6th in Pacific division, 10-13th in Western conference, 22-27th overall. Same or very slight improvement.
Big holes are top 2/4D, first line wing, second line wing, true #1 centre (though Backlund + Monohan is good for now, especially as their games have taken steps forward). I like the bottom 6 forwards, good depth and competition there, and for now, Colborne as a top 6 RW will do.
Now if things fall into place and Gaudreau/Sven can be one of the top 6 wings, the drafted player can fill an immediate hole (by winning lottery and getting Ekblad or Reinhart) and other guys in the organization take a step forward, then the Flames could challenge the mid tier of the Pacific division (Canucks, Coyotes, Stars) and be a dark horse for the playoffs. That would take a season with players making major strides and injuries low/not to key players.
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