Overall forward depth is the big issue that's remaining. The past four seasons, the Flames have been relying on player pairings and spreading around talent to compensate for not having adequate full lines. For example:
Gaudreau-Monahan-[insert plug]
Tkachuk-Backlund-[insert plug]
Coleman-Backlund-[insert plug]
[insert plug]-Backlund-Frolik
[insert plug]-Backlund-Mangiapane
Lucic-Backlund-[insert plug]
Dube-Ryan-[insert plug]
Having two players carrying a line only works when one or more of those players is an elite talent (e.g. Johnny) or both players are a clear step better than the lines they're matching up against (e.g. the combined talent of Tkachuk-Backlund is enough to carry a second line) and it leaves zero room for error when things go awry (e.g. Gaudreau-Monahan starting failing when Monahan could no longer be a good triggerman).
Backlund and Coleman are fine as second liners, but they don't make for a threatening second line if you put a plug on RW (e.g. Pitlick) instead of a player that's just as good as Backlund and Coleman.
Mangiapane and Dube are fine as middle sixers, but they need another quality middle sixer to help carry the load and make the line a well-rounded threat.
Treliving finally hired a good coach. He finally signed a decent starting goaltender. Now he needs to stop signing depth players/"value signings" as a half-measure and sign another winger or two with enough talent to legitimately play in the top9 for a full season.
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