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TheScorpion · 09-10-2016, 04:31 PM

Despite multiple analysts' projections placing them near the bottom of the NHL's standings, the Calgary Flames enjoyed an unexpectedly-successful season in 2014-15, which culminated in a trip to the second round of the playoffs and resulted in high hopes for the future. Instead, the Flames lost a step in 2015-16, falling 20 points from 2014-15 to end with a lowly 77 points, 10 out of a playoff spot.

Now, entering the 2016-17 season, the Flames have many reasons both to hope for the future, and to draw doubt from the past. The team has been historically poor analytically under the tutelage of coach Bob Hartley -- now that he's been replaced by former Stars coach and Canucks assistant Glen Gulutzan, how will the Flames respond?

Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Niklas Backstrom made up the Flames' goaltending tandem last season. None of these goaltenders hold NHL contracts for the 2016-17 season, which is indicative of their quality of play in 2015-16. Statistically, the Flames' goaltenders were the worst in the NHL last season, and Hiller was the worst player at his position. These four players have been replaced by Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson for the 2016-17 season, who both posted save percentages above .920% last year; however, neither have ever played more than 55 games in a season. Though they both have exemplary statistical records, will they be able to hold up over the regular season grind?

I'll attempt to answer these questions and more in this, my preview of the Calgary Flames' 2016-17 season.

Today, we move on to the goaltenders.

The Flames' goaltending was beyond awful last season. While you can't fault GM Brad Treliving for wanting to stick with the tandem which led him to the playoffs in 2014-15, literally anyone else in the NHL would be better than Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Niklas Backstrom at tending goal for the Flames last season. The Flames allowed the most goals in the NHL, had the worst collective save percentage in the NHL, and regularly dressed the goaltender with the worst statistical record in the League.

Thankfully, in the early days of the offseason, the Flames' braintrust acquired two very suitable replacements for the quartet of 2015-16 goaltenders. Both of these men possessed save percentages above .920% in 2015-16, and one of them is a two-time All-Star.

Here’s my projection (or best guess) for the Flames’ goaltending tandem in 2016-17:

Brian Elliott
Chad Johnson

But first, a parting retrospective of the Fallen Four netminders from 2015-16.

We begin with Niklas Backstrom. Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the February 29 trade deadline in exchange for winger David Jones, Backstrom performed relatively well during his short stint in Calgary, posting a 2-2-0 record. Both of his wins were near-shutouts, with 1 GA performances coming against the Montreal Canadiens and in the Flames' final game of the season vs. the Wild, his former team. Backstrom will be looked back on fondly by most Flames' fans, more-so than any other Flame netminder from this past year. He brought an inspirational story along with him, as prior to his first game with the Flames on March 20, 2016 (a 4-1 Calgary victory), Backstrom hadn't played a professional hockey game in well over a year, due to injury. He was the only Flame goaltender to finish the 2015-16 season without a losing record.

Backstrom signed a one-year deal with HIFK of the SM-liiga in early June, and isn't expected to play in the NHL again. He finishes his National Hockey League career with a 196-144-50 record with 28 shutouts in 413 games played with Calgary and Minnesota.

Joni Ortio had an unremarkable season in 2015-16, posting a 7-9-5 record and a shutout in 22 games with the Flames. Though Ortio was excellent at shutting out the Vancouver Canucks, he was decidedly below-average at many other facets of his game. A butterfly goaltender, the Turku, Finland native recorded mediocre save percentages in both the AHL and the NHL last season (.893% and .902%, respectively). These poor numbers and a glut of young goaltenders in the Flames' system contributed to his departure for Skelleftea of the SHL for the 2016-17 season.

Karri Ramo was probably the best Flame goaltender last year, though that isn't saying much. Ramo posted a respectable .909 SV% along with a 17-18-1 win/loss record in 37 games for the Flames last season, before injuring his ACL in February during a game vs. the San Jose Sharks. The only one of the Flames' 2015-16 goaltenders remaining a UFA as of September 9th, the 30-year-old Ramo can still serve as a capable backup goaltender in today's NHL.

And finally, Jonas Hiller. Hiller did not have a good 2015-16 season, finishing with a miserly .879 SV% and a 3.51 GAA -- worst in the NHL for both categories. The 34-year-old Swiss netminder signed a three-year deal with EHC Biel of the NLA following the season, and it's unlikely he'll ever return to the NHL. Hiller leaves the NHL with a career 188-129-36 record and 22 shutouts in 378 games with Calgary and the Anaheim Ducks.

Now, to the future. Who will make up the Flames' goaltending tandem for 2016-17?

31-year-old Brian Elliott has bounced around a bit during his NHL career. Drafted second-last-overall by Ottawa in the stacked 2003 Draft, Elliott made his debut with the Senators in 2007-08, winning his lone game that season. He continued on to play two more successful seasons in Ottawa, posting winning records both years despite mediocre save percentages. The Senators made the playoffs in 2009-10, but Elliott struggled in his four postseason games, going 1-2 with a brutal .853 SV%. His struggles continued into the next season, and he was traded to Colorado for Craig Anderson in February 2011. Elliott tanked in his half-season with the Avalanche, finishing 2-8-1 with an awful 3.81 GAA behind a 68-point Avalanche team.

Elliott signed a 1-year, $600k contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2011, and proceeded to light Missouri on fire with a spectacular season. Forming a terrific tandem with Jaroslav Halak, Elliott finished 2011-12 with a 23-10-4 record, an All-Star game selection, and NHL-bests in save percentage (.940%) and GAA (1.56). He continued his stellar work in St. Louis until the end of the 2015-16 season, in which he was again named to the All-Star game. Despite his consistently outstanding play in St. Louis, Elliott was never relied on to be the team's starter, always forming tandems with other goaltenders, including Halak, Ryan Miller, and, most recently, Jake Allen. Was this due to a lack of trust from Blues management? In any case, Elliott will be counted on to be the Calgary Flames' full-fledged starter in 2016-17, as the Blues traded him to Calgary at the 2016 NHL Draft in exchange for the 35th-overall pick in said Draft. He has one year remaining on a three-year, $7.5 million deal signed in May 2014.

Elliott is facing many questions as he enters the 2016-17 season. He's never played more than 55 games in a season, so will he be able to hold up to an increased workload in Calgary? Will he be able to prove that his stats weren't inflated by playing behind a top-notch St. Louis defence? Well, there's only one way to find out, and it's on Elliott to perform in 2016-17. Brad Treliving has done his job. The Flames chose him over Ben Bishop and his huge salary demands at the Draft. However, if Elliott fails to impress, Bishop will still be available as a free agent in 2017 and even still could be a trade candidate before then. Regardless, Elliott seems to love Calgary, and this writer expects Elliott to thrive under the C of Red.
Projection: 61 GP, 33 W, 21 L, 7 OT, .923 SV%

Elliott's goaltending partner for 2016-17 will be Chad Johnson. The 30-year-old Johnson is a career backup, bouncing around the NHL since 2009 with both New York teams, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Boston Bruins, and, most recently, with the Buffalo Sabres. Johnson enjoyed a career year last season, posting an exemplary .920 SV% in 45 games with Buffalo. Rewarded in the offseason with a 1-year, $1.7 million contract with the Flames, Johnson is a top-tier backup in this league. Few teams have a better second goaltender than Calgary, and should Elliott underperform or (God forbid) suffer an injury during 2016-17, Johnson should nicely patch the hole left by the Flames' de-facto #1.
Projection: 21 GP, 13 W, 6 L, 2 OTL, .916 SV%

Who will the Flames turn to if one (or both) of Elliott or Johnson is hurt next season? The likely answer is former NCAA standout Jon Gillies, but David Rittich could also get the call. Don't expect them to play much, however -- especially if the Flames are in the hunt for a top spot in the Pacific Division.
No projections

(For those of you counting, that's a 46-27-9 record I've projected for the Flames next year, or an 101-point season -- good for 3rd in the 2015-16 Pacific Division. I have the Flames finishing 2nd in the Pacific in 2016-17.)

Check back later for the final part of my four-part series, when I go over the Flames' new coaching staff and dive into the prospect pool. I hope you enjoyed this, or at least have something new to talk about.

TL;DR -- The Flames' goaltenders last year were bad, bad, bad. Here's hoping they're better next year.

09-10-2016, 04:31 PM	#1
TheScorpion First round-bust Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: speculating about AHL players Exp:	TheScorpion's 2016-17 Calgary Flames Season Preview \| Part 3: Goalies Despite multiple analysts' projections placing them near the bottom of the NHL's standings, the Calgary Flames enjoyed an unexpectedly-successful season in 2014-15, which culminated in a trip to the second round of the playoffs and resulted in high hopes for the future. Instead, the Flames lost a step in 2015-16, falling 20 points from 2014-15 to end with a lowly 77 points, 10 out of a playoff spot. Now, entering the 2016-17 season, the Flames have many reasons both to hope for the future, and to draw doubt from the past. The team has been historically poor analytically under the tutelage of coach Bob Hartley -- now that he's been replaced by former Stars coach and Canucks assistant Glen Gulutzan, how will the Flames respond? Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Niklas Backstrom made up the Flames' goaltending tandem last season. None of these goaltenders hold NHL contracts for the 2016-17 season, which is indicative of their quality of play in 2015-16. Statistically, the Flames' goaltenders were the worst in the NHL last season, and Hiller was the worst player at his position. These four players have been replaced by Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson for the 2016-17 season, who both posted save percentages above .920% last year; however, neither have ever played more than 55 games in a season. Though they both have exemplary statistical records, will they be able to hold up over the regular season grind? I'll attempt to answer these questions and more in this, my preview of the Calgary Flames' 2016-17 season. Today, we move on to the goaltenders. The Flames' goaltending was beyond awful last season. While you can't fault GM Brad Treliving for wanting to stick with the tandem which led him to the playoffs in 2014-15, literally anyone else in the NHL would be better than Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Niklas Backstrom at tending goal for the Flames last season. The Flames allowed the most goals in the NHL, had the worst collective save percentage in the NHL, and regularly dressed the goaltender with the worst statistical record in the League. Thankfully, in the early days of the offseason, the Flames' braintrust acquired two very suitable replacements for the quartet of 2015-16 goaltenders. Both of these men possessed save percentages above .920% in 2015-16, and one of them is a two-time All-Star. Here’s my projection (or best guess) for the Flames’ goaltending tandem in 2016-17: Brian Elliott Chad Johnson But first, a parting retrospective of the Fallen Four netminders from 2015-16. We begin with Niklas Backstrom. Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the February 29 trade deadline in exchange for winger David Jones, Backstrom performed relatively well during his short stint in Calgary, posting a 2-2-0 record. Both of his wins were near-shutouts, with 1 GA performances coming against the Montreal Canadiens and in the Flames' final game of the season vs. the Wild, his former team. Backstrom will be looked back on fondly by most Flames' fans, more-so than any other Flame netminder from this past year. He brought an inspirational story along with him, as prior to his first game with the Flames on March 20, 2016 (a 4-1 Calgary victory), Backstrom hadn't played a professional hockey game in well over a year, due to injury. He was the only Flame goaltender to finish the 2015-16 season without a losing record. Backstrom signed a one-year deal with HIFK of the SM-liiga in early June, and isn't expected to play in the NHL again. He finishes his National Hockey League career with a 196-144-50 record with 28 shutouts in 413 games played with Calgary and Minnesota. Joni Ortio had an unremarkable season in 2015-16, posting a 7-9-5 record and a shutout in 22 games with the Flames. Though Ortio was excellent at shutting out the Vancouver Canucks, he was decidedly below-average at many other facets of his game. A butterfly goaltender, the Turku, Finland native recorded mediocre save percentages in both the AHL and the NHL last season (.893% and .902%, respectively). These poor numbers and a glut of young goaltenders in the Flames' system contributed to his departure for Skelleftea of the SHL for the 2016-17 season. Karri Ramo was probably the best Flame goaltender last year, though that isn't saying much. Ramo posted a respectable .909 SV% along with a 17-18-1 win/loss record in 37 games for the Flames last season, before injuring his ACL in February during a game vs. the San Jose Sharks. The only one of the Flames' 2015-16 goaltenders remaining a UFA as of September 9th, the 30-year-old Ramo can still serve as a capable backup goaltender in today's NHL. And finally, Jonas Hiller. Hiller did not have a good 2015-16 season, finishing with a miserly .879 SV% and a 3.51 GAA -- worst in the NHL for both categories. The 34-year-old Swiss netminder signed a three-year deal with EHC Biel of the NLA following the season, and it's unlikely he'll ever return to the NHL. Hiller leaves the NHL with a career 188-129-36 record and 22 shutouts in 378 games with Calgary and the Anaheim Ducks. Now, to the future. Who will make up the Flames' goaltending tandem for 2016-17? 31-year-old Brian Elliott has bounced around a bit during his NHL career. Drafted second-last-overall by Ottawa in the stacked 2003 Draft, Elliott made his debut with the Senators in 2007-08, winning his lone game that season. He continued on to play two more successful seasons in Ottawa, posting winning records both years despite mediocre save percentages. The Senators made the playoffs in 2009-10, but Elliott struggled in his four postseason games, going 1-2 with a brutal .853 SV%. His struggles continued into the next season, and he was traded to Colorado for Craig Anderson in February 2011. Elliott tanked in his half-season with the Avalanche, finishing 2-8-1 with an awful 3.81 GAA behind a 68-point Avalanche team. Elliott signed a 1-year, $600k contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2011, and proceeded to light Missouri on fire with a spectacular season. Forming a terrific tandem with Jaroslav Halak, Elliott finished 2011-12 with a 23-10-4 record, an All-Star game selection, and NHL-bests in save percentage (.940%) and GAA (1.56). He continued his stellar work in St. Louis until the end of the 2015-16 season, in which he was again named to the All-Star game. Despite his consistently outstanding play in St. Louis, Elliott was never relied on to be the team's starter, always forming tandems with other goaltenders, including Halak, Ryan Miller, and, most recently, Jake Allen. Was this due to a lack of trust from Blues management? In any case, Elliott will be counted on to be the Calgary Flames' full-fledged starter in 2016-17, as the Blues traded him to Calgary at the 2016 NHL Draft in exchange for the 35th-overall pick in said Draft. He has one year remaining on a three-year, $7.5 million deal signed in May 2014. Elliott is facing many questions as he enters the 2016-17 season. He's never played more than 55 games in a season, so will he be able to hold up to an increased workload in Calgary? Will he be able to prove that his stats weren't inflated by playing behind a top-notch St. Louis defence? Well, there's only one way to find out, and it's on Elliott to perform in 2016-17. Brad Treliving has done his job. The Flames chose him over Ben Bishop and his huge salary demands at the Draft. However, if Elliott fails to impress, Bishop will still be available as a free agent in 2017 and even still could be a trade candidate before then. Regardless, Elliott seems to love Calgary, and this writer expects Elliott to thrive under the C of Red. Projection: 61 GP, 33 W, 21 L, 7 OT, .923 SV% Elliott's goaltending partner for 2016-17 will be Chad Johnson. The 30-year-old Johnson is a career backup, bouncing around the NHL since 2009 with both New York teams, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Boston Bruins, and, most recently, with the Buffalo Sabres. Johnson enjoyed a career year last season, posting an exemplary .920 SV% in 45 games with Buffalo. Rewarded in the offseason with a 1-year, $1.7 million contract with the Flames, Johnson is a top-tier backup in this league. Few teams have a better second goaltender than Calgary, and should Elliott underperform or (God forbid) suffer an injury during 2016-17, Johnson should nicely patch the hole left by the Flames' de-facto #1. Projection: 21 GP, 13 W, 6 L, 2 OTL, .916 SV% Who will the Flames turn to if one (or both) of Elliott or Johnson is hurt next season? The likely answer is former NCAA standout Jon Gillies, but David Rittich could also get the call. Don't expect them to play much, however -- especially if the Flames are in the hunt for a top spot in the Pacific Division. No projections (For those of you counting, that's a 46-27-9 record I've projected for the Flames next year, or an 101-point season -- good for 3rd in the 2015-16 Pacific Division. I have the Flames finishing 2nd in the Pacific in 2016-17.) Check back later for the final part of my four-part series, when I go over the Flames' new coaching staff and dive into the prospect pool. I hope you enjoyed this, or at least have something new to talk about. TL;DR -- The Flames' goaltenders last year were bad, bad, bad. Here's hoping they're better next year. __________________ Need a great deal on a new or pre-owned car? Come see me at Platinum Mitsubishi — 2720 Barlow Trail NE