For the burning questions I'd say this:

1. The void will be filled as entire team effort...just the way Sutter wants it.

2. Weegar won't sign long time yet...firstly because Treliving isn't being as generous as for Huberdeau since Weegar isn't as proven as Huberdeau is...Treliving too shrewd to overspend on Weegar especially defence isn't an area Calgary is lacking in...

3. Damn right Markstrom gets revenge this year and makes another run for the Vesna.

---

Now that Calgary given PTOs to Stone Eakin and Milano, I think that means most of the non NHLers will be going back to the farm, Sutter likes dependable older guys instead.

Stone will be the extra man on defence...and having Eakin and Milano means that Pelletier will be going back to the farm...

As for lineups...can't see Weegar and Taniv being a pairing since they both shoot right...it'll probably be Weegar and Zadorov since Kylington used to playing with Tanev already...and on forward Eakin and Rooney will be the extra forwards with Milano getting a spot...and I think Dube and Mangepanne will be on same line since they play well together and both speedy...GO FLAMES GO

13 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

2022-23 NHL team preview: Calgary Flames

 

Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sean Monahan are all gone ... but, somehow, the Flames might not be much worse for it.

 

ByMike Gould

Published -

August 23, 2022

Feb 10, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

LAST SEASON

The Calgary Flames had a highly successful 2021–22 regular season. Although Sean Monahan had another tough year, both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk surpassed 100 points in a season for the first time in their respective careers. Cheap UFA signing Erik Gudbranson exceeded all expectations on the third pairing, and the Flames bought Calle Janrkrok from the Seattle Kraken at the trade deadline.

Anyway, those players are all gone. Every single one of them.

 

Once the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Flames in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, all focus shifted to Gaudreau’s contract situation. The superstar winger set new career-high marks in basically every offensive category as a pending unrestricted free agent last season, putting himself in a great position to cash in on the open market.

 

After weeks of rumors and speculation, Gaudreau shocked the hockey world on July 13 by signing a seven-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets (joining Gudbranson, who inked a deal with Columbus earlier the same day). Shortly thereafter, reports surfaced indicating Tkachuk would not sign a long-term extension with the Flames, effectively closing the team’s contention window…

 

…that is, until July 22, when the Flames stunned basically everybody by trading Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick. Flames GM Brad Treliving subsequently signed Huberdeau to an eight-year contract extension (Weegar remains a pending UFA).

 

The cloud of Gaudreau and Tkachuk needing new contracts hung over the Flames throughout the 2021–22 season. Even as the team cruised to a 50–21–11 record, few onlookers in Calgary felt truly comfortable with the state of the team. That uncertainty became a reality this summer.

 

But Treliving has made the most of the Flames’ situation, most recently signing Nazem Kadri – one of the top UFAs on the market and a 2022 Stanley Cup champion – to a seven-year deal. Kadri, Huberdeau, and Weegar combined for 246 points last year; Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Monahan managed 242.

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW
Nazem Kadri, C
MacKenzie Weegar, D
Kevin Rooney, C
Nicolas Meloche, D

Departures

 

Johnny Gaudreau, LW (CBJ)
Matthew Tkachuk, LW (FLA)
Sean Monahan, C (MTL)
Erik Gudbranson, D (CBJ)
Calle Jarnkrok, C (TOR)
Ryan Carpenter, C (NYR)
Brett Ritchie, RW (UFA)
Glenn Gawdin, C (ANA)
Michael Stone, D (UFA)

OFFENSE

Under Treliving, the Flames’ attack has always been strongest on the wings. Not anymore. With Elias Lindholm, Kadri and Mikael Backlund down the middle, the Flames’ center depth is the best it’s been in decades.

Backlund has been a strong two-way center for years, but his inconsistency (particularly in the early months of seasons) limits him to being more of a middle-six forward than an ideal top-six option. Adding Kadri gives the Flames even more flexibility at the most important forward position.

 

Huberdeau should replace Gaudreau relatively seamlessly as the Flames’ top winger, and Andrew Mangiapane will have a chance to play a significantly larger role with Matthew Tkachuk out of the picture. Mangiapane scored 35 goals last season despite spending most of his time on the Flames’ second and third forward lines.

 

The Flames will also count upon Blake Coleman and Tyler Toffoli to eat significant minutes in all situations next season. Coleman struggled to finish at times last season but consistently drove 5-on-5 play; Toffoli got off to a hot start after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens but took a step back down the stretch.

DEFENSE

Last season, the Flames’ defensive group was better than the sum of its parts. Even after losing team captain and longtime No. 1 defender Mark Giordano to the Seattle Kraken, the Flames surrendered just 208 goals in 82 games – the third-best mark in the league.

 

While goaltender Jacob Markstrom – more on him later – played a big role in the Flames’ stinginess during the regular season, so too did unheralded defenders Gudbranson and Oliver Kylington. Gudbranson was surprisingly steady on the Flames’ third pair after some rough years with multiple teams, while Kylington came out of nowhere to form an excellent two-way partnership with Chris Tanev.

 

Kylington is still with the Flames, but Gudbranson parlayed his success into a massive UFA deal with Columbus. No matter: Calgary went out and acquired Weegar as a secondary piece (!!) in the Tkachuk deal with the Florida Panthers.

No disrespect intended to Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, Tanev, or our lineup graphic, but Weegar is the Flames’ new top defenseman. The 28-year-old right-hander scored eight goals and 44 points while averaging 23:22 in 82 games with the Panthers in 2021–22, spending most of that time with Aaron Ekblad on the team’s first pairing.

GOALTENDING

As long as Darryl Sutter remains head coach of the Flames, expect Markstrom to start at least 60 games per season for the duration of his current contract. The 32-year-old Swede made 63 appearances with the Flames last year, posting a 37–15–9 record, a .922 save percentage and nine shutouts en route to being named a Vezina Trophy finalist and a member of the NHL’s end-of-season Second All-Star Team.

 

Even if Markstrom goes down at any point during the season, the Flames should be in relatively good shape. Backup goaltender Dan Vladar, who only just turned 25 over the weekend, went 13–6–2 with a .906 save percentage in 23 games last season; meanwhile, 2019 seventh-round pick Dustin Wolf exploded onto the scene in the American Hockey League with a 33–9–4 record and a .924 save percentage in 47 games. Wolf helped the Stockton Heat win three playoff rounds last year and won the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top goaltender – in his first year of professional hockey.

COACHING

Sutter replaced Geoff Ward as Flames head coach late in the 2020–21 season. Although Sutter wasn’t quite able to turn the ship around that year, he certainly made his mark on the Flames in 2021–22.

 

With the 64-year-old Viking, Alberta product at the helm, the Flames played a fast, responsible, and tough brand of hockey. They finished with the sixth-most goals in the league and allowed the third-fewest. Sutter helped turn the Flames into a dominant possession team and deployed very effective top-six line combinations and defensive pairs. Before Sutter came back to Calgary, the Flames seldom played Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk together during 5-on-5 action – look how that turned out.

Sutter won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top head coach last season. If he can turn Gaudreau into a passable 200-foot player, there’s no telling what he can do with somebody like Huberdeau.

ROOKIES

We already mentioned Wolf, but he’s not the most likely Flames prospect to break into the lineup this season. That would be Jakob Pelletier, the Flames’ 2019 first-round pick, who is coming off an excellent debut season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound left winger scored 27 goals and 62 points in 66 games with Stockton in 2021–22.

Pelletier is a strong two-way forward with high-end offensive skill, and he meshed well on a line with fellow tiny winger Matthew Phillips in Stockton last season. Phillips turned 24 in April and has led Calgary’s AHL team in scoring over the last two years, most recently amassing 31 goals and 68 points in 65 games with the 2021–22 Heat. He’s a 5-foot-8, 165-pound right winger who could push for a spot with the Flames in training camp this fall.

 

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Who steps up to fill the void left by Matthew Tkachuk? Huberdeau is a pretty convincing Gaudreau facsimile, but the Flames lost two 100-point players this summer, not just one. Tkachuk is going to be very difficult to replace in his own right. This question would have been more difficult to answer before the Flames signed Kadri, but he probably won’t be able to do it all by himself – and he’s not a winger. Someone will have to step forward and fill Tkachuk’s shoes on the right side of the Flames’ top line. Expect Mangiapane and Toffoli to both audition for that role during the pre-season.

 

2. Will MacKenzie Weegar sign before the season starts? Huberdeau inked an eight-year contract extension with the Flames shortly after the trade, locking him in with the team at a $10.5 million cap hit until 2031. However, Weegar remains a pending UFA after this coming season and will almost certainly command a raise over the $3.25 million he takes home annually on his current deal. An eight-year extension would take Weegar until he’s 37.

 

3. Can Markstrom bounce back from his poor playoff performance against Edmonton? The Flames’ starting goaltender went toe-to-toe with Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After that, Markstrom completely faltered against the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, allowing 24 goals and posting an .852 save percentage in five games. If the Flames get back to that point in the post-season, Markstrom needs to be better for his team to have any hope of getting past the Oilers (or the Colorado Avalanche, for that matter).

PREDICTION

The Flames should be a pretty good team. Their only major competition in the Pacific Division will likely be their provincial rivals – that is, unless the Vegas Golden Knights can somehow emerge unscathed after losing Robin Lehner and Max Pacioretty. Teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings have their strengths and could very easily make the playoffs, but the Flames’ depth at all positions puts them firmly ahead of both teams on paper.

 

 

We’ll say the Flames finish second in the Pacific and get past the Canucks in the first round of the playoffs to set up a rematch with the Oilers. This time, the Battle of Alberta will go seven games AND CALGARY WILL WIN THIS TIME.

Fix the last part of the article haha

Including PTOs for Michael Stone and Cody Eakin too means that most of the younger non-NHLers will be going back down to the farm and Stone and Eakin will be the odds ones in the rotation...still looking solid throughout up and down this lineup

Also PTO for Cody Eakin and Michael Stone

PTO for Sonny Milano today...would've rather kept the Swedes together by keeping Jarnkrok but Sonny Milano is way younger and bigger this is obviously the better move

Gotta say Calgary is getting deeper and deeper

Milano will obviously make the team so he'll probably go up with Backland and Coleman and pushing Lewis down to the 4th line with Lucic...

PTO for Sonny Milano from Anaheim today...would've rather layout l kept Jarnkrock just to keep the Swedes together but Milano is way younger and bigger so this is obviously the better move...

Yep it started already and regular season start first week of October every year should be...and yeah I can't wait till regular season and too

Yeah a poll would be nice...and personally I'd choose Yanni Gourde because he plays tough and never backs down despite his size plus he's won a cup...I also like Larson and Tanev as well if I were to choose...as for Eberle he is their most skilled and will probably lead in points as usual but I like to have grittier older rather than just the leading scorer being the captain...and since Seattle has no old guys anymore I'll like Gourde the best to lead...

Now Carolina signed Statsny for only 1.5M that's a good deal...better than paying that for Kessel like Vegas just did man Vegas is going in opposite direction as Carolina in every category now...

For 1.5M I'd rather have Statsny who went to Carolina...Kessel is out of shape and a liability in my opinion...kinda like Jagr in Calgary but worse since at least Jagr is a legend worth having even at the end of his career just for his star power alone...

7 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

I'll bring in Bill James' Keltner List, which I've been using for decades now. My gut answer was a "no"  but I wanted to see where the list took me. I still say "no" but I think it's a little bit closer than some here indicate. I could have sworn I was reading about "Red Light" Racicot and not a guy with a Hart and a Vezina on his shelf.

 

1. Was he ever commonly thought of as the best player in hockey while he played?
No

 

2. Was he ever commonly thought of as the best player at his position while he played?
At his peak, he won a Vezina, and he was generally considered among the best goaltenders. Did many people think he was the best goaltender in the NHL? I don't think so.
 
3. Was he ever among the top 10 leaders in any key stats? (G, A, Pts, W, SO, etc)
Yes (1)

 

4. Did the player ever lead the league in any key stats? (G, A, Pts, W, SO, etc)
Yes. Wins twice, GAA once, SV% once. (2)
 
5. Did he ever have an impact on a deep playoff run?
Yes, in 2021. (3)

 

6. Was he a key member of a Stanley Cup winner?
No

 

7. Was he ever a team Captain?
This is hard for a goalie, but it's still a "non".

 

8. Was he ever team Captain of a Stanley Cup winner?
No

 

9. Did many regard him to be an excellent defensive player?
For goaltenders, I look at their ability to cut off pucks, be the 3rd defenseman, etc. That's a "no" for Price.

 

10. Did many regard his physical play/hitting to be an intimidating factor? (NOTE: We're not looking for pests here)
No, and goalies CAN get points here. Ask anybody who stood around in front of Ron Hextall or Billy Smith.

 

11. Did he play a lot/well after he passed his prime?
Other than the 2021 playoffs, injuries have essentially cut off his career.

 

12. Was he ever elected to the 1st or 2nd All-Star team?
Yes, 1st AS in 2015 (4)

 

13. Are many any other players with similar statistics in the HHOF?
Looking at his career, of the 10 most statistically similar players, 2 are in the HHOF. No.
 
14. Did he win a Hart, Lindsay, Norris or Vezina Trophy? (NOTE for goalies: prior to 1982, use 1st All-Star selections)
Yes, he won the Hart, Vezina and Pearson in 2015. (5)

 

15. Did he win a Conn Smythe Trophy? (pre-1965: see resources)
No

 

16. Is there any evidence to suggest (due to circumstances beyond his control) that he was significantly better than is indicated by his statistics? (NOTE: We're looking for things like time missed due to global conflict, world politics, league wars, etc... NOT INJURY!)
No

 

17. Did the player bring bring positive and intense focus on the game of hockey?
The Wayne Gretzky/Babe Ruth question. Almost impossible to get a point here. No.

 

18. Was the player innovative, inspire a new style of play, or cause the league to change any of its rules as a result of the way he played?
No, but almost nobody ever gets a point on this one, either.

 

The scale which I've been using for many years:
 
13+ = Best of the best
11-12 = Unquestioned HOFer
9-10 = Great player
7-8 = Belongs in HOF
--------------------
5-6 = Borderline
3-4 = Weak Argument
1-2 = Completely Unqualified

 

Carey Price: 5

 

Borderline, but he wouldn't get my vote.

#18 is a Wayne Gretzky question too

7 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Agree with every word of this.  Good take, as usual.

Thanks man...I hope Price can recoverv and get healthy but Montreal has no window of opportunity anymore...wonder if he'll want a trade after getting better...

An article at The Score has the forward lines looking like this:

Huberdeau/Lindholm/Mangeapanne

Coleman/Kadri/Toffoli

Pelletier/Backlund/Dube

Lucic/Rooney/Lewis

I'm thinking Sutter likes to have 2 centres on each line for faceoffs etc so more can be done with all the versatile centres we got by either letting Dube or Coleman centre their own lines...and Sutter likes to have 4 lines getting around the same ice time...

The goalies and defence are pretty much set not including what to allow for injuries:

Markstrom/Vladar

Tanev/Kylington

Anderson/Hannifin

Zadorov/Weegar

So for forwards I'm thinking Toffoli has to go with Lindholm and Huberdeau oh the first line since Toffoli is an exceptional scorer and Sutter loves him...that leaves the other lines to mix up a bit and maybe get set say more evenly especially on the road where Sutter stated before he doesn't bother with line matching...so maybe:

Huberdeau/Lindholm/Toffoli

Coleman/Backlund/Lewis

Dube/Kadri/Mangepanne

Lucic/Rooney/?Schwidt?Jones?Bishop?

I hope Sutter will try Dube/Mangepanne together again since they seemed to do good together especially since they're both fast and having Kadri centre them makes a speedy line...that's makes the Coleman/Backland/Lewis line the main shutdown line and the Rooney/Lucic line getting maybe Schiwidt since he shoots right or either Jones/Bishop/etc last year this would be Ritchie/Richardson alternating...

With this setup only the Kadri line has no right shooting players but the speed of this line is why I'd put them together...Treliving went after Schwidt for a reason even commenting that Schwidt wasn't just a throw in that Calgary wanted Schwidt for a long time so I think Schwidt will get a closer look to see if his right hand shot can fit in soon...Calgary has only a handful of right shooting forwards and only one real right winger in Toffoli so apart from Toffoli the right forward side isn't a scoring threat...but hopefully that's where the speedy Kadri line will make up for it...

Most likely Bishop will get the fourth line rotating spot since he has most experience out of the new young guys but I guess we'll see what Stockton had to offer for offensive forwards since Bishop/Jones are more defensive forwards...personally I'd want Ritchie back in this spot since he wasn't too bad last year and can fight.

On defence there are no spots available but for the rotating spot Meloche/Gilbert look big and tough and play the same tough style that Gudbrandson plays...but of course aren't close to Gudbrandson toughness since Gudbrandson is probably the toughest defenseman after Charov...

Thinking they will and they should since with Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Monahan gone the only Calgary veteran left is Backlund...

So I'm thinking it'll be Backlund as captain with Tanev and Lucic alternating...I think Lucic would be the best captain but there hasn't been a heavyweight captain in the NHL since who knows when...

This off season saw such huge changes that this Calgary leadership group has totally changed too with what we have left being a leadership group more of a Sutter style leadership group remaining...I see Coleman along with Lewis and Toffoli being among the leaders of this team too...and definitely the future leaders will be Huberdeau and Kadri...

Zadorov signed

Kadri and Huberdeau signed long term

Price is my favorite goalie because of his potential since he has accomplished alot...but that's not enough to justify Hall of Fame status...

For me Hall of Fame has to be mainly about:

-Longevity

-Record Book Numbers(entries)

-Cups

So a healthy Price I'll always choose first for the Olympics and as first goalie of any team fantasy draft etc...but not for Hall of Fame yet...

13 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

-Nazem Kadri is a very good hockey player, and I like his Give a ****/60, but at 32 years old, that contract will age like milk.

-Brad Treliving turned chicken sh|t into chicken salad this summer. He was dealt a pretty bad hand but came out of with good players.

-The Flames will be dangerous for the next 2-3 years, but they've given up a lot of age in these deals. The window is still open, but it's been significantly shortened.

-Sean Monahan says he's good to go and will be playing a full season at full health. I wonder how close he and Kadri (who scored far more than he ever had before and probably not a great bet to repeat) will be in points this year? If he truly has recovered, this is a massive get for Montreal and a very bad turn of events for Calgary.

-It will be interesting to see how Huberdeau and Kadri do. They're very good hockey players, but they also didn't do the heaviest lifting on their teams: for each of them, their portion of time against the toughest opposition was their lowest total. Huberdeau won't have Barkov and Kadri won't have MacKinnon giving them cover. Time will tell.

-I imagine that coach Sutter will love Nazem Kadri. His kind of player.

 

 

The most important part is your last point about Kadri being the type Sutter wants to keep around just like Lucic and Lewis and Toffoli...now that most of the would be Calgary captains are gone that leaves room for Lucic to be assistants captain with Tanev and then Backlund the default captain since he being the longest serving Flame left...

2-4 year window then time for Treliving to work now magic...

Short term gain for long term pain...still it's the best of a bad situation...Calgary should still be able to fight for 2nd in Pacific now...

Short term gain for long term pain...still it's the best of a bad situation...Calgary should still be able to fight for 2nd in Pacific now...

8 hours ago, SaucyJack said:

…by ex-primo athletes, no less, who likely still have lots.   (Or not?!  Sometimes they’ve blown it all like Germany’s 80’s/90’s tennis star Boris Becker.)

The way the Great One left Edmonton I can tell the Great One's family is very high maintenance...so while I doubt he's anywhere close to blowing it all...if you're The Great One you can never have enough money or enough business ventures...I mean remember when his daughter almost ran away with a rapper or something

Yeah I don't understand how they keep winning either...not just because their roster is underwelming each year but also because of yeah those crappy GM moves...only thing I can think of is having a good coach like in Las Vegas first year having good coach made an overlooked team/roster overachieve...

Good signing for sure...having a good coach is getting more and more undervalued in the big leagues for all sports...I'm literally shocked every year that Carolina does good because I always underestimate them thinking how do they keep winning and coaching has to be huge factor I keep overlooking so yeah this is a good coach Carolina has...