Slack Sundays: talking Jagr, Bennett and fixing the bottom six

The Calgary Flames are a team with some fun pieces but also some serious deficiencies. They only have two lines of players that can score, for example. To solve the world’s problems – at least its hockey problems – we’ve convened the brightest hockey minds we could find on a Saturday evening in-between tracking Stockton’s win over Bakersfield and gazing upon WHL scoresheets with wonder.

Ryan Pike: So through 11 games, most of the Flames’ offense comes through their top six (which isn’t unexpected). Are you guys disappointed by just how little has been generated by the rest of their lineup?

ctibs (Christian Tiberi): 50/50. That fourth line is going to be an offensive graveyard.

arii (Ari Yanover): Yeah, definitely. There’s a difference between a guy I’d expect to be “unremarkable but stable” (i.e. Stajan) and a guy I’d expect to, you know, have points (Bennett).

ctibs: Very disappointed in how the third line is doing.

arii: The whole thing with having four rolling lines with 12 able skaters is that they should all be contributing, not just the top two.

ctibs: How to fix it, though?

arii: Though the makeup of offence from each line is a little wonky to start because of various Jagr absences. Ohh I wish I had an answer for Bennett because he is by far the most baffling part of all of this.

Ryan Pike: Bennett is the 2017-18 Flames.

arii: I also wish they would’ve tried him on the top line but Ferland kinda deserved to be there too. “Too” well, maybe more so since he’s produced.

ctibs: Think they stick with Versteeg-Bennett-Jagr when Jagr comes back?

Ryan Pike: I think Jagr goes back with the kids.

arii: Yeah same. Ferland to 3L. All respect to him but he can’t contribute to an offence the way a healthy Jagr can.

Ryan Pike: He lacks the dynamism of the mulleted dynamo.

arii: I mean I know it’s been forever since Jagr last played but don’t forget he had like five chances in three minutes.

ctibs: I think you could try to kickstart Bennett with Jagr though. That line was 55% corsi for if I recall?

arii: That’s definitely true. So it’s a question of if you want to go alllll in on the top line or spread the offence a little more. I just know off the top of my head Jagr’s numbers have been very good. And they really did lose something from their offence when they lost him.

Ryan Pike: And I think it’s more of a priority for them to get the top line purring at even strength before they try anything else.

ctibs: The guy is pretty good, last time i checked.

arii: Like i know it’s not great that “oh, so your offence can’t produce without a 45-year-old??” But if we’re talking short-term… yeah he’s a pretty big difference maker. Are you new?

ctibs: I think it’s a butterfly effect. You put Jagr on the top line, and then you can move Ferland down, and then you have Troy Brouwer nowhere near a high leverage situation. Presuming Glen doesn’t play him in high leverage situations for no reason cough cough Friday night.

arii: I cant believe Jagr solves literally every problem.

Ryan Pike: He’s magical.

arii: Deadass though he kind of is. I know he hasn’t been here long at all and there’s still some skepticism because old and kinda injured so how much he can play is still a question for now but the Flames did lose a significant offensive presence. Like how well were they gonna fare if they lost Gaudreau?

Ryan Pike: I think last year they got a tiny bit better, if only because the team had to stop freelancing and actually use Gulutzan’s system.

ctibs: They were blessed with Garnet Hathaway and his magical winning ability when Johnny disappeared so.

arii: Lots of two-goal games, some three-goal games, exploded for 8 when Gaudreau returned. Flames scoring eight goals on Sunday confirmed.

Ryan Pike: This logic is impeccable. I am sad for the inevitable disappearance of Jankowski, though.

arii: I really don’t understand what their plan is there. “This kid is an NHLer, so we’re gonna play him for seven minutes and then send him back down, and keep playing guys who are decidedly worse”

ctibs: This is why I thought they call up Mangiapane. Winger for winger, not fighting for an NHL job, no pressure etc.

arii: Yeah I figured that too. But you have the Bennett on the wing thing and Jankowski was kinda owed it.

ctibs: Like i dont see why they hype up Janko having a full time job in the preseason and then send him down twice before November (assuming that is what is happening).

arii: It is confusing, to be sure.

Ryan Pike: So, Bennett’s a center again? That seems weird.

arii: Maybe Lazar comes back in and he is.

ctibs: Especially if his best games this season have been wing games

Ryan Pike: Maybe he’s just better-suited as a wing. That’s not a bad thing.

ctibs: They seem to want to push the center thing primarily.

Ryan Pike: It seems like a weird fit. Matthew Phillips just scored in a shootout. He’s such a good boy.

ctibs: Is he good?

Ryan Pike: Third in WHL in scoring

ctibs: Speaking of good prospects, how about that Andrew Mangiapane?

Ryan Pike: The leading point-getter in the American League of ice hockey? He’s okay.

arii: Probably bad.

Ryan Pike: He’s not big. Big is good, so not big must be not good

ctibs: I agree. Flush him down the toilet.

arii: Okay I’m bringing up a thing we talked about earlier: without someone getting injured, how do you get him up in the NHL to have a look?

Ryan Pike: You waive players that never play or aren’t as good.

ctibs: I would say you have to move Lazar somehow.

arii: Everything about the Lazar acquisition has been so confusing from the very beginning.

ctibs: Same age group, one looks too good for the AHL, the other looks like he needs to spend more time there. I’m curious about what they think of Lazar. Saw some time on every line, still can’t get going

Ryan Pike: This will sound awful, but why not put him on the second PP unit? Right shot, can play with speed, can play with Backlund and Tkachuk a bit. He’ll actually get puck touches.

ctibs: It does sound awful, Ryan.

arii: And then lose the puck immediately on touching it.

ctibs: I think his offensive instinct is nonexistent at the NHL level.

Ryan Pike: He’s fast and… uh…

ctibs: He gets the puck and has no clue what to do with it after that

arii: Best case scenario is you end up with a younger. speedier Stajan i think.

Ryan Pike: That they spent a second to get. Yeesh.

arii: Shoutout to Ottawa for destroying any hope!

Ryan Pike: Thanks for using up his waiver exemption and then sitting him always, Ottawa.

ctibs: Maybe worst Treliving trade? Can’t think of anything worse off the bat.

arii: Bollig.

ctib: Yeah forgot. But Bollig had two playoff goals. Can’t forget that.

Ryan Pike: Bollig at least had a ring. But hey, Lazar was good against teens

arii: And a beard.

Ryan Pike: Remember that time he shaved it during the playoffs? Yeesh.

arii: Bollig only cost a third, vs. Lazar a second, but at least Lazar had something resembling potential, which Bollig did not.

ctibs: He broke his jaw, right.

Ryan Pike: Wasn’t the Bollig beard story that he was trimming it and screwed up, so he shaved it all off? And then he had a full beard a few days later anyways.

arii: Yes

Ryan Pike: If they have issues with their bottom six and team-wide scoring, giving themselves the ability to work in kids from the farm seems like the best option. Aside from spending seconds on iffy players who were good in the Dub.

arii: Sure would be great to not have a ton of expensive contracts blocking the way. Though I think some people need to lower expectations, i.e. no five prospects are not going to make a single NHL roster, and just because they’re putting up great numbers in the AHL it doesn’t mean they will in the NHL.

Ryan Pike: Kenny Agostino was a god in the AHL.

ctibs: I think we’re all guilty of that. But it becomes more and more true over time. the AHL is still far away from the NHL in terms of talent and skill that you should really bring expectations to a simmer.

arii: I understand Garnet Hathaway has some pretty good AHL numbers. I have also watched 41 NHL games and he is not going to score at that level. He’s just not.

ctibs: Strange how a 26 y/o with four years of experience is dominating a league full of guys younger than him.

arii: I’d also even caution with Mangiapane. his Colts linemate, Labanc, had 19 points in 19 games before pretty much just making the show full time. His rookie NHL season was 20 points in 55 games. Not bad at all! But he’s probably not going to immediately solve the scoring woes.

ctibs: I’d like to see Mangiapane get a shot but I’m not expecting the final piece of the puzzle. I think it could work isn’t the same as it will, basically.

arii: Yeah. i mean he deserves it but the chances he steps on a line with Gaudreau and Monahan and is suddenly a 50 point guy is pretty low. And i get we’re all desperate right now but realism is still important.

Ryan Pike: I just think a fourth line of speedy young’uns would be more useful in today’s NHL than what they have right now.

arii: Oh, 100%.

ctibs: I forget who made the tweet but to paraphrase: NHL teams are more willing to give known bad players roster spots than young players who might be bad.

Ryan Pike: “We know their deficiencies, and think we know enough to work around them”?

arii: DID YOU MEAN: Bartkowski v Kulak?

ctibs: Even though we know Kulak to be pretty good.

arii: Which makes it even more frustrating! I mean, maybe Kulak won’t be good long term? But he looks good now and you need to win games now so what is the holdup here.

Ryan Pike: Kulak is easily better-suited for the style of play Gulutzan wants to use, too

ctibs: What dirt does Bartkowski have on folks?

arii: This is all Vegas’ fault. Don’t take Brouwer in the expansion draft. Force a Bartkowski signing. Riding a PDO high. Jerks.

Ryan Pike: I think they felt that Bartkowski earned some leash by helping get them into the playoffs, so he has to play his way out of the lineup. I get it, but i think the logic is poor.

arii: But he has played his way out of the lineup. I have eyes. You have eyes. We’ve seen this.

ctibs: He was bad last season too.

arii: He was on par with Jokipakka but the Flames had a 10-game win streak so he must be better.

ctibs: Being in the roster for good times does not mean you were contributing to them.