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Calgary Flames: Who Fits Best on The Top Line RW Spot?

By Brett Boyle

LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 21, 2018: (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 21, 2018: (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Calgary Flames will have a battle this preseason for the top line RW spot alongside Johnny and Monny. So, who should get it?

The Calgary Flames have added many forwards this offseason to help give them better balance throughout their lineup which finished 27th in the league in scoring last year. New coach Bill Peters is now left with a tough decision as to who should play with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

I see three clear choices that he could make and a couple of wildcards.

Elias Lindholm –

RALEIGH, NC – FEBRUARY 18: Elias Lindholm #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares for a faceoff against the New Jersey Devils during an NHL game on February 18, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – FEBRUARY 18: Elias Lindholm #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares for a faceoff against the New Jersey Devils during an NHL game on February 18, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Elias Lindholm was brought over in that Dougie Hamilton trade you might have heard about. Lindholm is coming off of a 16 goal, 44-point season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He is young and skilled. This definitely feels like one of those “change of scenery” scenarios where a new team brings out the full potential in a guy.

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The biggest plus I can see in playing him on the top line is his speed. Lindholm should have no problem keeping up with Johnny and Monny. He is also an excellent face-off guy, winning 54% of his draws last year. Placing him on the right wing means he can step in to take the faceoff for Monahan when needed. There are some drawbacks, however.

If Elias Lindholm is statistically better than Sean Monahan at faceoffs (54.5% to 50.4%) then why not use him as a center? As you will see, the Flames have other options on the wing. Maybe Lindholm is better suited as a center. After all, he has been used as a center under Bill Peters before. The other thing with Lindholm is space. Something Micheal Ferland was able to do well for the Flames was make space for #13 and #23 to work with. I don’t see that as a strength of Lindholm’s.

Ultimately, I like the idea of these three guys playing together. Lindholm and Monahan are both just 23 years old, while Gaudreau is just 24. This line has the potential to be great for many, many, (hopefully) many, years. If this is what Peters decides to do, which I think it will be, then I think it will work out well for the Calgary Flames.

James Neal –

LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 07: John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals attempts to control the puck against James Neal #18 of the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 07: John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals attempts to control the puck against James Neal #18 of the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The real deal James Neal is now a Calgary Flame. I love this signing for a lot of reasons, but the main one being that the Flames have secured a pure sniper for the first time in a long time. Neal has never scored under 20 goals. Also, with this signing, the Flames have practically already won the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Placing James Neal and Sean Monahan on the same line gives you two proven goal scorers getting passes from one of the best playmakers in the game, Johnny Gaudreau. James Neal brings terrific experience with him as well. He’s been there. He’s done that. This is so valuable to share with the young guys who have only gotten a taste of the playoffs to this point. Neal also plays with a grit to his game that I like. He could help protect Johnny and Monny while still putting the puck in the net.

The downside to putting Neal on the first line is his skating. James Neal has never been the fastest or the smoothest skater and I wonder how well he would keep up with his line-mates. I also don’t like that he is a natural left winger, like Johnny Gaudreau. James Neal has played right wing before in Pittsburgh, but I worry about the fit still.

If this is the line Bill Peters goes with, they will be fine. They will create and score. This certainly is not a bad option for the Calgary Flames.

Side note – we MUST call him “Flames Neal” or we have failed as a fan base.

Matthew Tkachuk –

BUFFALO, NY – MARCH 7: Chad Johnson #31 of the Buffalo Sabres tends net as Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Calgary Flames screens and Nathan Beaulieu #82 defends during the first period at KeyBank Center on March 7, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY – MARCH 7: Chad Johnson #31 of the Buffalo Sabres tends net as Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Calgary Flames screens and Nathan Beaulieu #82 defends during the first period at KeyBank Center on March 7, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images) /

Matt Tkachuk put up 24 goals last year while still getting under the opponents’ skin every whistle, like we love. At still just 20 years old, Tkachuk is a blossoming player in this league and deserves more minutes.

I talked earlier about how Ferland created space for his linemates. I don’t think anybody on this team is better at creating space than Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk drives the net and is a much better passer than given credit for. I think he would be a force on the top line. He would be able to create with them while still protecting them and playing the grindy, front of the net style that we all love.

IF Matthew Tkachuk gets on the top line, he will need to play a slightly more disciplined game. Now I am not saying that he should stop being a pest, but I am saying that with more minutes comes more responsibility. He will need to stay out of the penalty box better, which is something I believe he is capable of doing. He is also a natural left wing. The difference here is that while James Neal has defended the right side before, Tkachuk has not. There may be a learning curve there.

When all is said and done, I love the idea of Matt Tkachuk on the top line. Apparently, so does Bill Peters.

Per NHL.com

"“I want to see [Tkachuk] on that side to see how he looks there,” coach Bill Peters said in a story published Sunday by the Calgary Sun. “I told him I want him working in the offseason on picking up rims and being in the D zone on his off wing.”“I wouldn’t pencil anyone in as we’re still going to go out to get some help up front,” general manager Brad Treliving said. “We’re not done making our team better.”"

It should be noted that this was all said prior to the James Neal signing. So, his plans may have changed now that Flames Neal is here.

Austin Czarnik –

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 3: Austin Czarnik #27 of the Boston Bruins warms up before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden on February 3, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 3: Austin Czarnik #27 of the Boston Bruins warms up before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden on February 3, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Austin Czarnik has only played in 59 career NHL games, scoring 5 goals and 17 points. This is clearly a long shot, but he is just 25 years old and the Calgary Flames seem to really like him. They gave him a one-way contract over two years. This means he likely already has a roster spot. It is also encouraging that he chose the Calgary Flames when it was reported that over 20 teams were interested in his services.  

There are things I like about putting him up there. He is an excellent skater, one who will have no problem keeping up with anyone else out there on the ice. He also doesn’t turn the puck over. I am intrigued to see more of him. There must be a reason the Flames were so sold on him.

Czarnik has a career shooting percentage of just 6.8%. That’s not good. He is unproven. It just ultimately wouldn’t make sense to me for coach Peters to put him on the top line right away, given the better options already mentioned in this article.

Sam Bennett –

CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 24: Sam Bennett #93 of the Calgary Flames looks up during an NHL game on February 24, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 24: Sam Bennett #93 of the Calgary Flames looks up during an NHL game on February 24, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images) /

…yeah, no thank you. Sam Bennett has had his chances and is better-suited playing in a bottom six role, where there is less pressure on him to score. At just 22 years old, it is important for him to just get comfortable before we begin to expect a lot from him again.

Next: More possibilities still to come?

Bill Peters has a lot of options at his disposal. There are other guys too like Spencer Foo, Michael Frolik, and Troy Brouwer; but I don’t see any of them realistically getting that shot. I personally would like to see Matthew Tkachuk get the final spot on the top line, but if I was a betting man (which I’m not) I would say Elias Lindholm will get it.

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