What are you most excited about for 2015/2016 Flames?

[shogged]

Playoffs!

[TX_Flame]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

best d-men on the Flames ever

Brodie-Gio-Wideman-Russell-Hamilton >
Mackinnis-Suter-Reinhart-Baxter-Macoun>
Regehr-Leopold-Warrener-Ferrence-Gauthier-Lyndman>
Bouwmeester-Phanuef-Regehr-Sarich-Gio

McInnis, Suter, Ramage, Macoun, MacCrimmon, Natress, Murzyn is the best top 7 we've ever had.

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[TX_Flame]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

I will be taking the ferry over to see game 1 of the season. Can't wait to see the Canucks fans cry...if any of them show up that is.

You're from the island, Moneyhands23?

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[theoforever]

Originally Posted by TX_Flame

McInnis, Suter, Ramage, Macoun, MacCrimmon, Natress, Murzyn is the best top 7 we've ever had.

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Without doubt, the best defence group we ever had. The current group is very good as well, but not at the same level.

[dissentowner]

Most excited about? Winning the SC of course.

[Bingo Jr.]

Dougie fricken hamilton!

[Robbob]

Same as last year. I can't wait to watch the progression of the younger guys. It is like a kid in a candy store watching all these players under 25 develop. I really didn't expect them to hit the level they did last year and to know that their development isn't done makes one giddy.

[Flames_F.T.W]

- Progression of Monahan, Gaudreau, Brodie
- What Bennett and Hamilton add to our team
- How Treliving prepares for big pay raises for Gio, Monahan, Gaudreau and Hudler-- big trades coming??

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by FBI

I did this thread last year, and it's fun to go back and have a look through..
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=139257

I feel rather embarrassed by how little I thought we would accomplish last year.

Should be a fun year if you don't have too many expectations. The Flames will lose a lot still, but I'm excited to see how they progress and find ways to adapt when the rest of the league figures out how to beat them regularly (and they will).

It's funny this year to think we have a very strong chance at being a playoff team again, and will have continued growth from within the organization. I'm even more pumped to see Hamilton mesh with this team and have some key holes on the team filled. I'm really excited for this year's training camp as I think we will have a lot of heated debates about who should stay and go for the opening night roster. Then I'll be even more excited to realize the opening night roster means nothing over the course of the season and go back and laugh at some of the frightened reactionary posts about who didn't make the team.

[Bingo]

Since the team I got used to didn't have Giordano on it (last third of last season including playoffs) ....

I'm really looking forward to improvement.

The Flames established themselves as a top line and three top dmen in the playoffs. This fall we can look forward to ...

- adding back Giordano
- adding Hamilton

both of which make the defense core way more fun to watch, because the third pairing is fortified and won't require you to watch through your fingers

- young forwards getting better in Monahan and Gaudreau
- adding Bennett for a full season
- fingers crossed on a healthy Backlund
- Frolik

should mean the Flames are more of a possession team, and have more depth to role three lines that can all have an impact

- the Ortio Situation

really hope they iron this out before camp as I think he's up there with Backlund and Bennett as the difference between a team that likely makes the playoffs, or a team that serves notice that the could do some damage in said playoffs

nothing but positives.

[Cheerio]

Dougie Hamilton, Drew Shore and still crossing my fingers we'll re-sign David Schlemko

[tvp2003]

For me it's Ferland (to a lesser extent Bennett, who I'm tempering expectations based on his style of play and adjusting to the NHL). Ferland has shown he can be an impact player with his physical play, with the ability to contribute offensively as well. Would be amazing if he can do that over an 82-game season.

Also, not mentioned already is Colborne. It would be great if he could step his game up a notch this year. Using his body to work the puck in the corners, playing with a bit of an edge (without the dumb penalties of course). We started to see it in the playoffs last year; being healthy should help as well.

[Strange Brew]

Not sure if this qualifies as exciting but I am very interested in seeing how Treliving shapes the roster over the next year.

The following players do not have contracts for 2016/17: Giordano, Hudler, Monahan, Gaudreau, Russell, Colborne. Their cap hit for upcoming season is $13.7 million

If you try to sign Johnny and Monahan to longer term deals that eat into their UFA years, I would imagine that is $5 million plus each.

So resigning that whole group is maybe $30 million, or more. That is $17 million of more cap space needed that the Flames don't have, even with guys like Jones coming off. So lots of storylines could unfold:

What if Hudler has a repeat of this season and Flames are solidly in the playoff hunt? Would be very hard to deal him at the deadline and equally hard to resign him at end of year.

I really like all the palyers in that group but it will requitre some fancy footwork to keep them all. Much less add to the group.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

I feel rather embarrassed by how little I thought we would accomplish last year.



It's funny this year to think we have a very strong chance at being a playoff team again, and will have continued growth from within the organization. I'm even more pumped to see Hamilton mesh with this team and have some key holes on the team filled. I'm really excited for this year's training camp as I think we will have a lot of heated debates about who should stay and go for the opening night roster. Then I'll be even more excited to realize the opening night roster means nothing over the course of the season and go back and laugh at some of the frightened reactionary posts about who didn't make the team.

You're hardly the only one. I was convinced there was no way that the Flames would be better than bottom 5 going into last year. I've never been more happy to eat a slice of humble pie in my life.

This year I'm fully on board, the Flames are going to crush it this year. Our defense is going to combine for 200 points and our top line will get 200 as well. I'll predict it right now, Calgary finishes #1 in goal scoring in the entire NHL. Some of the surprises from last year step back a little (Bouma, Wideman) but new guys take their place and then some. Hamilton and Frolik go without saying but I think Bennett is going to really help our secondary scoring, Backlund in particular should benefit big time.

[AcGold]

Johnny Hockey

Dougie Hamilton, Ferland, Bouma, Colborne, Ortio

[Itse]

Everything? Seriously, pretty much everything about next season fascinates me right now. Defense, prospects, which forwards win spots, can Backlund finally put together a full season, how's Bennett going to look, how good is Monahan going to be, can Hudler keep it up...

More generally, I'm excited to see the development of this team. There could be very few changes from the end of last season, or a ton of changes, or anything in between. Even the type of game we'll play isn't set in stone yet IMO. Really interesting to see how that shakes out.

Our goaltending is really the only thing that worries me a bit. I hope one of the goalies just takes the #1 spot and holds it. Preferably one of the Finns

But if I'd have to single out one thing, I guess I'd have to say Johnny Hockey.

[polak]

The parade in June.

[CroFlames]

I'm excited about Monahan and Johnny, but mostly Monahan. Johnny is exceptionally skilled and dazzles us regularly, great attitude, and so likeable. Even chips in defensively.

But Mony is the real deal, the genuine article. He's big, he's skilled, he's not slow, he's got a deadly shot, but above all, he is usually the smartest player on the ice (Bonus: he's Canadian ). I almost can't believe how smart and responsible he played as a 20 year old. I used to scoff at folks who kept saying he's a future captain and franchise guy because I hate wild predictions of young guys and prospects. However, after watching and listening to him over the past 2 years, I really think he's our next one after Gio.

I'm super pumped to watch him again this year and excited to see what heights he reaches.

After Mony, I'm very intersted to see how Bennett plays this year, and how the wing positions fill in. I'm certainly happy to have 6 capable defensemen, 4 or 5 of which are very capable. The farm will also be interesting; I'm especially interested in seeing how Kylington pans out.

[Funkhouser]

Can't believe this hasn't been said:

Destroying the Oilers (on Edmonton ice for HNIC) and crushing their dreams of McJesus carrying them to the promise-land



But all schadenfreude aside...
-watching the progression of our young core (notably Johnny)
-seeing how the addition of Hamilton affects our back-end
-unloading the passengers and seeing the addition of youth from the ranks
-making the playoffs and winning 2 rounds
-Treleving wizardry to re-sign our key pieces (mono, johnny, gio and hudler)

[Igster]

Bennett.

I know the safe path is to temper expectations, but I don't think the safe path is required here. I say Bennett surprises a lot of people and challenges for the Calder. I truly believe he will be a BIG difference maker on this team and a treat to watch.