Expectations for 2015-2016

[Hack&Lube]

I anticipate a little Colorado-like regression as the rookies have a sophomore slump. Gio will be back but he will also be older and won't have year as resurgent as the last. Other vets like Brodie and Russell will get even better than they have been. Bennett will have a better, fuller, season if he can get some more skilled line-mates. The Flames will barely squeak into the playoffs as the Western Conference gets better all-around.

[sa226]

I think it will be just as exciting, and just as difficult to predict.

As stated earlier there are a few guys coming off career years. Will Hudler have the same impact? Wideman? Russel? I want to throw Monahan and Gaudreau out of the conversation of regressing after career years. They are young guys that should get better.

But you add Bennett who is more than ready to make an impact. Maybe Poirer? A full year of Ferland. A more reliable bottom two D pairing. Goaltending is a wildcard.

I think what sometimes gets forgotten is that the top line didn't really come together until the last part of the season. I think their emergence helped soften the blow of losing Giordano. For most of the year the individual guys were playing well, but the lines were a bit of a mish mash. You can't underestimate what a legitimate top line can do for a team. Then you add Gio to that and maybe even the emergence of a second scoring line with Bennett.

I think next year will be just as exciting with many twists and turns.

To reiterate the above I hope the management sticks to the plan and doesn't try to accelerate the rebuild.

I'm not really worried at all about a Colorado regression. This team is nothing like that team.

What is a tad worrisome is the other teams. Will LA really miss the playoffs again? Is San Jose really a non playoff team with the talent they have? Dallas had a ton of injuries this year. Is Vancouver going to get better or worse?

[Red Menace]

Realistically we will be in a dogfight to make the playoffs again...so many great teams in the west...hard to imagine LA, SJ, COL, DAL all miss the playoffs again.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

I expect Treliving to make a few deals to ensure spots for any and all young guys that have proven themselves this year. These deals should help improve our bottom pairing defense.

The Flames are going to be even hungrier next year and are fully aware of what to work on over the summer.

I also expect Kenny Morrison to be with the big club by early 2016. Kid looks to have potential.

P.S - to anyone who expects 'Colorado-like regression', the Flames would of needed elite goaltending for this to occur..

[ForeverFlameFan]

When we made sure to stay the course at the 2015 TDL by not trading assets for upgrades just yet because we are still rebuilding, I think you can start to look at making a big trade in the 2016 TDL. Make the 2015 your last rebuilding draft.

For me, the expectations will definitely depend on where the Flames are in the standings before the TDL.

[White Out 403]

It's hard to pick what will happen in the Pacific next year.

Will San Jose and LA miss the playoffs again?

Will Vancouver stay up in playoff contention or fall of as the Sedins age?

Will Edmonton finally stop sucking?

Will Colorado rebound?

As far as I'm concerned the Pacific will be the most interesting to watch unfold next year. Not the best division in hockey but the best story.

[Imported_Aussie]

If they ice the same lineup, they will be at best, in the same spot, likely regress slightly as other teams solve the way they play and catch up.
This is a big offseason, not to load up, but to make some incremental changes to the lineup. With the younger guys coming through being smaller, Raymond looks to me an odd man out. He need to be replaced by a guy who can mix it with the bigger forwards, but still has top 6 skill. They need a defenceman to play with Engelland who is a good skater and puckmover and could deputize in the top 4. Schlemko would be a good #7 insurance policy, he came on waivers, so if he was signed 1 year then waived, no harm done.

this could be a lineup for the Flames that keeps them in post-season contention, as they develop Bennett:

Gaudreau - Monahan - [Big RW] = first line, spread offense to two legitimate scoring lines
Hudler - Bennett - Colborne = a sheltered #2 line for secondary scoring, Colborne to help with faceoffs
Bouma - Backlund - Jones = checking line with offense
Ferland - Stajan - Jooris = checking/energy line
ex. Bollig, Shore = rotate into lineup

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
[Puckmover] - Engelland
ex. Schlemko (let Wotherspoon, etc. grow in AHL unless standout in camp)

Hiller?
Ortio

Goalie is the tough spot, as Ortio needs to be behind a veteran next year - he is ready for the jump and that clears the crease for Gillies in the AHL. But neither Ramo nor Hiller have my confidence on a team wanting to take the next step. If the Flames sign Ramo, moving Hiller won't net a huge return, as teams know the Flames have to make a move here. I could also see Ramo holding out until July 1 - this could be his chance to get a good contract. It is a hard position to upgrade, so it may be better to stay the course and look for Ortio and Gillies to grow into NHL roles.


They could be bold and make more changes (Backlund, Hudler potential trade bait if they want to go after someone bigger) and as good as Jones was this season, he would be a likely candidate to be moved if an opportunity presented to upgrade the second line (move Colborne down to 3rd) - it all depends on the balance Treliving takes between maintaining what went well with improving the team.


This is what I feel would be the very least that Treliving should do:

Raymond out, get a bigger, more skilled natural RW

Bennett plays at Centre, but is sheltered to start, and has another natural centre as a linemate for faceoffs

Upgrade the D with a 5th top 4 defenceman, a puckmover to enable Engelland's game

Manage the transition in net, bringing Ortio along behind a veteran

[Enoch Root]

Year 3 of the rebuild.

So many good things happened this year, but there are still lots of holes to fill. We were sellers at the deadline, and I expect that we'll be sellers at the deadline for the next couple seasons as well.

Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett will be entering their prime in 3 years. The Flames' window isn't now, it's 2018 - 2028.

Let's keep building for the future.

If the goal suddenly switches to playoffs and beating Anaheim, that makes for short-term decisions that aren't in the best interests of the team.

Goaltending:
Hiller and Ramo are adequate fillers, but Gillies and Ortio are the future (at least 3 years away from entering their prime).

Defense:
Yes, Giordano is in his prime. Unfortunately, that is going to mean that he leads the young guys into the future, but won't be the same player when they get there.

Like in goal, defense is about the future. Brodie turns 25 this summer. While the Flames don't have a lot of stud prospects, they have a ton of good prospects.

Wotherspoon and Morrison are knocking on the door. Rafikov is going to be a good one, but is a couple years away. Hickey is probably the best of the bunch but is also a couple years away. Then there's Kulak, Culkin, Ramage, Sieloff, Kanzig, and Ollas-Mattson - out of that pile there is probably another one or two, but again, a couple years away. And there will be more defensemen drafted in June.

Odds are, based on the number of prospects, that there is plenty in the system on defense. But it is a few years away.

Forwards:
Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, Ferland and Bouma is a lot to build around.

But Hudler had a career year and is 31. He isn't going to be a top line RW for us in the future. And he is too small anyway. As awesome as he has been, IMO, he is a deadline trade candidate. We need the assets, and we need someone on the right side who is big and can score.

Backlund will only be with the Flames for one more year, IMO. Love him, and he loves the Flames, but I see him being packaged for a defenseman. I think the best scenario is trade him to a contender at the deadline for a young D prospect.

We still have Jooris, Poirier, Klimchuk, Granlund (also traded IMO), Arnold, Jankowski and Smith in the system as solid prospects.

But we need more.

We have some vets in Jones and Stajan and Bollig, so I think we can get away with trading Hudler. Some decisions are harder than others, but it makes sense.

I hope we make the playoffs next year because the corsi crowd will be insufferable if we don't (regardless of why it happens). But 2015/16 shouldn't be the focus. The future should be.

[Huntingwhale]

I don't view the Flames as fighting the Western Conference for a playoff spot. I view it as them fighting the Pacific for a playoff spot.

Anaheim - Class of the division, cup favourites, and the same thing next season. Will be hard to unseat them from the #1 spot.

Sharks - Needing to rebuild desperately, yet big guns like Marleau and Thornton are locked in with NTC and have stated many times they have no desire to leave. A team on the down swing (finally) and I don't see them making the dance next spring. Remind me of the '10-'13 Flames.

Kings - They will be back. I think this year was a wakeup call for them. That trying to coast through the season and ''flip the switch'' come crunch time doesn't always work. I expect them to contend for the division next season.

Canucks - Team on the decline, but they do have some young pieces like Horvat and Virtanen coming along. Bubble team much like this season.

Coyotes - Will not make it.

Oilers - Even with Mcdavid, no playoffs again.

So I see it as the Flames needing to beat out Anaheim, LA and Vancouver to make it. With the new divisional layouts, I don't really focus on the rest of the West anymore. Just beat the teams within our division, win the games were supposed to outside of it, and we'll be alright.

[Table 5]

I just hope to see progression in the youth, and the filling of any holes. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if we miss the playoffs next year. We're still in the middle of a rebuilt (so results can vary wildly) and the NHL is a league where good teams miss the playoffs every year (see Kings, Bruins, Stars etc).

One thing this playoffs showed us is that despite the skill/speed, there are is always a need for some size and grit in the playoffs...and the more skilled that size the better. Hopefully Ferland becomes a key part of this team, but at some point, we'll probably need to add some size to that first line. They are a line that is great in the regular season, but I'm just not sure you can rely on having two smaller guys like Gaudreau and Hudler on the first line, and do a ton of damage in the grind of the playoffs. I love what Hudler brings to this team, but I think in the long-term, Treviling will need to find a replacement for his spot on the first line.

[chedder]

I think we continue to grow and build from here. Monahan in third season will up it another notch. Don't think Johnny will have sophomore slump and he'll gain some strength/power over summer. This will be Sam's rookie season and he will impress. A few changes including some more size and figure out the goalie situation and we'll be off to the races.

[GGG]

6-10 in the west and 2-4 in the Pacific.

The pacific has some weakness to exploit as San Jose and LA try to right the ship. We now have 120 games of 96pt seasons so we should be right their at the end but when 4pts separates 2-4 its really a role of the dice.

[Enoch Root]

Top tier:
Chicago, Anaheim, St Louis

Second tier:
LA, Minnesota, Nashville

Third tier:
SJ (fading), Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, Vancouver (fading) and Calgary

12 of the 14 teams in the west are good enough to make the playoffs. The separation between the first tier and the rest is shrinking. And the separation between the 2nd and 3rd tiers is almost non-existent.

It's basically a 12 team race to 100 points this year, in order to make the playoffs.

If the Flames continue to push the rebuild forward, but don't make the playoffs, I won't lose my ##### over it.

I hope we are sellers at the deadline again.

[killer_carlson]

This is finally the season I expect Backlund to stay healthy

[ScorchyScorch]

1. Blues
2. Hawks
3. Wild
WC. Stars

1. Ducks
2. Flames
3. Kings
WC. Canucks

and we see the Ducks in round two again, but with a much better idea of what to expect and all the young studs another year better. take them to 7 games.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

This is finally the season I expect Backlund to stay healthy

Whoa now, let's try to keep the thread realistic here.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Next year will be very interesting. This team this year, was clearly much better than expected, and that was no fluke. Across the board from our young players, it's clear we have way more talent then folks expected. JG is a top end player, with game breaking capability, Monahan proved he was also an elite player clutch player, Ferland and Colborne look like they can be contributing Top 9 forwards or better, and the list goes on. Bodes very well for the future of this club.

However, I also believe, that despite all that, if we replayed this season over and over 10 times, I'd guess the Flames likely wouldn't make the playoffs more than 3 of those 10 times. Again, this team was not the basement dweller people thought, and that has nothing to do with luck, but I'd say we got a little good fortune, and LA played below expectations which was the difference to being just on the outside looking in, versus being in.

Now, the fact that our young guys got the experience of the playoff push in the regular season, a playoff win vs. the Nucks, and then a tough lesson in defeat against the Ducks, I think is worth it's weight in gold and will accelerate our key young players development even furthere, so that bodes well for next year. But I also don't think we are ready to take the step to "elite or contender team" next year. So my expectations remain, we will once again, be part of that group of about 8 teams, that is fighting legitimately for one of the last 4 Western Conference playoff spots, and even though I think we will be a better team next year, the league is so tight that even with that it could be a miss. That said, I think the experience we gained this year, plus our improving young core has to give us a bit of a leg up on some of those 8 we will be fighting with.

[Monahan23]

playoffs. I doubt the Coyotes, Oilers and Nucks make the playoffs. Flames-Kings first round

[troutman]

Playoffs are no guarantee. A lot went right for the Flames, and we will see improved play from Dallas, Colorado and LA.

[heep223]

With another year of development for the young guys and a full season of healthy Gio, I can't see them not making it next year. We have a legit top line, one of the best D-pairings in the league and middle 6 F group with a good blend of offense, checking ability and size. Ortio emerges as #1.

This team is making the playoffs next year.