What Is Best For Matthew Tkachuk

[Horsman1]

what Matthew needs is an offensive center man.. a real honest to God 2nd line center.. Backlund is a third line defensive center As much offensive skill as he potentially had, is now gone from his mentality.. and.. He's too damn expensive to play that role for this team.. Trade him.. now!!!

[bosn111]

Just wondering if you missed the beautiful passing play from Tkachuk to Backlund to where Hanifin was about to be where the puck ended up in the wide open net for a goal last night? I don't think Backlund's offense has disappeared at all. He is regularly out against other teams top lines and still produces. Just because his focus is more on shutting down the other team and puck possession doesn't mean his offense is gone, it just isn't on show as often. The ability is still there, he just uses it less. He never had an amazingly hard or sneaky shot, but he passes very well.

[The_People1]

17 hours ago, Horsman1 said:

what Matthew needs is an offensive center man.. a real honest to God 2nd line center.. Backlund is a third line defensive center As much offensive skill as he potentially had, is now gone from his mentality.. and.. He's too damn expensive to play that role for this team.. Trade him.. now!!!

 

Don't need to trade him per se if he can slot into the 3rd line Center spot.  But we do need to trade for a real second line Center... someone capable of 55-to-65-points range.  Dube isn't ready yet and maybe won't be ready for 2 more years.

 

In hindsight, Kadri would have been perfect even though i don't like him.  Career highs 61-points one year before getting bumped down the depth chart.  Two time 30-goal scorer.

[The_People1]

1 minute ago, bosn111 said:

Just wondering if you missed the beautiful passing play from Tkachuk to Backlund to where Hanifin was about to be where the puck ended up in the wide open net for a goal last night? I don't think Backlund's offense has disappeared at all. He is regularly out against other teams top lines and still produces. Just because his focus is more on shutting down the other team and puck possession doesn't mean his offense is gone, it just isn't on show as often. The ability is still there, he just uses it less. He never had an amazingly hard or sneaky shot, but he passes very well.

 

I know i know, we just need someone a little bit better.   That's all.

[cross16]

The argument that Backlund is not a 2nd line center or now an offensive driver is one that is just patently incorrect.

 

Over the last 3 seasons Backlund is in the top 50 for goals and top 60 for points at 5 on 5. The ONLY reason he is not a 60 point center is PP numbers. His 5 on 5 numbers are ones of a upper end 2nd line center, especially when you consider that he does all of this facing top end competition, but because he's also one of the Flames best PKer his PP numbers don't support a high raw point total. That and the Flames 2nd unit has been sub par for a number of years now. Can't underestimate the impact the PP has on raw totals.

 

for example Kadri. In his 61 point season his point rates at 5 on 5 where actually below what Backlund produced last year. The different is he put up 12 goals on the PP where Backlund's career high is 7.  

 

If you WANT to improve over Backlund at 2nd line center, that's fine I can understand the rationale but of course know that it's going to be next to impossible to do. If you argument is that Backlund is not a 2nd line center and it's holding the Flames back, that's just incorrect. 

[Horsman1]

3 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

I know i know, we just need someone a little bit better.   That's all.

the title of this thread is,, what;s best for Tkachuck.. not.. is backlund a 2 or 3 center.. what's best is a more offensively minded center man

 

[Horsman1]

3 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

Don't need to trade him per se if he can slot into the 3rd line Center spot.  But we do need to trade for a real second line Center... someone capable of 55-to-65-points range.  Dube isn't ready yet and maybe won't be ready for 2 more years.

 

In hindsight, Kadri would have been perfect even though i don't like him.  Career highs 61-points one year before getting bumped down the depth chart.  Two time 30-goal scorer.

i;m fine with keeping him for our third line  defensive center .. which means Jankowski gets moved,, no great loss there

 

[robrob74]

3 hours ago, cross16 said:

The argument that Backlund is not a 2nd line center or now an offensive driver is one that is just patently incorrect.

 

Over the last 3 seasons Backlund is in the top 50 for goals and top 60 for points at 5 on 5. The ONLY reason he is not a 60 point center is PP numbers. His 5 on 5 numbers are ones of a upper end 2nd line center, especially when you consider that he does all of this facing top end competition, but because he's also one of the Flames best PKer his PP numbers don't support a high raw point total. That and the Flames 2nd unit has been sub par for a number of years now. Can't underestimate the impact the PP has on raw totals.

 

for example Kadri. In his 61 point season his point rates at 5 on 5 where actually below what Backlund produced last year. The different is he put up 12 goals on the PP where Backlund's career high is 7.  

 

If you WANT to improve over Backlund at 2nd line center, that's fine I can understand the rationale but of course know that it's going to be next to impossible to do. If you argument is that Backlund is not a 2nd line center and it's holding the Flames back, that's just incorrect. 

 

I think the best option to replace him is through the draft. It’s hard to trade for quality centres. We could have signed Bozak last year over Neal.

 

i just think that signing players like Neal makes me wonder if BT has a real grasp of what the needs are. Granted, RW is a need and so are 20 goals. But if you’re building a team in today’s NHL, slow players can’t cut it more times than not. 

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, robrob74 said:

 

I think the best option to replace him is through the draft. It’s hard to trade for quality centres. We could have signed Bozak last year over Neal.

 

i just think that signing players like Neal makes me wonder if BT has a real grasp of what the needs are. Granted, RW is a need and so are 20 goals. But if you’re building a team in today’s NHL, slow players can’t cut it more times than not. 

 

Slow players are fine if that is what fits your team.

Neal is slow, but his reaction time and skill set last year was zero.

I think you should only try to sign a RW if they shoot right.

Otherwise, sign a C.

Preferably a RHS C, if we are lacking there, which we are.

 

The draft is reasonable, but you don't always get the position you need, unless you reach or trade up.

Janko was an example of that.

[robrob74]

31 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Slow players are fine if that is what fits your team.

Neal is slow, but his reaction time and skill set last year was zero.

I think you should only try to sign a RW if they shoot right.

Otherwise, sign a C.

Preferably a RHS C, if we are lacking there, which we are.

 

The draft is reasonable, but you don't always get the position you need, unless you reach or trade up.

Janko was an example of that.

 

 

And yet, JANKO wasn’t a BPA. I guess that is what you meant by reaching.

 

and what were the Other C’s available at that time? 

 

I think our drafting ting has improved somewhat since then... although could be questionable.

[cross16]

2 hours ago, robrob74 said:

 

I think the best option to replace him is through the draft. It’s hard to trade for quality centres. We could have signed Bozak last year over Neal.

 

i just think that signing players like Neal makes me wonder if BT has a real grasp of what the needs are. Granted, RW is a need and so are 20 goals. But if you’re building a team in today’s NHL, slow players can’t cut it more times than not. 

 

Bozak who produced the same as Derek Ryan for just under double the cost?

 

I can understand the dislike for the Neal signing, heck I hated it from day 1 but I don't understand the criticism. RW was, and still is, a gaping hole and the Flames were coming off a season where they were bottom in the league in goals. I think if you want to criticize anything in the decision process, it's probably that Treliving got a little too aggressive/desperate to fill the need for no acquisition cost and probalby overlooked certain limitations that Neal came with. 

 

I do agree, that in order to improve over Backlund it's likely going to come via the draft. That is my point, it's going to be very challenging to upgrade over Backlund. Your best bet is to find another center, ala Kadri, who may not be an upgrade but is as least as good and can take some of the pressure off Backlund but none of this should really relate to Tkachuk. Tkachuk just had 30 goals, just shy of a PPG and is off to a good start again so this idea that he needs away from Backlund to unlock his offensive potential doesn't make sense to me either. 

[cross16]

Young season but so far Tkachuk leads the team in Points/60 (both at 5 on 5 and in all situations) and 2nd in goals/60 at 5 on 5 and IMo he's now twice put the team on his back offensively and willed them to a win. 

 

Considering he missed camp that's pretty awesome. Biggest contract on the team and he's playing like he earned it. 

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

On 10/25/2019 at 1:01 PM, cross16 said:

Young season but so far Tkachuk leads the team in Points/60 (both at 5 on 5 and in all situations) and 2nd in goals/60 at 5 on 5 and IMo he's now twice put the team on his back offensively and willed them to a win. 

 

Considering he missed camp that's pretty awesome. Biggest contract on the team and he's playing like he earned it. 

I'm curious to see how he does with Johnny and Lindy with top line minutes.