the one guy has Jooris on the top line
You mean like when Bob Hartley decided our top scoring line was Gaudreau-Jooris-Hudler and the Flames were leading the league in goal scoring last year (before Jooris' wrist injury).
and Bouma on the 2nd scoring line
You mean like, how he was on the 2nd scoring line for the second half of last seson and was our 4th leading goal scorer?
How is he less consistent than any of those guys?
Because if he's not on the box score, he is completely useless.
If Jooris isn't on the box score, he's still making an impact whether it's sparking turnovers, being our best backchecker, using his high IQ to make nifty passing plays, or his best and most useful skill - battling in the corners for pucks and digging them to Johnny. Add to that he's a right-handed shot with a nice wrister and good faceoff skills and he's a highly useful complimentary player whenever he's on the ice. Is he a first liner?
No, just like Burrows and Maroon are not first liners. He's not quite as talented as a Kunitz or Frolik but he fits that same mold and he's
already shown good chemistry with Monahan and Gaudreau.
If Bouma isn't on the box score, he's still making an impact whether it's being our best hitter or blocking hard point shots. Those are all useful complementary skills to add to a Bennett-Hudler line because they're not things those two players will bring. Add to that he's shown he has a hell of an underrated shot both in release and accuracy and he's a guy who can benefit from a good center like Bennett. That'd be our third line however you want to label it, and Bouma is very much able to be a third liner. If he's on Backlund's line, he's shown good chemistry with him too. If he's on Stajan's line, he's shown good chemistry with him too.
If Jones isn't on the box score, he's still making an impact for mostly the same reasons as Bouma but also for his explosive ability to win footraces on chip-ins. I don't know how anyone can say Colborne is better than Jones, considering Jones has been better at every point they've been Flames.
If Colborne's not on the box score, that means whatever icetime he got was a waste of time. When he tries to "add more" to his game he just takes the dumbest penalties at the most crucial times like the roughing he took against the Stars or the cross-check to the Ducks. It makes no sense why Colborne isn't effective because like you I am in love with his potential (but at 26, it's sink-or-swim time) but he has "anti-chemistry" with
everyone on the team except Bennett and Monahan. And you can toss Monahan out, because Monahan will always be on Johnny's line for the near future and there isn't another player on the team Johnny looks
less comfortable playing with than Colborne. For Colborne to succeed with the Flames it's Bennett-line-or-nothing. And honestly that's more "Bennett is really good at everything" than "Colborne has found his match".
Raymond is beyond inconsistent, and I don't want him on the team at all but the one thing I can say about him is he's had chemistry with skilled players before. On the Flames, he and Johnny fed off each other well, as did he and Granlund. On the Canucks he was a legitimate 2nd liner with Kesler centering him. He's just as good a penalty killer as Colborne too, even though he's soft as it gets.
that sir is why they are middle six players and not top line players.
Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler is our only possible line with all top line players. It's a good and proven line, but it's easy for teams to key in on because it cuts into our scoring depth and has other problems for a few reasons intrinsic to how those three players all play without the puck.
