[sureLoss]

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hock...uring-forwards

WG: On the flip side, what is the greatest challenge for the 2017-18 campaign?

GG: “The challenge, for sure, is managing expectations. We weren’t a 5-10-1 team to start last year, and we weren’t a 16-5 team to end. We finished with 94 points. I think, realistically, we can do better than that. But to make a jump from 77 to 94 to 118 isn’t realistic. So we have to manage that expectation. Our goal is we think we could be a 100-point club. That’s kind of what I think a lot about in the summer — trying to manage that expectation but also have something in mind that we think we could be.”

WG: What sort of homework does a coach do during the off-season on some of his new roster additions — guys like Mike Smith and Eddie Lack and Travis Hamonic?

GG: “I have to give credit to my assistant coaches. Jordan Sigalet has been in constant contact with both goalies and been watching them at goalie camps that the NHL guys go to. He’s spent time with them. Paul Jerrard, at a skill development camp in Winnipeg, he got to see Travis Hamonic skate in the summer. So we’ve touched base with our new guys and kept in contact with our old guys. We feel, with the work we did in May and that we’re doing now, we have a real good grip on the players we have.”

WG: Let’s stick with Hamonic for a second … How do you expect him to complement his likely defence partner T.J. Brodie?

GG: “I think No. 1 is he can certainly play the same up-style game that Brods can. If you look at Travis, he’s a really good skater. He’s not void of offence, however, I think he’s going to be more of an anchor there that can really let Brods skate and move and play his game. I think there’s going to be a lot of predictability for T.J. and I think that’s going to open him up to play a real in-the-play, tight-gap, in-your-face, big-time skating game. And T.J. also has another year of playing on the left side under his belt, which gives him 82 games of an adjustment, and he’s got another right-handed partner. I think that stability is going to help T.J. tremendously.”

WG: How does a young guy — whether it’s American Hockey League all-star Mark Jankowski or first-round pick Juuso Valimaki or any of the others — really impress his boss during camp?

GG: “The one beauty is, if you look at it … You can look at who’s pencilled in, so to speak. At our D, there’s a spot. You look at forward, with the guys that we have now, there’s some room. There’s room to add somebody. So I think this year is going to be one of the most competitive camps. Because if I’m a young player with the Calgary Flames who’s scored 20 goals in the American League or has had a great junior year or signed as a depth player, I’m looking at it and saying, ‘You know what? There is some availability here, and it’s going to go to the guy who earns it.’ So I’d be excited if I was a young guy. That’s not always the case in this league. You guys can do the math on both those positions — there is some room.”

other tidbits:
Ferland expected to start on the top line with JG and SM (pending on how he shows up at camp of course). Also hoping that some young guy will come to camp and surprise.
expects Lazar to play both C and wing in the beginning
says to take Bennett in your pools as Sam had a good summer and GG expects him to take a big leap this year