Do you consider 2016-17 to be a successful season for the Flames?

[TheScorpion]

I'm curious. The Flames stumbled out of the gate, surged in November/December, faltered again in January, played lights-out in February and March, and have lost something like 6 of 7 (including playoffs).

Gaudreau, Bennett, Elliott, and Monahan struggled at times, while Backlund, Frolik, Tkachuk, and Versteeg mostly thrived. The big free-agent signings in Brouwer and Johnson have been hit-and-miss (with Brouwer mainly a 'miss') and the three big trades (for Chiasson, Stone, and Lazar) have been largely okay thus far.

Do you already consider this season to be a successful one for the Flames, or do they need to do more for you to consider it to be so?

[CaptainCrunch]

Yes I consider it a success. There was almost a 20 point improvement over last year, a good reduction of goals against and an improvement on special teams.

Considering the age of the core and what's coming up prospect wise, I'd consider it a successful season.

[bdubbs]

I would call it a success solely based on the fact they managed to make the playoffs. It has been a disappointment for several players individually, however.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I'd wait until the season is over to deem whether it was a success or not.

[Isikiz]

This season is a success. A jumbled up roller coaster of a season with extreme highs and lows, but we're here aren't we? Playing in the dance and toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in the league.

[N-E-B]

We drafted 6th overall last year and made the playoffs. Yes I would consider it a success. Next year however, I'd like to see them compete for the division title. It's all about progress.

[Toonage]

Absolutely a success. Year 4 of the rebuild and in the playoffs for a 2nd time.

[Strange Brew]

Game 3 of the playoffs may not be the right time to evaluate the success of a season.

But I'll bite. I rate the season a success no matter what happens from here but still a long ways from mission accomplished.

[GullFoss]

IMO - too early to tell. So far, not a success.

1) Expected flames to finish top 3 in division. They did not.
2) Expected flames to push anahiem to 6 or 7 games. TBD on that one.

The biggest disapointments of the season have been Troy Brouwer and TJ Brodie. TJ Brodie has had a rough season, but still looks like a fine top 4 and a player who will bounce back. In contrast, the Brouwer contract could be as killer as the wideman contract. IMO the player is very very slow and brings less than Lance Bouma, who is also overpaid at $2.2m. The flames should give up a 2nd rounder to Vegas if they promise to select Troy Brouwer. Thats how bad he is.

[jayswin]

The bar for success at this point in the rebuild and based on last season seemed to pretty clearly be to make the playoffs. They made them with like 10 points to spare, it was a successful season. We're right on track.

[CsInMyBlood]

Even if we go down in four to the Ducks (which I certainly dont think will happen) I will still consider this season a success.

You have to play in the post season to know what it takes to win. Win or lose, this series will go a long way in teaching the guys a valuable lesson.

[bax]

Let's have this discussion in the off season. Not that we can't evaluate and assess the Flames season up to this point but we have the two biggest games of the year coming up this week.

Let's wear our red and welcome home the fellas with the loudest the dome has ever been and let's get back into this thing. Go Flames go!

[polak]

Yes. They finished the regular season as a playoff bubble team as expected.

There are a couple red flags with this core though that hopefully disappear next season. Mainly their consistency and Gaudreau regression considering his contract. We signed one of the best players in the league and that is not what we got this year. Hopefully it's just a slump.

[Greybeard]

Yes. Made playoffs. Young core continues to develop. Prospects in system. Coach who seems to have the dressing room and a system the players are buying into. Solid GM who works his butt off. Giving Anaheim a strong push in playoffs. Year 4 of rebuild seems on track.

And this series is not over yet.

[topfiverecords]

The young ones sure are premature on more than just that one thing.

Let's let the season end first.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Agree witha number of comments.

We were a lottery team last year, had a brand new coach and system and re did our goal tending tandem...

and we made the playoffs with a bit of time to spare.

regardless of what happens in the Anaheim series, i'll see it as a successful season....that's the "post season topic"

[Vinny01]

The season was a success but how big of a success remains to be seen. Making the playoffs was the goal and it was accomplished but if they go out in 4 will be different than if they win a round or two or even push the Ducks to 7 games

[jlh2640]

Yes because we are a young team who is learning together. But we have to get better from this playoff loss.

[blender]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Yes because we are a young team who is learning together. But we have to get better from this playoff loss.

You mean the loss in game 2?

Just curious because the series hasn't been won yet.
Right?

[GranteedEV]

Strictly talking core:
Bennett - went from future first line talent to perceived bust. Still, took some defensive strides. Probably already our second most dependable center in his zone aside from Backs.
Monahan - improved two-way game, but still overall a sub-par two-way center who isn't impacting the game if his shot isn't going in.
Gaudreau - Went from ppg+ expectations to button hooking playmaker who never a threat to score goals
Brodie - went from from speedy top 5 D in the league to average speed average top 4 D on the team
Giordano - sacrificed elite offense to be a Hjalmarsson type shutdown guy
Hamilton - Thrived in system, career year offensively. Still not trusted to kill penalties and has to work on stick discipline.
Tkachuk - Hell of a rookie year. Improved discipline immensely as year went by.
Backlund - Career year offensively. System helped him overall become a corsi monster.
Ferland - Buried most of the year behind scrubs, finally got a chance late in the year and grabbed it full tilt. Insanely disciplined on minor penalties, great offensive ability, but for some reason not being developed into a penalty killer when that should be the natural next progression for a guy with his tools and anticipation.
Frolik - Regular Frolik year

Overall, I think the core kind of stagnated (with the exception of adding Tkachuk) but key players around them were better defensively than the year before (Elliott/Johnson/Chiasson/Stajan specifically were better than Hiller/Ramo/Colborne/Stajan) which got us into the playoffs. For us to take the next step, Gaudreau has to be a 30G/50A threat again, Bennett has to be put back on track, Monahan has to make even more strides defensively, Brodie has to return to form, and Tkachuk has to improve his skating to be able to dominate as in this kind of cycle-obsessed system he pretty much needs to be our best player.

Was this year a success? We made the playoffs so it definitely wasn't a fail. Personally though I see this team trending more towards mediocrity than I did the day the season started, mostly because of Brodie, Bennett, and Gaudreau who along with Tkachuk should be our three most important pieces.

I guess I give this season a C, unless of course they miraculously beat the Ducks in 4 of 5. Then it would jump to an A+++ because **** the Ducks. Although that would only last insofar as how they perform against the Oilers.

Biggest hope for me is we can somehow drop Brouwer's anchor contract, otherwise it's going to be three years of wasted cap space in what basically amounts to the end of Giordano's prime.