My thought, is they definitely get better.
It starts in net though. With Ramo's solid play at the end of the year, he's earned himself a shot at being a starter. Burke will be on the hunt for a solid backup, but I think he'll either be looking for someone with potential to be a starter, such as Reimer, or someone who is a declining starter, like Ward, that will push Ramo to become better, or to lose his starting spot. That will be a step forward right there, seeing as the majority of the Flames losses in the early part of the season could be chalked up to inexperienced goaltenders.
If Cammi walks, it opens up a spot for either another UFA, or one of our prospects. If Johnny earns a roster spot, it's because he's producing, if he's producing, who knows what he is capable of. Our 1st round pick, could also push for a top 6 roster spot, like Monahan did last year, or there are a couple other prospects that could impress.
If Burke can solidify the Defense, by getting a top 4 D-man on the UFA market, or via trade, without creating a hole, this team could be a lot better next season.
I think we will see improvement no matter what, with the prospects being a year older, they will be able to fill holes during injuries at a higher production level than last year. Having a starter go down, would not be as detrimental.
We'll have a much clearer picture of how things are shaping up in mid July, obviously. I'm excited to see what the hard work and never say die attitude can do next year.
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