Your 2014/2015 Calgary Flames - Better or Worse?

[FBI]

Wow this is the Debbie Downer thread.. I choose to be optimistic for many of the reasons listed throughout the thread...

Just excited to see more young guys again, give a few more of them a bigger role next year as somebody said.

[Vinny01]

I think the Flames will be fun to watch but am not fooled into thinking the 2nd half of the season is what we can expect over 82 games next year. 1 solid top 4 D would help the back end but this team needs multiple pieces up front with 1 or 2 of the game-breaking variety before I think they are a legit playoff contender

[Poe969]

Just because I don't expect the team to do well next year doesn't mean it's a negative attitude. I didn't think the Flames would do as well as they did this year (I had them set to finish 29-30th) and I consider this year to be a HUGE success.

I'd love to see them do really well next year but I'm thinking that even if Monahan plays great again next year (or improves), Gio plays great again, our first rounder makes the team and plays great, and a couple of kids make the team and do well we're still not going to do well as a whole team. This team needs work and I think they'll finish in the bottom 3 next year but I think it'll be another year of amazing hockey next year that'll be fun to watch.

It's so much better to expect nothing from them and be happy with whatever we get then the years of expecting greatness and getting below average hockey.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I'd rather have playoffs than McDavid any day.

[bubbsy]

in year 2 of the rebuild, meh, not sure it's all that important.

what is critical is we continue to be better than the oilers.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I just feel that we have the necessary prospects that are going to make us a good hockey team excluding McDavid and Eichel. Would be wonderful to have them, but Hartley is better than that. I really hope we do make noise next year.

[Gaskal]

I hope to see a modest standings improvement (6th 7th) and then win the lotto next year to give the finger to all the tankers trying to outsuck one another for McDavid. Bettman and Daly high five.

[Jason14h]

With the weak FA crop and no savior in the draft (Even if we won the lottery) a lot will need to go right for the Flames to be better.

I am predicting bottom 5 over top 25 for next year.

[Tacoman]

The one thing that is very apparent is that if either one of Gio or Brodie is out of the lineup, our team is not good. So a lot of where we finish next year will depend on their health. We just don't have the defense depth to withstand injuries (to either of those two, anyways). I think we can be better but I'm also fine with another year like we had this year of watching some young players develop.

[Rubicant]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

in year 2 of the rebuild, meh, not sure it's all that important.

what is critical is we continue to be better than the oilers.

Why is that so critical to people? All that matters to me is whether our team is building towards being a future Stanley cup contender. Edmonton really shouldn't be a benchmark.

[Savvy27]

I think they will be better next season.

-They have established a team culture that works for the type of personnel that they have.
-There are fewer question marks... they now have a top D pairing, their selection of Giordano as captain proved to be very astute, they have a starting goaltender, Monahan has proven himself to be a capable top 3 center (which, with Backlund's emergence, gives them 3 proven C's)
-Their defensive zone play is much improved from the beginning of the season
-They suffered significant injuries to top players

Some less optimistic posters are making good points and it is possible that there will be a regression. I'm hopeful that there will be in the 15-22 group of teams though.

[moon]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I'd rather have playoffs than McDavid any day.

I'll gladly take McDavid over 8th next year.
The goal is a Cup not squeaking into the play-offs and getting beat in 4 games.

[Yrebmi]

I'll gladly take the pick we get after an absolute honest effort to ice the best team we can.
I can't see that being McDavid bad

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by moon

I'll gladly take McDavid over 8th next year.
The goal is a Cup not squeaking into the play-offs and getting beat in 4 games.

Have fun cheering for losses. There are teams way worse than us.

[CliffFletcher]

Upswing:

* We can probably expect sustained improvement from Brodie and Backlund.
* Granlund and Wotherspoon will benefit from a full season.
* I expect a trade/signing or two to get bigger.

Downswing:

* Probably won't replace Cammalleri's goals
* Doubtful both Hudler and Giordano follow up with another career year
* Sophomore jinx likely for at least one of Mohahan or Colborne

Neutral:

* Ramo hasn't shown he can play at high level for full season
* Not a great crop of UFAs available to improve roster externally

Verdict:

About the same

[puckluck2]

Colborne had 28 points in 80 games. I'd hate to see what a sophmore slump looks like.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Upswing:

* We can probably expect sustained improvement from Brodie and Backlund.
* Granlund and Wotherspoon will benefit from a full season.
* I expect a trade/signing or two to get bigger.

Downswing:

* Probably won't replace Cammalleri's goals
* Doubtful both Hudler and Giordano follow up with another career year
* Sophomore jinx likely for at least one of Mohahan or Colborne

Neutral:

* Ramo hasn't shown he can play at high level for full season
* Not a great crop of UFAs available to improve roster externally

Verdict:

About the same

I usually read your posts and you are one of those that tend to give me second thoughts on my takes sometimes. But in regards to become in playoff contention, I think it is a matter of the Calgary Flames playing a full season. We always start out horrible, dig ourselves a hole, and it's way too late to get out of it. If we play like we did after January 18th (best birthday present ever by the way, I hate Torts and my birthday is on the 18th of January, for those that care), we can be a playoff team.

I think Hartley has figured us out, and of course there are still going to be growing pains, possible injuries that affect us, how our newly added free agents are going to play.

But I truly think that the reason why we don't make the playoffs is we don't know how to play a full season just yet. Every since B. Sutter coached this team, we could never play a consistent first half of the season. Always finished strong, but always finished out of playoff contention.

I think it's safe to judge how the Flames will be after the first 20-30 games. If they even a little over .500, we should have high hopes.

[Rubicant]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I usually read your posts and you are one of those that tend to give me second thoughts on my takes sometimes. But in regards to become in playoff contention, I think it is a matter of the Calgary Flames playing a full season. We always start out horrible, dig ourselves a hole, and it's way too late to get out of it. If we play like we did after January 18th (best birthday present ever by the way, I hate Torts and my birthday is on the 18th of January, for those that care), we can be a playoff team.

I think Hartley has figured us out, and of course there are still going to be growing pains, possible injuries that affect us, how our newly added free agents are going to play.

But I truly think that the reason why we don't make the playoffs is we don't know how to play a full season just yet. Every since B. Sutter coached this team, we could never play a consistent first half of the season. Always finished strong, but always finished out of playoff contention.

I think it's safe to judge how the Flames will be after the first 20-30 games. If they even a little over .500, we should have high hopes.

Every bad team plays well for stretches. The standings at the end of the year are usually very reflective.

This team played very hard all year basically and still didn't come close. We have a huge talent deficit and that likely wont improve this summer. I think it's more likely that the effort level becomes harder to maintain year two and we are again bottom 5.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Have fun cheering for losses. There are teams way worse than us.

Are there? Florida will be better, so maybe only Edmonton/Buffalo are worse?

If we could duplicate this year's excitement and the young players continue to develop, I think the best thing for the franchise would be a bottom 2 finish to get the franchise player to build around. We're talking about drafting a generational-type talent.

[ForeverFlameFan]

We have Hartley. We'll be better

At times, we had the worst roster in the NHL and we still won.