirkland (2LW) - Ruzicka (2C) - Sveningsson 2LW
Feuk (2LW) - Philp (2C) - Tuulola (3RW)
Nodler (3C) - Pospisil (3C)

Giordano (1LD) - Hamonic (2RD)
Välimäki (1LD) - Brodie (2RD)
Hanifin (2LD) - Andersson (2RD)
Kylington (2LD) - Yelesin (3RD)
Lerby (3LD) - Valiev (3LD)
Nielsen (3LD)

Rittich (1G)
Talbot (2G)
Zagidulin (1G)
Wolf (1G)
Schneider (2G)
Parsons (2G)
Gillies (2G)

[TheScorpion]

I think projecting guys like Philp, Kirkland, Koumontzis, Feuk, Sveningsson, etc as top-six forwards at this stage is gratuitously optimistic.

[powderjunkie]

I don't think it's worthwhile to try to slot any players who have played under ~150 NHL games. For instance, Mangiapane could be anywhere from 1-5...it's a lot more likely that he's a Nigel Dawes than Mike Cammalleri, but who knows? His optimal deployment is a top 6 winger, but you certainly wouldn't rate him that way yet.

For me, it's most useful to do this on the basis of where the player should slot on a Cup winning roster as opposed to an average NHL roster. This also doesn't mean it's where they would slot (Kane as a 1RW on line 2, Sharp a borderline top liner on line 3, etc.)

Centers
Monahan [2]
Backlund [3]
Ryan [3-4]
Dube [??]
Jankowski [??]

Left Wing
Gaudreau [1]
Tkachuk [1]
Mangiapane [??]
Bennett [3]
Lucic [4]

Right Wing
Lindholm[1]
Czarnik [??]
Frolik [4]
Rieder [5]

On defence, ranking by pairing is silly IMO. Huge difference between a legit #1 and even the best #2 (say prime Regehr, Seabrook, Bouwmeester, etc.). Disparity is less obvious between 2-3, 3-4, etc, but a team with a 1-1 & 4-4 top 4 is a hell of a lot different than a 2-2 & 3-3 (just ask the Oilers).

Left Defence
Giordano [1]
Brodie [2.5]
Hanifin [3+]
Hamonic [4]
Kylington [??]
Valimaki [??]
Andersson [??]
Stone [6]
Davidson [7]


Goaltender
1. Rittich [1]
2. Talbot [2]


G and D look pretty good; forwards are a total mess. I think Monahan could be the top line C on a cup winning team (especially with the calibre of wingers we have), but the 2C can't be Backlund.