[MissTeeks]

The Flames were up on the NHL website today for their 31 in 31 feature:

https://www.nhl.com/news/2017-18-cal...?tid=290471364

There is optimism surrounding the Calgary Flames following two berths in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past three seasons. But a familiar question has hounded them this offseason, and the Flames hope the answer is found with 35-year-old goaltender Mike Smith.

"[Smith's] a No. 1 goaltender," general manager Brad Treliving said. "They're not plentiful out there. This is a guy who has been there and done it. He had to deal with all the things you have to deal with as a No. 1 goaltender."

"He's a young 35. … He's got a low odometer on him, I'd say," Treliving said. "I think the way he looks after his body, there's a little bit of a genetic freak with this guy that I don't think the age is going to be something that we're hopefully concerned with, and we think [with] the term left in his contract, he's going to give us good play.

"He's a driven guy … very, very competitive and he pushes people around him."

"We tried to be as aggressive as possible to add to the current group we have," Treliving said. "I talked a lot about growth within the group, and I still believe that's the biggest form in how this team is going to move forward, but to be able to add [Smith and Hamonic], I think it signifies a real big step forward for our organization.

"But it still comes back to … it's not like we've added 15 new guys. The lion's share of our team last year is going to be the ones that push this thing forward."

Top Prospects:

https://www.nhl.com/news/calgary-fla...?tid=290471364

1. Parsons
2. Jankowski
3. Valimaki
4. Andersson
5. Dube

Three Questions:

https://www.nhl.com/news/2017-18-cal...?tid=290471364

1. Will the defense live up to its potential?

Boasting three high-end defensemen -- Dougie Hamilton, TJ Brodie and captain Mark Giordano -- the Flames acquired Hamonic in a trade with the New York Islanders on June 24 and signed Michael Stone to a three-year contract on June 30 to give them one of the strongest set of defensemen in the NHL.

"To see how committed this organization is to winning is something that is truly exciting as a player to be a part of," Hamonic said. "You want to win and be surrounded by really good players. That's certainly the case here."

2. Can Mike Smith provide stable goaltending?

"I'm a competitor," the 35-yer-old said. "I want to win real bad. I feel this move is an opportunity and a challenge I'm going to take on full-speed. I really respect this team. Playing against them is always a challenge. I look forward to being on this side of it now and helping this team be real successful."

3. Will another forward prospect emerge?

Since the Flames began a rebuild four years ago, forwards Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk have gone from prospects into impact players. Center Sam Bennett, the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, is expected to continue toward that in his third full NHL season.

Center Mark Jankowski, the No. 21 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, played four years for Providence College before scoring 56 points (27 goals, 29 assists) for Stockton of the American Hockey League last season. The 22-year-old is expected to push for a role in training camp.