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Originally Posted by ricardodw
Thanks. Totally reasonable however that is the same team that we have here this year.
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Well, no. There are going to be some pretty dramatic differences in personnel from this season to next year, most notably in goal. I know it has been mentioned, but it bears continued repetition: we cannot understate how bad the goaltending was over the course of the season, and how much even average goaltending would have helped the team this year. Even without knowing how this will play out in the off season, I am really confident that whoever is acquired by the Flames over the summer to play goal, he will be better than what we had this year. It was THAT bad.
Moreover, while Jokipakka is on the roster now, he was not for most of the year. A year that also included incredibly slow and disappointing starts for #1 defenseman Mark Giordano, and newly acquired defenseman Dougie Hamilton. How much will improvements from these two plus beginning the season with Jokipakka affect the outcome to start next year?
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Will this team make the playoffs? Have to be pretty awesome goalie they sign.
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The team would have made the playoffs this year with even average goaltending, so no, it will not "have to be [a] pretty awesome goalie they sign." Although I do expect the Flames to acquire a much better goalie—one who will make big enough of a difference that they will compete for a playoff spot.