[trackercowe]

TSN just put up their preview for this season preview for The Flames.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=461269

Some interesting quotes/observations:

In December, Brian Burke - brought in at the start of the season as president of hockey operations - started putting his plan into motion for the front office and fired GM Jay Feaster and assistant GM John Weisbrod. Burke took over for the duration of the season.

The home losses then piled up and the Flames set a new record for consecutive home defeats with seven between Dec. 27 and Jan. 16. Despite Giordano receiving some Norris Trophy votes and Jiri Hudler putting up solid numbers (54, his second-highest single-season point total), Calgary finished with the fourth-worst record in the league.

This Is Now: The rebuilding continues, but now it's Brad Treliving's job after Burke selected the former Coyotes' assistant to be the eighth GM in club history.

Cammalleri's second tenure with the Flames came to an end, as the 32-year-old opted to sign with the New Jersey Devils in unrestricted free agency. The Flames hope that new additions Mason Raymond - who enjoyed a renaissance campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season - and Devin Setoguchi are able to pick up the scoring slack on the wing.
The good news up the middle is that the future may be set. It just might take a couple years still to fully reap the rewards of two high-end young centres.

Monahan had a good rookie season, logging in 15:59 in average ice-time and scoring 22 goals in 75 games. The Flames need him to build on that if they hope to move up the standings.

TSN Calgary reporter Jermain Franklin's Five Key Storylines heading into training camp:

1. What impact will Johnny Gaudreau (a.k.a. 'Johnny Hockey') have in his rookie NHL season?
The 21-year-old Boston College standout and 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner, who scored a goal in his only NHL game last season, has dominated at every level on his path to the NHL. Size - Gaudreau is just five-foot-nine and 150 pounds - has not held him back so far, but will it in the world's biggest and best league? Bennett is looking to force his way into the lineup as Monahan did last season.

2. Is Jonas Hiller still a No. 1 NHL goalie?
The Flames signed Hiller to a two-year deal that pays him $1.75 million more than Karri Ramo this season, yet they insist it will be a full competition for the top goaltending position. Hiller is motivated to prove he's still a starter after losing the No. 1 position in Anaheim first to Frederik Andersen during the regular season and again to rookie John Gibson in the playoffs.

3. Will Bob Hartley continue to have his players focused?
Despite finishing 27th in the league last season, the Flames earned a reputation for being a tough team to play against. The Flames were competitive because they gave their maximum effort every night. Can Bob Hartley continue to motivate this team or will the message get stale if the losses pile up for another season?

4. How will the new acquisitions fit in?
Forwards Mason Raymond, Devin Setoguchi and Brandon Bollig, defenceman Deryk Engelland and goaltender Jonas Hiller are Calgary's key summer additions. Bollig and Engelland add size and toughness while Raymond is being counted on to supply speed and offence to soften the blow of losing top goal producer Mike Cammalleri.

5. How will new GM Brad Treliving put his stamp on the team?
Treliving faces a huge challenge in his first job at the helm of an NHL team after seven seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes. Calgary has missed the playoffs for five straight years, the third-longest such streak in the league (tied with Carolina and Columbus and behind only Edmonton's eight and the Jets' franchise's seven).

DEPTH CHART
Forwards
Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Curtis Glencross Mikael Backlund Jiri Hudler
Mason Raymond Sean Monahan Joe Colborne
Johnny Gaudreau Matt Stajan David Jones
Brandon Bollig Lance Bouma Brian McGrattan
Paul Byron Markus Granlund Devin Setoguchi
Sven Baertschi Sam Bennett Ben Hanowski

Defence
Left Right
Mark Giordano T.J. Brodie
Kris Russell Dennis Wideman
Ladislav Smid Deryk Engelland
Tyler Wotherspoon John Ramage
Mark Cundari Keegan Kanzig
Patrick Sieloff Sena Acolatse

Goaltenders
Jonas Hiller
Karri Ramo
Joni Ortio

Craig's List
A list of the Flames' top prospects as ranked by TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button.
A-Level Prospects

No.Name Pos. 2013-14 Club
1 Johnny Gaudreau LW Boston College (HE)
2 Sam Bennett C Kingston (OHL)
3 Markus Granlund C Abbotsford (AHL)
4 Mark Jankowski C Providence (HE)
5 Mason McDonald G Charlottetown (QMJHL)

B-Level Prospects
No.NamePos.2013-14 Club
6 Morgan Klimchuk LW Regina (WHL)
7 Emile Poirier RW Gatineau (QMJHL)
8 Tyler Wotherspoon D Abbotsford (AHL)
9 Max Reinhart CA bbotsford (AHL)
10 Joni Ortio G Abbotsford (AHL)

Fantasy - Cullen's Player to Watch
Johnny Gaudreau
Any rookie forward that is poised to get regular playing time can be interesting from a fantasy perspective, but Gaudreau is no ordinary rookie. The Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey last year, Gaudreau scored 80 points in 40 games as a junior for Boston College.

Using typical league equivalency calculations, 21-year-old Gaudreau should be projected for 50-plus points as a rookie, this on a team that returns one player (Hudler) that scored more than 50 points last season. There are concerns about Gaudreau's size and whether that will hinder his adjustment to the pro game, but if he has an adequate supporting cast to help generate offence, Gaudreau is one of the few Flames with high-end offensive potential.