National Post (National Edition)
Bright spots for Flames in lost season
key. If things don’t go exactly the way you want them to, you have things to go back to and you’re not starting over.”
If anything, the Leafs are building something special. With a talented young core that not only includes 20-year-old Matthews, but also Mitch Marner (20), William Nylander (21) and Morgan Rielly (24) — as well as a minor-league system that is teeming with NHL-ready prospects — it seems only a matter of time before Toronto will contend for a championship.
And the rest of the league is taking notice.
“For sure we looked at them,” said Gorton. “They drafted well and they have a lot of nice pieces there. It’s not just Matthews. There’s a lot of players that they hit on over the years and guys from other systems that they acquired. So there’s no question that we looked at what they did and studied how they built it.”
Gorton took notice of the effect that the Leafs’ rebuild had in Toronto. The thinking had always been that Leafs fans would not put up with a team that is tanking. You could maybe do that in places like Carolina or Florida, where hockey wasn’t No. 1, but certainly not in an Original Six market such as Toronto or New York.
It’s partially why Montreal and Vancouver have refused to tear things down at a time when both teams are in need of a change. In reality, fans just want a management team that has a plan for success and is willing to stick to it.
“There’s a little less media and day-to-day scrutiny, but Rangers fans are passionate and there’s a lot of them and they have a strong feeling about how they want the team to be,” said Gorton. “That’s similar. You have that in Toronto and we have that in New York. Listen, we all want to win.
“I think our fans have been like, ‘OK, show us and we’ll go from there.’ ”
Just because the Calgary Flames will miss the NHL playoffs doesn’t mean it was a lost season.
It was a failure, no question.
But while not to sugarcoat the abject failure of a team capable of so much more, there were plenty of positive developments that should help buoy the spirits of disappointed fans through a summer of question marks.
While the long list of underachievers will continue to be documented and dissected, it’s important to point out the base on which this team is built had several significant breakthroughs this season.
None bigger than Johnny Gaudreau.
The jury is out on whether Jaromir Jagr truly mentored the Flames’ star winger, but what is clear is that Gaudreau did find a level of consistency he’d previously been unable to tap into.
From Day 1 he was not only the Flames’ best skater, but one of the top 10 offensive threats in the league.
Maintaining his place among the league’s leading scorers from start to finish, Gaudreau officially elevated himself to superstar status.
Unlike past years when there were plenty of nights he was invisible, Gaudreau managed to stay relevant on a nightly basis, using his speed to create opportunities, excitement and offence like never before.
His play helped elevate Sean Monahan once again, lifting the top centre to match his career-best 31 goals to date.
Although injuries have clearly hampered his effectiveness the last month or so, no one can deny Monahan gives the Flames that perfect top line centre for Gaudreau to work with.
Save for a few seasons with Craig Conroy, Jarome Iginla wasn’t afforded the luxury of a top-line centre like No. 23.
Micheal Ferland entered the season as another question mark in terms of consistency, and while he is still a work in progress, his 21 goals is a testament to how far he’s come.
As GM Brad Treliving looks to bolster the team’s offensive depth this summer you can bet he’ll still seek to find a top-line alternative, but Ferland still demonstrated he can fill in at times.
As age 20 Matthew Tkachuk continued to prove he’s one of the NHL’s most complete young players, racking up 24 goals before a head injury sidelined him.
His ability to agitate and thrive in the game’s dirty areas saw him extend his league-lead in drawing penalties over the last two seasons.
Second only to Mark Giordano as an emotional leader on the team, plenty of teammates could learn from Tkachuk’s intensity meter, which is always on high.
Mikael Backlund didn’t repeat the breakthrough season he had offensively in 2016-17 but he continues to be one of the league’s best shutdown centres. It’s a crucial element to have on a future contender, which is why his six-year contract extension was one of the biggest developments this season.
Giordano continues to be the heartbeat of the club, driving the lads in so many ways with a style of play every fan can appreciate. No one cares more than the 34-year-old defenceman, which is why he was a natural to replace Iginla as captain. He literally does it all.
His defensive partner, Dougie Hamilton, entering Tuesday, leads the league in goals by a blue liner and has been dangerous all season long, peppering goalies with shots from every angle to create scoring chances.
Brett Kulak was a pleasant surprise to solidify his role as the team’s sixth defenceman.
Mark Jankowski arrived nine games in and immediately demonstrated he can be the third centre for many years to come. He faded as the season went on, but still managed to score 13 goals and proved he’s an NHLer who will clearly get better, as he has at every level since being drafted 21st in 2012.
Jankowski highlighted a long list of AHL call-ups who came to Calgary this season, proving in various degrees there is new-found depth in the system.
While none had as significant an impact as Jankowski, management got to see players like Garnet Hathaway, Andrew Mangiapane, Rasmus Andersson, goalies David Rittich and Jon Gillies who are all likely capable of making the full-time jump to the bigs eventually.
Or, they can be used as trade chips as Treliving looks to effect radical change to the team’s bottom six.
Rittich’s unexpected promotion this year was a huge development this season, allowing the Flames to keep winning on Mike Smith’s rare nights off.
He faltered in the month Smith missed to a groin injury, but as a raw NHL rookie, he gave the organization reason to believe he can be counted on for years.
Smith’s play masked the Flames’ issues in the first half of the season, when he was the undisputed team MVP.
The veteran’s play declined in the second half, which is a concern for a 35-year-old with another year left on his deal. However, fans should be confident starting next season with Smith.
Several of the top prospects had solid seasons, including world junior stars Adam Fox (Harvard) and Dillon Dube (Kelowna), as well as Juuso Valimaki (when he wasn’t hurt in Tri-City), Glenn Gawdin (Swift Current), Matthew Phillips (Victoria) and Adam Ruzicka (Sarnia).
As impressive as several Flames players were individually, the collective sum of their parts made for a disappointing, underachieving season.
It’s something management is now tasked with addressing, while being careful not to disrupt the path of those who made progress.
MONAHAN GIVES THE FLAMESTHAT PERFECT TOP LINE CENTRE.