How the hell is that smearing Ferland? Seriously, I need an answer on this.
You made some pretty out there claims about Ferland being a 30-30 level guy, or an elite powerforward going into last season.
Ferland is a solid middle six player. A complimentary player that can click well with certain lines and produce more. But I don't see anything I said as a smear, so get your facts straight.
Well considering that poster has had a vendetta and has constantly knocked any accomplishment the guy has had since he entered the league. And continued to do so.. Kinda hypocritical because that’s the poster always the one saying let’s have some respect for Bollig, Brouwer, Hiller etc. when they get booted out of town
Actually my “hot take” from last year regarding Ferland was that we should sign him to a long term low AAV deal. Instead we bridged him and he scored 20 even strength goals. The previous year he was clearly driving possession in our pathtetic bottom six, and it was clear that he was ready to break out with his on ice shooting percentage of 3%.
I also think that when people question his physicality is unfair. Against Vancouver he was a stud. But no human body can withstand that style of play for 30 games. Let alone 82. We never saw playoff Ferland again because we never went into the playoffs. Except the 4 game sweep against the Ducks where he was arguably our most dangerous forward.
The game isn’t physical anymore. That’s just the way it’s played. Ferland and Dougie were 2/3 of our leaders in hits last year. Yet they are the two that are questioned for physicality the most? We complain about the Flames being soft. About having a soft team. And yet, we trade two of our three most physical players. Why not accept them for what they are, rather then hope they are some sort of video game like hitting machine?
It’s just a joke of living in a Canadian market. We always focus on players negatives and fail to recognize their positives. Sure Ferland was inconsistent. But so is Lindholm. So is pretty much any player that isn’t considered elite.
You have your elite players, Monahan, Gaudreau who consistently score. And then you have very good players, ie Tkachuk/Backlund that are elite two way guys. And then you have everyone else. And Ferland is honestly the best of the rest. He’s the best non lottery draft pick this team has had outside of Gaudreau and Brodie the last decade. All I hear is he’s not this. Or he’s not that. And sure. But that line was the second best line in the league for 2/3 of the season. And anyone that thinks Ferland wasn’t an important contributor to that success, well I question that persons hockey knowlegde.