Iggy was a fantastic player, probably the best the Flames have ever had and definitely my favorite hockey player of all time. Having said that, I don't think it's unreasonable to say Johnny could be better. Watching Johnny at BU from his second season onwards, he just has that x-factor. It's not your typical "oh this guy could be an elite player" x-factor, it's something else. His skill is just out of control. Monahan is a top young C and to be fair, had an average year, and still scored 63pts.....does he do that without Johnny? Maybe. Watching the two day in day out, you can see the disparity in skill. He's on another level.
JG comes in first season and despite the skill/tempo/physicality jump from college, scores 64 points. Year two, he ups it and goes ~PPG. It took Iggy 6 seasons to get > PPG(albeit a younger starter) and he was a scoring forward who, IMO, was more inclined to put up big points through his role. Johnny can do that too, generate points solo, but that's not his game, he's a playmaker. Perhaps I am wrong, but reading player capability like a racing form guide, everything indicates JG's trend is up. He went from 44 to 51 to 80pts in college as he adjusted. I think he'll do the same in the NHL. I'd bet the house he scores 80+ points this season. If Monahan has a good year, who knows. If Tkachuk/Bennett/whoever become a reasonable second line, then geez...anything could happen. I don't think there was a team more single-line centric then the Flames last year.
Maybe the homer glasses are on, maybe it's just optimism, but I think the kid can be the best Flames player ever. He's not far off now and he's just getting started.
The teams from Alberta are ****ing stacked. McDavid...potentially the best player of this gen, Johnny, Drai, Monahan, Pulju, Bennett, Klefbom(who has a shot at ending up as #1 IMO), Brodie, Chucky...good times ahead. BoA is gonna be sick.
Iginla, Nieuwendyk, MacInnis, Gilmour, Mullen, Suter.... probably not
