Speculation: Armchair GM Thread: I can't believe it's not butter, I can't believe we didn't get Ryan Hartman.

[JPeeper]

Why not just leave Bennett with Monahan and Gaudreau?

Because it makes almost too much sense. Like honestly, he's played what 5 games total this season with them? Not enough time to build any chemistry. He has the speed to keep up with Gaudreau, and Johnny and Mony have the hockey IQ to actually keep up with Bennett (yeah Hathaway, Brouwer and the countless scrubs he's played with don't; I wonder why he produced well with Backlund?).

At least put him with Tkachuk and put Tkachuk on the right side and put Bennett on the left or vice versa.

All this talk of we need RW's yet we have Bennett on the 3rd line. Like try it out for a month with him up on the top or 2nd line.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Monahan has proven record....So Monahan in the slump, that makes it OK for Ferland to suck?

Good logic....

Ferland is back to his own inconsistent self. He is no top 6 forward.

He certainly seems capable of producing like one while creating space for his linemates. I think most people would agree that scoring at a 25g 46p pace as a power forward qualifies as a top 6 forward, regardless of linemates. Before getting promoted to the top line last year he was leading the flames in 5v5 G/60, so it's not like this goal scoring ability has come out of nowhere.

He's scoring at the roughly the same pace (or better than) the following wingers:
Jeff Skinner
Patrick Marleau
Jake Guentzel
Alex Killorn
Tyler Toffolli
TJ Oshie
Max Pacioretty
Anthony Mantha
Patrick Maroon
Rick Nash
Jakob Silfverberg
Elias Lindholm
Kyle Okposo
Nino Niederreiter

And he's doing it with only 15 mins of TOI per game and minimal PP time.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Why not just leave Bennett with Monahan and Gaudreau?

Look at this guy with good ideas. Get the hell out.

 

[Tkachuky]

Bet whoever gets the coaching job next year, first order of business will be to cement that #13-#23-#93 line

 

[Janks]

Bet whoever gets the coaching job next year, first order of business will be to cement that #13-#23-#93 line

Playing skilled players with other skilled players sounds like a large leap for GG currently. Gotta have a plug playing on the right side to add "grit". Look at how well it worked with gritty forward Jiri Hudler.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Playing skilled players with other skilled players sounds like a large leap for GG currently. Gotta have a plug playing on the right side to add "grit". Look at how well it worked with gritty forward Jiri Hudler.

Three skilled players on the same line is waste, according to a large percentage of this board.

 

[Janks]

Three skilled players on the same line is waste, according to a large percentage of this board.

Right - forgot about that . Guess someone should tell all the other top teams that aren't plugging in their grinders into PP1 and top lines that GG knows the winning formula.

 

[Dack]

I'll give it a shot (in no particular order):

Crosby
McDavid
Backstrom
Scheifele
Seguin
Eichel
Bergeron
Stamkos
Getzlaf
Kopitar
Barkov
Tavares
Matthews
Malkin
Giroux
Pavelski (when he plays C, anyway)
Kuznetsov

I'd say the above list is all guys who are inarguably better than Monahan, and there's a small list of guys who I think could be argued one way or the other:
O'Reilly
Johansen
Couturier (depending whether he can repeat this level of production in the future)
Trochek
MacKinnon (who is currently the most overrated player in the NHL)
Barzal (too soon to call it)
Toews
Draisaitl (when he actually plays C)

Contentious possibilities:
Backlund and Kesler (depending how much you value offensive production over defensive ability)

I may have missed a couple of dudes, but I'd say Monahan is firmly in the top 30 centres in the league, even if you value defensive forwards highly, and he's most likely in the 15-20 range.

He's a top 30 center. He's in the mid 20s IMO.

 

[tmurfin]

Don’t worry guys, Bennett is on the top line for good now

 

[Tkachuky]

Kinda have a soft spot for GG. My dad coaches his daughter in Volleyball... Seen him around a couple of times (GG, not my dad )

But damn it things have not worked out second half of the year...

 

[Janks]

Don’t worry guys, Bennett is on the top line for good now

I was joking the other day with a few friends. I’ll give Brodie my right handed hockey stick if Gully will switch him.

 

[viper0220]

If Monahan is so terrible why are other teams going to give us a better player back in return?

The quantity for quality deals almost never work out for the team getting quantity so not sure who is going to go for that package.

In fact the list of centers that are better than Monahan is small enough that I think when proposing upgrading him guys should at least post the guy that we are getting back.

I am not saying trade Monahan, alone but in a package and this is only if there is a significant upgrade(in a deal where you can rip off another team and make a highway robbery in broad day light.)

My beef with Monahan is not personally, he is on a good contract, my beef is that he cannot carry a team like a #1 center is supposed to.

 

[Janks]

I am not saying trade Monahan, alone but in a package and this is only if there is a significant upgrade(in a deal where you can rip off another team and make a highway robbery in broad day light.)

My beef with Monahan is not personally, he is on a good contract, my beef is that he cannot carry a team like a #1 center is supposed to.

So we trade our young budding 1C + a package of assumingly good players/picks/prospects to a team who’s trying to sell their hard to acquire 1C? But selling for cheap where its highway robbery?

Ya.. definitely gonna happen

Not every GM in the league makes trades like Chia in Edmonton. But nice try.

I think Money will turn into a stud 1C as he gets older, he’s still got time.

 

[The Gnome]

I am not saying trade Monahan, alone but in a package and this is only if there is a significant upgrade(in a deal where you can rip off another team and make a highway robbery in broad day light.)

My beef with Monahan is not personally, he is on a good contract, my beef is that he cannot carry a team like a #1 center is supposed to.

Please explain what carrying a team looks like. I'm pretty sure a 23 year old kid with 33 goals and counting is carrying this team right now

 

[viper0220]

So we trade our young budding 1C + a package of assumingly good players/picks/prospects to a team who’s trying to sell their hard to acquire 1C? But selling for cheap where its highway robbery?

Ya.. definitely gonna happen

Not every GM in the league makes trades like Chia in Edmonton. But nice try.

I think Money will turn into a stud 1C as he gets older, he’s still got time.

I know it will be hard but the Dougie Hamilton trade was out of left field.

I think the Carolina Hurricanes(with new owner and GM trouble) and maybe the Florida Panthers(panic moves), will make huge mistakes and teams will take advantage of that.

 

[viper0220]

Please explain what carrying a team looks like. I'm pretty sure a 23 year old kid with 33 goals and counting is carrying this team right now

If you want to see what a "carrying a team looks like", see Evgeni Malkin during the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup win.

I am not saying Monahan do that but when games are on the line(like right now), players need to rise up the challenge and we don't have anyone doing this(I am pointing out Monahan becuase he is this team #1 Center.)

Just ask yourself this question and be honest when you answer this. Here this the question:

Do you think that this team can win the Stanley Cup with Sean Monahan as the #1 Center?

I am 50/50 on and leaning towards the no part.

 

[Janks]

If you want to see what a "carrying a team looks like", see Evgeni Malkin during the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup win.

I am not saying Monahan do that but when games are on the line(like right now), players need to rise up the challenge and we don't have anyone doing this(I am pointing out Monahan becuase he is this team #1 Center.)

Just ask yourself this question and be honest when you answer this. Here this the question:

Do you think that this team can win the Stanley Cup with Sean Monahan as the #1 Center?

I am 50/50 on and leaning towards the no part.

So you want us to trade for a near generational player type that a team will let us steal for minimal picks/players?

Monahan also leads in GWG, so I think he turns it up a little when games are on the line...

 

[22Brad Park]

Bruins fan here with outside opinion. I moved to Calgary and enjoy watching Flames and root them on if my team not involved .One area I am pretty sure is not right is that coach. I think the Flames should address that if they truly want to move forward.He already threw his stick into stands and another time at practice at least22 f bombs.They have tuned him out and are not playing for him.

 

[The Gnome]

Look, I get it, this season has been a failure for sure. I don't thin anyone would argue that. But it doesn't make sense to overreact by firing off everyone and their dog into the sun. We have a great core of guys:

Gaudreau
Monahan
Tkachuk
Ferland
Backlund
Hamilton
Giordano
Hamonic

and yup, I'm going to put Bennett and Brodie on my list. All these guys are either cheap or on great contracts. We may not have picks, but we sure have some damn good defensive prospects that can be moved to add to the core group. Which is exactly what Tre should be looking at, adding to our core, without subtracting from it. Or if you do subtract, be damn sure you are getting a substantial upgrade upfront.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Bennett-Backlund-XXX
Ferland-Janko-Frolik
XXX-XXX-XXX

I've done this before, but we simply need to fill in the XXXs via FA, trade, or internal growth. Trade Stone for picks, promote Andersson, Buyout Brouwer, and say goodbye to Stajan. Insert a new coach and you have a solid looking group with a fresh start.

Personally, I'd be trying to sign Neal or Kane if the term isn't crazy. For the bottom line I'd sign Rousell if the stars don't and then figure out if you can get a quality 4th line out of Rousell/Dube/Lazar/Shore/Foo/Mangiapane...If not, we may need to add via FA.

 

[The Gnome]

If you want to see what a "carrying a team looks like", see Evgeni Malkin during the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup win.

I am not saying Monahan do that but when games are on the line(like right now), players need to rise up the challenge and we don't have anyone doing this(I am pointing out Monahan becuase he is this team #1 Center.)

Just ask yourself this question and be honest when you answer this. Here this the question:

Do you think that this team can win the Stanley Cup with Sean Monahan as the #1 Center?

I am 50/50 on and leaning towards the no part.

Yes, we can. If you want to wait around for a generational player like Malkin to fall into our laps, be my guest.

 

[viper0220]

So you want us to trade for a near generational player type that a team will let us steal for minimal picks/players?

Monahan also leads in GWG, so I think he turns it up a little when games are on the line...

No for your first part, I was just telling what carrying a team looks like.

Monahan needs to turn it up by a lot and not a little(maybe this is me as a frustrated fan, since the turn of the Century, other than the Cinderella run, this team has not done much.) What Monahan has been able to do in GWG is amazing, especially considering the crap coaches he has done it under.

 

[The Gnome]

No for your first part, I was just telling what carrying a team looks like.

Monahan needs to turn it up by a lot and not a little(maybe this is me has a frustrated fan, since the turn of the Century, other than the Cinderella run, this team has not done much.) What Monahan has been able to in GWG is amazing, especially considering the crap coaches he has done it under.

Nashville was pretty damn close to winning a cup without a Malkin on their team, I firmly believe teams can do it if you have very strong depth.

 

[22Brad Park]

Nashville was pretty damn close to winning a cup without a Malkin on their team, I firmly believe teams can do it if you have very strong depth.

Nashville played that series missing their top centre too.

 

[viper0220]

Nashville was pretty damn close to winning a cup without a Malkin on their team, I firmly believe teams can do it if you have very strong depth.

True enough but it is more than depth that you need, Nashville has a GM that is not afraid to make big moves and they have a coach that plays to the teams strength.

If I told you at the start of the season, that Johnny, Monahan and Ferland would have career highs in points, Matthew Tkachuk would have more points than he did last year, Dougie Hamilton would have a good year and Mike Smith would also have a good and we could still miss the playoffs, you would laugh at me. So it more than depth.

 

[Baxterman]

I am not saying trade Monahan, alone but in a package and this is only if there is a significant upgrade(in a deal where you can rip off another team and make a highway robbery in broad day light.)

My beef with Monahan is not personally, he is on a good contract, my beef is that he cannot carry a team like a #1 center is supposed to.

This isn't directed only to you but with the earlier discussion about who is an upgrade at center and then which of those guys are available who would you like the Flames to get?

I ask this only because the list is so small that I think it is reasonable for a poster to have some idea of who it could be. If you are going to say lets package Monahan and get a better guy who is that going to be? Because I have a very hard time seeing it happening at all.