Season Outlook: Calgary Flames

[WTFMAN99]

HockeyIntangibles: Season Outlook: Calgary Flames

Team Status: Calgary is trying to win. All of their moves have been made in order to make the playoffs and go as far as possible. Calgary has tried to address specific weaknesses each summer and has a fairly strong group of players now...

Next step on my season outlooks is Calgary! Calgary is actually a tough team to read. I like a lot of their players but the team hasn't gotten the results you would expect from the roster they ice. I thought based on the top 4 alone and adding Smith last year Calgary would be a playoff team.

I liked the additions Calgary made over the summer but lament some of the players they lost as well. Hopefully the moves pay off for the Flames.

I would like to get some steady Flames content going on the blog so if anyone wants to take up the mantle, feel free to private message me on here.

Cheers!

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[super6646]

Good analysis. Though in regards to the lineup, I would swap lindholm and Neal, replace Hathaway with mangiapane, and replace valimaki with Andersson (put stone on the left). Just my personal opinion, though I think some would disagree.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Good analysis. Though in regards to the lineup, I would swap lindholm and Neal, replace Hathaway with mangiapane, and replace valimaki with Andersson (put stone on the left). Just my personal opinion, though I think some would disagree.

Thanks!

Admittedly, I don't know much about Mangiapane so I will defer to you on that. I am quite high on Valimaki though and actually wanted him in the draft but he was taken right before the Leaf spick, so we "settled" on Liljegren, it worked out in the end.

I tend not to move guys to their off sides. Left handed shots get moved because there are so many but right handed shots don't play their off side all that much so I probably wouldn't go that route.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Probably would of mentioned the coaching change as well. Don't really see the Flames in the market for a backup unless both Gillies and Rittich falter early in the season. Like the site though, looks clean

 

[viper0220]

View attachment 138301

HockeyIntangibles: Season Outlook: Calgary Flames



Next step on my season outlooks is Calgary! Calgary is actually a tough team to read. I like a lot of their players but the team hasn't gotten the results you would expect from the roster they ice. I thought based on the top 4 alone and adding Smith last year Calgary would be a playoff team.

I liked the additions Calgary made over the summer but lament some of the players they lost as well. Hopefully the moves pay off for the Flames.

I would like to get some steady Flames content going on the blog so if anyone wants to take up the mantle, feel free to private message me on here.

Cheers!

Good write up dude, we already know about the Flames goal tending and I don't think that management is satisfied about the goal tending and they more than likely doing everything they can to upgrade the position.

But other than the goal tending, what else do you think the Flames need in order to become a contender and lose the " Playoff Bubble team" status? I think they need another elite forward up front and goal tending (I think/hope that Smith will be good this season but going forward this will need to be fixed.)

 

[Skobel24]

I keep forgetting Lazar is a Flame.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Good write up dude, we already know about the Flames goal tending and I don't think that management is satisfied about the goal tending and they more than likely doing everything they can to upgrade the position.

But other than the goal tending, what else do you think the Flames need in order to become a contender and lose the " Playoff Bubble team" status? I think they need another elite forward up front and goal tending (I think/hope that Smith will be good this season but going forward this will need to be fixed.)

It's tough because the West is full of good teams, there are only so many teams that I can look at and say "Playoff team" - Calgary has a good chance to make the playoffs for sure IMO, just need health and for the defenseman to gel better.

 

[Nanuuk]

I see a numbers of reasons to be optimistic about the Flames this season rather than the pessimistic view that they are a bubble play-off team. Given last season's collapse I can see why some would say they will be a bubble team.

While I don't want to be accused of counting my chickens before they hatch here are a few reasons why I think they will make the play-offs.

1. New coaching staff with different special teams coaches
2. The give a shite meter improved with the departure of a number of players from expiring contracts or trade and the acquisitions.
3. Positional flexibility where we have a number of right shot wingers that can play centre and take weak side face-offs.
4. Roster spots available for some prospects that are ready to graduate.
5. A young, fast, and skilled team.
6. A good core group of young forwards who are a year older, a year smarter, a year stronger.
7. A none too shabby D group although admittedly TJ and Travis need to play the way they are capable.
8. A very good number 1 goalie even if he's only two years older than my son.

 

[Lunatik]

I see a numbers of reasons to be optimistic about the Flames this season rather than the pessimistic view that they are a bubble play-off team. Given last season's collapse I can see why some would say they will be a bubble team.

While I don't want to be accused of counting my chickens before they hatch here are a few reasons why I think they will make the play-offs.

1. New coaching staff with different special teams coaches
2. The give a ****e meter improved with the departure of a number of players from expiring contracts or trade and the acquisitions.
3. Positional flexibility where we have a number of right shot wingers that can play centre and take weak side face-offs.
4. Roster spots available for some prospects that are ready to graduate.
5. A young, fast, and skilled team.
6. A good core group of young forwards who are a year older, a year smarter, a year stronger.
7. A none too shabby D group although admittedly TJ and Travis need to play the way they are capable.
8. A very good number 1 goalie even if he's only two years older than my son.

You missed that the Flames shot an exceedingly low shooting percentage last year and a normalization of that will add 20+ goals of our offensive depth

 

[CraigsList]

I see a numbers of reasons to be optimistic about the Flames this season rather than the pessimistic view that they are a bubble play-off team. Given last season's collapse I can see why some would say they will be a bubble team.

While I don't want to be accused of counting my chickens before they hatch here are a few reasons why I think they will make the play-offs.

1. New coaching staff with different special teams coaches
2. The give a ****e meter improved with the departure of a number of players from expiring contracts or trade and the acquisitions.
3. Positional flexibility where we have a number of right shot wingers that can play centre and take weak side face-offs.
4. Roster spots available for some prospects that are ready to graduate.
5. A young, fast, and skilled team.
6. A good core group of young forwards who are a year older, a year smarter, a year stronger.
7. A none too shabby D group although admittedly TJ and Travis need to play the way they are capable.
8. A very good number 1 goalie even if he's only two years older than my son.

I like what you said in #3. People can **** all they want about the stick handedness, but I really think handedness plays a huge factor in this sport.

I am very excited for this upcoming season since this team looks like they can make a big run with the new group that they have. My only question mark is the coaching staff, but I don't really think that we are going to have an issue with Huska and Ward as the AC's. Those are huge upgrades from the previous ones that we had. The jury is still out on GG and Peters, but then again, Peters has never had a deep offensive group. We're just going to have to see what he does with the Flames. I think he is going to do really good considering he likes to switch the line up a lot, something that GG never did.

 

[Body Checker]

We finished two games above .500 with a putrid bottom 6 and a coach that lost the room.

For me the top two storylines for us this year is Peters's coaching and the back up goalie position. We have all the other hands on deck and increased depth both in the NHL/AHL.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I think we are going to be good.

But I don’t think anything is certain by any means.