Calgary Flames 20/21 Roster and Lines

[JTech780]

 

[cross16]

Zagidulin onto the taxi squad too. 

 

I would have called up Phillips myself but I get this move too. I'm not as high on Ruzicka as some but hopefully he can get a chance and not just in terms of seeing the ice but with legit players too. 

 

He isn't a grinder. 

[travel_dude]

21 minutes ago, cross16 said:

Zagidulin onto the taxi squad too. 

 

I would have called up Phillips myself but I get this move too. I'm not as high on Ruzicka as some but hopefully he can get a chance and not just in terms of seeing the ice but with legit players too. 

 

He isn't a grinder. 

 

He is a C, though.  Since he's not eligible for the expansion draft, a safer prospect to bring up than Phillips.

I guess the other thing is he's being rewarded for good play this year.

Phillips has tailed off recently.

Last 6 games, Ruzicka 3g 2a, Phillips 1a.

[travel_dude]

37 minutes ago, cross16 said:

He isn't a grinder. 

 

I do agree with this statement.  Use him with a guy like Mangiapane or Dube, not Ritchie.

[cross16]

1 hour ago, travel_dude said:

 

He is a C, though.  Since he's not eligible for the expansion draft, a safer prospect to bring up than Phillips.

I guess the other thing is he's being rewarded for good play this year.

Phillips has tailed off recently.

Last 6 games, Ruzicka 3g 2a, Phillips 1a.

 

 

On the scoresheet yes, but when I tune in he is still consistently their best player. 

 

Luke Philip has been good too. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a look at some point. 

[cross16]

NM. Wrong thread and already posted. 

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, cross16 said:

 

 

On the scoresheet yes, but when I tune in he is still consistently their best player. 

 

Luke Philip has been good too. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a look at some point. 

 

Would like to see both, but I think we take what we can get.

Phillips needs to prove he can play the big game to Sutter.

He would have less concern about Ruzicka's size.

Philp is another one that should get a look.

[travel_dude]

This is a broad discussion, but it seems to me like the roster has problems that can't be fixed with a change to playing style or coaching.

Playing with pace seems to be the common complaint that Sutter talks about.

 

I don't see Monahan as the biggest issue now.

Nor do I really think Gaudreau is the problem.

Both are having down seasons.

We kept them together, even while they struggled last playoffs and this season.

Are they really the problem?

 

Gaudreau's numbers have been trending down, but I don't know that it's the league figuring him out as much as failure to build around him.

He was played with one player that could actually finish, and that player was struggling more under Ward than Sutter.

Considering the skill, it's amazing that he has games with zero shots.

 

Tkachuk has turned into a liability more games than not.  Not sure what happened to him, but he makes more questionable plays every game.

 

Gio has looked better with Tanev, but the pair looks painfully slow.

We don't have a replacement trusted enough to develop into the Gio replacement, nor do we have a 3rd pair RD.

 

If we are going to trade Gio and Tkachuk, then we need to do so prior to expansion.  Get the players in place we actually want to keep.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but Tkachuk has to either change the player he has shown the last month or we have to move him for a player worth $9m to qualify. 

Right now, I almost see trading Tkachuk for Laine.  Neither have played well defensively, but at least one can score normal goals.

That may be an extreme example, but we lack speed with Tkachuk.  Staying slow doesn't help us.

[robrob74]

6 hours ago, travel_dude said:

This is a broad discussion, but it seems to me like the roster has problems that can't be fixed with a change to playing style or coaching.

Playing with pace seems to be the common complaint that Sutter talks about.

 

I don't see Monahan as the biggest issue now.

Nor do I really think Gaudreau is the problem.

Both are having down seasons.

We kept them together, even while they struggled last playoffs and this season.

Are they really the problem?

 

Gaudreau's numbers have been trending down, but I don't know that it's the league figuring him out as much as failure to build around him.

He was played with one player that could actually finish, and that player was struggling more under Ward than Sutter.

Considering the skill, it's amazing that he has games with zero shots.

 

Tkachuk has turned into a liability more games than not.  Not sure what happened to him, but he makes more questionable plays every game.

 

Gio has looked better with Tanev, but the pair looks painfully slow.

We don't have a replacement trusted enough to develop into the Gio replacement, nor do we have a 3rd pair RD.

 

If we are going to trade Gio and Tkachuk, then we need to do so prior to expansion.  Get the players in place we actually want to keep.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but Tkachuk has to either change the player he has shown the last month or we have to move him for a player worth $9m to qualify. 

Right now, I almost see trading Tkachuk for Laine.  Neither have played well defensively, but at least one can score normal goals.

That may be an extreme example, but we lack speed with Tkachuk.  Staying slow doesn't help us.

 

 

I almost think that Tkachuk's biggest problem might be that he's not with Backlund. It has worked very well in the past. Backlund could play the defensive centre while making the transition to offence and Tkachuk just knows where he is going to be. I think it's why Mang ended up a good fit with them. They push it up ice fast and then get their chances. Maybe the Lindholm at C thing is making Tkachuk think too fancy, whereas with Backs he's a bit more straightforward in his game?

 

Although, I have also never really seen Tkachuk as a dominating, game-breaking player. He was really good at agitating, got some points and gave the team some PP opportunities. I just wanted to see more actual domination. I think it can be that way if he'd continue to simplify his game, and still get under the skin of the opponents. That tactic just doesn't always work in the playoffs.

[travel_dude]

#Flames power play:

PP1: Mangiapane

Lindholm-Monahan-Gaudreau

Giordano

 

PP2:

Lucic

Tkachuk-Backlund

Stone-Andersson

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

32 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

#Flames power play:

PP1: Mangiapane

Lindholm-Monahan-Gaudreau

Giordano

 

PP2:

Lucic

Tkachuk-Backlund

Stone-Andersson

As questionable as this looks I dont hate it entirely.

2 cannons from the point + good redirectors at the high slot + a big body right in front. A viable option when the pretty passing of PP1 doesnt click.

[travel_dude]

This is from practice Sunday, so it's hard to tell at this point if this is a thing or just too early to call:

 

@Fan960Steinberg

#Flames at practice today:

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk

Mangiapane-Monahan-Froese

Nordstrom-Backlund-Dube

Lucic-Ryan-Ritchie

Simon-Gawdin-Robinson

 

Giordano-Tanev

Nesterov-Andersson

Mackey-Stone

Valimaki-Kylington

[cross16]

Anytime you can elevate a pending UFA dman into your top 4 over your club's first round pick you just have to do it I guess. 

[travel_dude]

14 minutes ago, cross16 said:

Anytime you can elevate a pending UFA dman into your top 4 over your club's first round pick you just have to do it I guess. 

 

(Sarcasm, eh)

Add to that a pending RFA 2nd rounder getting bumped down.

2 pending UFA's (one bought out and signed as a PTO) and a signed college UFA over those two players.

 

[travel_dude]

Tonight's lineup:

 

#Flames projected tonight vs. Winnipeg:

 

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk

Mangiapane-Monahan-Ritchie

Lucic-Backlund-Dube

Nordstrom-Ryan-Robinson

 

Giordano-Tanev

Nesterov-Andersson

Valimaki-Stone

 

Markstrom

 

I'm assuming Sutter saw something about Dube he didn't like playing in the top 6.  Flames will cement WPG's playoffs by a loss tonight.  WPG will clinch if they win in regulation.

 

[sak22]

MONAHAN TO UNDERGO SURGERY (nhl.com)

 

Answer to what many thought.  Wish they/he shut him down sooner.

[travel_dude]

1 minute ago, sak22 said:

MONAHAN TO UNDERGO SURGERY (nhl.com)

 

Answer to what many thought.  Wish they/he shut him down sooner.

 

Unfortunately, we probably get to see Froese in the lineup over a Ruzicka or Phillips.

Gawdin likely gets to stay in the lineup, though I think he earned his way there anyway.

[cross16]

It looks REALLLLLLYYYY bad on the Flames that they let him play. While not mathematically out of it yes, we've all known for weeks this was over and they put him out there while he was also clearly struggling. 

 

Poor look for the organization. 

[travel_dude]

1 minute ago, cross16 said:

It looks REALLLLLLYYYY bad on the Flames that they let him play. While not mathematically out of it yes, we've all known for weeks this was over and they put him out there while he was also clearly struggling. 

 

Poor look for the organization. 

 

I find it odd that an ailment requiring surgery would be treated this way.  Hip surgery?  

[cross16]

Ruzicka at practice

 

 

[travel_dude]

9 minutes ago, cross16 said:

Ruzicka at practice

 

 

 

He can play at C, right?

 

[cross16]

3 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

He can play at C, right?

 

 

Yup. Natural center 

[cross16]

Looks like Flames are really valuing the wins in these last 4 games.

 

This lineup is just beyond silly at this point. Makes zero sense. If they go into the game with this i'm going to be pissed. 

 

 

[travel_dude]

3 minutes ago, cross16 said:

Looks like Flames are really valuing the wins in these last 4 games.

 

This lineup is just beyond silly at this point. Makes zero sense. If they go into the game with this i'm going to be pissed. 

 

 

 

I know that recalls play a part in it, but it doesn't make sense to sit Valimaki, or play Nesterov and Ritchie.

Monahan's injury may allow us one extra recall I think.

We are down to 1 without it.

 

Unfortunately, we have Froese and Robinson on the roster, so we can't play many prospects.

[MP5029]

1 hour ago, sak22 said:

MONAHAN TO UNDERGO SURGERY (nhl.com)

 

Answer to what many thought.  Wish they/he shut him down sooner.

Yes absolutely, this was very bad to let him play out so long...this team was done about 20 games ago we all knew it, I’d have shut Monahan down back then and sent him off to get surgery...short and crappy season they should have been planning for next season at the TDL and treated the walking wounded then.

 

this is really bad for 2 reasons, first hip surgery, is this his second one for that? I think it may be, which means it’s going to be a chronic issue, and if not he’s definitely injury prone ever 2-3 years so his over all value in terms of trade or if keeping him his effectiveness is much lower, either way a loose loose situation.

 

the other reason this is so bad, is he may never recover properly, it could be career ending or it could be a type thing where he’s never going to be the same player again...both are bad and more like than a 100% full recovery, the only thing is he’s young and in great shape so that helps the full recover odds some I’d say it’s 50/50’at best we see the same Monahan back, which sucks he’s a top player on any team...elite level in Cgy cause we lack elite level players here but either way he’s one of the best of his draft class period, this could be a huge issue for this team, especially where they failed to manage it properly.