Had the Kadri deal gone through I believe the Flames would have been the clear cut favorite in the west this year. Without that deal I still think they are a top 3-4 team with the ability to repeat.
I think the top line will continue to produce at a high level. I think Tkachuk, Dube, Mangipane, Bennett can all improve in the forward ranks. While Gio could see a step back I am hopeful Hanifin has a breakout year and gets closer to reaching his potential as a future number 1 Dman.
I believe the goaltending and bottom 6 have been upgraded and the rest of the team remains intact. We likely do not have the injury luck we did last year but this team has depth at most positions and most of their players are young enough to improve significantly. I also feel the playoff loss has this team hungry to get back to the playoffs and they will
Be a confident bunch from the get go.
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