It's no secret a big reason the Flames' lousy opening month of 2016-17 is due in no small part to the struggles of their young star forwards. Both Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau signed big, long-term deals in the offseason, driving their combined cap hit north of $13 million. Unfortunately, neither guy has been worth the money so far.
How bad has it been? Through 11 games played, Gaudreau has four points at even strength. Monahan has two. Matt Stajan has more points at even strength than Monahan. Mikael Backlund has as many shorthanded.
The problem is, it's not just the scoring that has been a problem for the Flames' putative top line.