Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
Instead of focusing on the strengths of this team, maybe it is a worthwhile endeavour to get our heads out of the clouds and look at this team's weaknesses, and see where they may have issues.
Weaknesses:
None. No, really, name it. Think long and hard. Not enough depth on the roster? I will give you one... travel schedule? That's about it. At the risk of sounding like a homer, let's focus on the strengths to illustrate my point.
Strengths:
Goaltending: I would say it is probably in the top 5. Want to argue that because of the Oilers' series? That's up to you. I feel they are still a top 5 team in net.
Defence: I would say top 5 team there too. Where in the top 5? I don't know, but that's some seriously good quality from 1-6. The only possible gripe here is there is no franchise-level game-breaker, but this is a very good 1-6 group that were solidly in the top 5 last year by every metric that I saw, and now have improved.
Centers: This is harder to rate. I mean, McDavid, Draisaitl and RNH is really good, but Draisaitl plays with McDavid a lot, and defensively as a group they are not particularly strong. Crosby-Malkin-Carter is definitely still elite (though Carter is waning). Lindholm, Kadri and Backlund as a group should be among the top 5 in production by centers I am guessing, but also be among the top 5 for defence. Of course the Oilers trio will out-produce the Flames' centers, but head to head? Flames might be able to neutralize them effectively. This will be interesting. At any rate, even if you feel my ranking is too high, the center depth is an absolute strength, not a weakness.
Wingers: Huberdeau, Toffoli, Mangiapane. That's 3 bona fide top 6 wingers. This includes an elite-level winger (Huberdeau) and a very analytically strong play-driving winger in Mangiapane that doesn't need the PP to produce. Plus, you still have good young wingers to grow into their roles like Dube, Pelletier, Ruzicka now (I assume he will be a winger now), etc. decent depth and high-end talent.
Coaching: This is Darryl Sutter. Name 4 better coaches than him on different teams. You can't.
I can't really point at any weaknesses or glaring holes on the roster. There will be centers that out-produce Calgary's trio of centers, but I think very few will be able to match-up head to head as well. Calgary's strength down the middle is in part because they are all very good defensive centers.
My prediction: Flames will probably stay close to 6th overall in goals for this season. With Kadri and Weegar, I think it really closest the gap for Tkachuk, especially if Dube or another winger take a small step forward which is likely. Flames will be the number 1 team defensively though (they were 3rd last year, and only 6 goals from being tied for 1st with Carolina (and the Flames had 12 goals less than 4th place Boston).
Flames are still not in the "Colorado, Tampa" level of contender, but I do think they are in the Carolina, St. Louis, Minnesota level - that very next tier. That's down-right amazing considering their best player walked for absolutely nothing, and their only other franchise-level player forced a trade.
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