Expectations for 2014-15 Season

[theoforever]

Originally Posted by Calgaryguy73

I see the Flames taking a step back this year. No Cammy and a lame duck coach. As there has been no talk of an extension for Hartley my worry is the kids could tune him out. Gio leadership should keep the boat straight but I can see the Flames in bottom 2 spot.

No way kids tune Hartley out, they cannot afford to, if they hope to make the NHL. As for the older players, most of those guys have been chosen for their character. I wouldn't worry about it, this management will not let that happen.

We still can finish bottom 2 but for other reasons.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Flames make the playoffs as 8th seed in the west, then beat out all the top teams to make it in the SC Final... but lose in game 7 in 5th OT period by an own goal.

That's not even close to funny.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Calgaryguy73

I see the Flames taking a step back this year. No Cammy and a lame duck coach.

There is not another guy I would want coaching this team. Lame duck coach my butt.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Calgaryguy73

I see the Flames taking a step back this year. No Cammy and a lame duck coach. As there has been no talk of an extension for Hartley my worry is the kids could tune him out. Gio leadership should keep the boat straight but I can see the Flames in bottom 2 spot.

Please let everyone know your reasoning on why Hartley is a lame duck?

[Roof-Daddy]

I think it just means that he isn't the new and current GM's hire, and is currently without a contract beyond this coming season.

FTR I love Hartley, and hope he gets an extension.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Please let everyone know your reasoning on why Hartley is a lame duck?

I don't buy it, but as follows;
It's used as a term for a coach who has no contract extension in his final year. It is based on the assumption that the players will tune a coach in this position out during the season because it doesn't matter - he will be gone next year. That coach is therefore a 'lame duck'.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Please let everyone know your reasoning on why Hartley is a lame duck?

Lame Duck means he is in the last year of his deal without an extension

[ForeverFlameFan]

Never heard of that term. Anyway, I think it's the opposite of what Calgaryguy73 said. I think the kids will listen to Hartley even better than what they did last year.

[Malkin]

I can see the Flames coming in last place, Oilers 2nd last and the Canucks in 9th. Then Canucks win the draft lottery.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Malkin

I can see the Flames coming in last place, Oilers 2nd last and the Canucks in 9th. Then Canucks win the draft lottery.

Keep it up Malkin.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Keep it up Malkin.

I placed him on ignore where the loser belongs.

[Calgaryguy73]

I think Hartley is a great coach and all I did mean is that he is on the last year of a contract in a new regime. Look what happened to Troy Ward. Seemed like a great coach but new gm wants his coach. Just human nature that he may lose the room if he looks like he will not be returning. I say give him an extension or make the change now.

[cannon7]

Losing Troy Ward will likely hurt us in the long run, seemed to have a great rapport with his players and they always arrived prepared during a call-up. Might have been a mutual decision as I can see Ward garnering interest as a head/assistant coach in the NHL.

[Caged Great]

Treliving seemed really enthusiastic towards Hartley in all the reports I've heard, which was absent with Ward, so that is something I'd consider a positive regarding Hartley.

As for my expectations for 2015, is either dead last, or right near it. We managed to get worse up front than we already were, while all of Buffalo, Edmonton, New York, Nashville and Florida improved. None of the teams immediately ahead of us got worse either except Ottawa, and they didn't get hit hard enough to be a top 3 pick (still have Anderson/Lehner)

Add in that the Flames have to play 54 games against the west, where Buffalo and Florida play 54 against the east, and it should help to limit our points.

There is pretty much no way the Flames finish out of the bottom 10 unless we luck out and Bennett, Gaudreau, and Baertschi all make the team and instantly become all-star calibre players.

[toquester]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Treliving seemed really enthusiastic towards Hartley in all the reports I've heard, which was absent with Ward, so that is something I'd consider a positive regarding Hartley.

As for my expectations for 2015, is either dead last, or right near it. We managed to get worse up front than we already were, while all of Buffalo, Edmonton, New York, Nashville and Florida improved. None of the teams immediately ahead of us got worse either except Ottawa, and they didn't get hit hard enough to be a top 3 pick (still have Anderson/Lehner)

Add in that the Flames have to play 54 games against the west, where Buffalo and Florida play 54 against the east, and it should help to limit our points.

There is pretty much no way the Flames finish out of the bottom 10 unless we luck out and Bennett, Gaudreau, and Baertschi all make the team and instantly become all-star calibre players.

I don't think they would have to be all-stars, but if one was able to match Camalleri's contribution, and the other two were very good, this Flames team could be much better than last years.

You can't forget just how close they were to several more wins last year, even with a horrendous number of injuries, rookie goaltenders and placing a lot of responsibility on their prize rookie center.

Just a normal year for injuries, some stability in goal, growth from players like Monahan and better years from players like Glencross, additions like Mason and the ongoing excellence of Hartley's coaching, should make a huge difference. If they find amongst those rookies a replacement for Cammalleri, and this team should be head and shoulders above last years team.

Not to say all of these elements will occur, but there are some impressive building blocks in place already, and you can't ask for more than that.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

There is not another guy I would want coaching this team. Lame duck coach my butt.

This team maybe .... It is pretty straight forward coaching and motivating a team that has the majority of roster players being able to be sent to minors or have their careers severely curtailed.

Once a player has a couple of million banked and has a mindset that if he isn't having fun or success with this coach it would be better to get a new coach..maybe to get traded or moved to another team...one not in the AHL.

The year before Hartley had a veteran team that was getting paid the cap max.

Iginla, Tanguay, Bouwmeester, Cammalleri, Sarich, Stempniak, Glencross, Hudler, Wideman, Stajan, Jackman, Kipper. All of these guys had career earnings that greatly exceed that of highly paid professionals : Doctors/Lawyers/etc

ALL knew that they were going to get NHL salaries no matter how hard or soft they played. And even if they didn't they would all be financially set for life.

He coached that team to a 24th place finish.


Last year's veterans (guys over 25) that exceeded expectations under Coach Hartley:

Hudler Gio and Russell.

Last years veterans that were below expectations: Wideman, O'Brien, David Jones, Cammalleri ( right until he was un-tradeable to a playoff team at the trade deadline), Stempniak, Galiardi Blair Jones.

Stajan, McGrattan, Butler and Smid played to expectations.

The rest of the team were kids willing to work like crazy for the chance to get a NHL contract and not the $70k / year Baertschi ended up making.


There is a good reason that Hartley has not been extended.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by toquester

I don't think they would have to be all-stars, but if one was able to match Camalleri's contribution, and the other two were very good, this Flames team could be much better than last years.

You can't forget just how close they were to several more wins last year, even with a horrendous number of injuries, rookie goaltenders and placing a lot of responsibility on their prize rookie center.

Just a normal year for injuries, some stability in goal, growth from players like Monahan and better years from players like Glencross, additions like Mason and the ongoing excellence of Hartley's coaching, should make a huge difference. If they find amongst those rookies a replacement for Cammalleri, and this team should be head and shoulders above last years team.

Not to say all of these elements will occur, but there are some impressive building blocks in place already, and you can't ask for more than that.

Yeah in a dream scenario you could see significant improvement.

But the biggest issue is depth. Our lineup on paper looks pretty mediocre as far as scoring goes. Then you factor in that we're likely to be missing a couple forwards for most of the year due to injury and it really places a lot of burden on the remaining guys and the rookies.

Again same for defense. On paper our top 6 is pretty dece. But suddenly if we're missing two of them it could lead to some rookie mistakes and people having to play over their heads.

In the summer the common problem of analyzing rosters is forgetting that injuries will usually ravage the lineup at points, or all season.

I think for us to show significant improvement we'd have to have a very injury free season. We just don't have the depth to compete with most of the western teams, the west might have gotten even tougher this offseason.

[Finger Cookin]

A top 8 draft pick. Continued growth from youngsters, regardless of whether it's on the big roster, in Adirondack, or in junior. And a long, frustrating season.

[Roof-Daddy]

My 2014-15 expectations:

1. A hard working, never give up team again.
2. Continued growth from our young players and prospects.
3. No wasted assets.

That's about all I can ask for, whatever else happens, happens.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by toquester

I don't think they would have to be all-stars, but if one was able to match Camalleri's contribution, and the other two were very good, this Flames team could be much better than last years.

You can't forget just how close they were to several more wins last year, even with a horrendous number of injuries, rookie goaltenders and placing a lot of responsibility on their prize rookie center.

Just a normal year for injuries, some stability in goal, growth from players like Monahan and better years from players like Glencross, additions like Mason and the ongoing excellence of Hartley's coaching, should make a huge difference. If they find amongst those rookies a replacement for Cammalleri, and this team should be head and shoulders above last years team.

Not to say all of these elements will occur, but there are some impressive building blocks in place already, and you can't ask for more than that.

Your kind of assuming everything goes right which is never does. You point out all these things that could go right but fail to mention the things that could wrong. It will likely be a combination of both. If a couple more go right we could be slightly better. If a couple more go wrong we could be slightly worse. I don't think we should expect a significant change in either direction. In my opinion a lot went right last year and we were still 27th. Bottom 5 is likely where the team will be.