Weigh in with 3 positives and 3 negatives for the Flames going into th 23/24 season

[LouCypher]

Positives

1. The Conroy/Iginla/Huska/Savard/EveryoneElse Mastermind is getting a shot at handling the team and getting their teeth into it all full time. The first 4 all have long history and seem to like each other. I like the change to something more collaborative on all levels.
2. We have 3 goalies who are all potentially good to great. Actually a nice problem to have if Markstrom rebounds and the other 2 are chomping at the bit to prove themselves.
3. More youth with a real chance at getting ice time that would help players actually grow into a bigger role. Sometimes just letting someone have some room to figure it out can help a young player take a step so long as there is accountability as well.

Negatives

1. Uncertain future with unsigned players. We have seen this play out before hoping there is an improvement in asset management but that has yet to fully play out.
2. Elite talent, do we have enough of it in the guys that are committed long term to make it worth while to build around. Markstrom, Kadri and Huberdeau have a lot of salary cap committed to them and mostly negative trade value so we need them to do well.
3. Rookie GM and a Rookie coach. I like both Conroy and Huska but they are unproven and carry some risk just not having the experience in the big chairs they are filling.

[Backstop]

Some great comments. The rookies likely bring some much needed jam to the lineups which should result in some fun hockey. Could be a rollercoaster at times though between the inexperience on the ice and behind the bench.

[Enoch Root]

1) Huberdeau
2) Markstrom
3) Huska

You decide if those are positives or negatives

[GullFoss]

Positive
1. Huby and Markstrom won't be as trash as they played last year and the flames just missed the playoffs last year
2. Kylington is back and the flames just missed the playoffs last year
3. Coronato and Wolf are probably the real deal and the flames just missed the playoffs last year

Negatives
1. Eight more years of Huby on a post-apex contract and the flames didn't make the playoffs last year
2. Six more years of Kadri on a post-apex contract and the flames didn't make the playoffs last year
3. Backlund, Lindholm and Hanifin want out and the flames didn't make the playoffs last year

[Sec214]

Positive

Kylington
Wolf
Klapka


Negative

Kadri
Kadri Effort
Kadri Contract

[Flames1217]

Positives:
New management squad
It's almost impossible that all of Huberdeau, Mangiapane and Markstrom are as bad as last year.
No crazy contracts were given out at free agency.

Negatives
Horrible RW depth
Uncertainty with all of Lindholm, Hanifin and Backlund
Potential long rebuild upcoming (we already have some solid peices so it wouldn't be that bad or that long).

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Positives:

1) Chris Snow continues to battle ALS and is able to continue working for the organization. What an inspiration that man is. He's lost some function, but much of his body still seems vital and highly functional. Plus, he's dang good at his job.

2) Conroy's getting the band back together. Iginla, Savard, Gelinas all in the fold. A few months after taking over he finally gets the franchise to retire Kipper's number. Just need to get Regehr a job in the organization somehow. Amateur scout maybe? These things, coupled with one of the strongest alumni groups in the league, tells me that this team and the fans in the city create an environment that players love. Not all of them, but many of them, and the ones that love the team and city REALLY love the team and city.

3) New Arena. Not only that, but extra infrastructure development in the area to invigorate that part of downtown. I was in Calgary a few weeks ago to celebrate my 10th anniversary with my wife (we were married in Lake Louise and went back for a visit). I was encouraged to see a strong progression of development in areas that I had previously known as being kinda dumpy. Calgary is still a great city, albeit a slightly smaller one. The new arena will only reinforce it as a desirous place to play.

Negatives:

1) No Scorch. As much as I love Harvey, the lack of Scorch still bothers me. Seriously, how hard is it to recognize the value of a secondary mascot? The Panthers have Stanley C. Panther, but they also added Victor E. Rat after the 1996 run. We all know that Stanley is the man, but the kids love Victor. Do your duty Flames, bring back Scorch.

2) Fanbase is perpetually down about the Flames. Seriously, I almost never read anything exciting or positive on the board these days. Anything positive is always qualified with "but this is the Flames, so..." or "I'm tempering my expectations" etc. Every year is a new year, and every team ends up performing differently from expectations. 2 years ago most people saw the Flames as a bubble team or 3rd in the division. We ended up winning the division and had the 2nd best record in the NHL. Had a poor next season with a lot of behind the scenes distractions, but the talent is still there. I just wish the fans had a bit more faith in the team. It's the one thing I wish would change.

3) No more Peter Loubardias on the radio. There are colour guys and then there are colourful guys. Pete could fill air like nobody's business and did so in a way that always kept me engaged. He will be missed, especially considering we never really replaced Peter Maher's position all that well.

[Hackey]

Positives

Kids hopefully get real opportunity
New arena
Some guys might have bounce back seasons

Negatives

Lack of elite players
No elite prospects
Reluctance to be proactive in rebuilding will only make it far more difficult when it inevitably is forced to happen.

[Geeoff]

positives:

-"what's in the box?" hard to say but the chances of it being better than making the playoffs every other year and rarely getting out of the 1st round are actually pretty good.
-Craig Conroy press conferences
-will be good to see some rookies on the team. Full year of Pelletier


Negatives:

-no more Darryl Sutter press conferences
-will be difficult to make fun of the Oilers for being an old boys club now that we've hired Iginla and Conroy
-will be sad to see players like Lindholm and Hanifin go

[IceBergYYC]

Positives:
1: Significant prospects finally looking ready to make the jump
2: Hopefully an exciting new direction with the management and coaching changes
3: No horrible new contracts
Negatives:
1: I think we hired the wrong coach
2: We're going to be in a weird place once some key assets get moved but we're still stuck long term with Kadri and Huby
3: Edmonton fans are getting smug as if they weren't way worse than this for way longer.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by IceBergYYC

3: Edmonton fans are getting smug as if they weren't way worse than this for way longer.

That's just going to make it sweeter when they fall flat on their face and waste another year of Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Positives

1. A new GM that will bring in a different perspective and shift thinking about the team being built. Hopefully brings with him an actual long-term plan.

2. A number of contacts up at the end of the season that can create cap space and give room to made adjustments.

3. A number of young players ready to step in and get their shot.

Negatives

1. A new GM that has to learn on the job and not get fleeced. Has been handed a ####show by "The Wizard" and has to dig out from beneath the layers of crap left behind. Being part of the previous regime may not mean there is a plan in place and we're still going to be a reactive organization.

2. A number of contacts up at the end of the season that should be re-signed or traded away. Control still seems to be in the player's hands which is terrifying. The longer these contract issues play out the worse it is going to be for the team.

3. A number of young players ready to step in and get their shot, but will the coach have the sack to play them all? Not a player in the mix that appears to be a difference maker so this will be improvement by committee, which means the coach is going to feel incredible pressure.

[Flamesfan05]

Positives
Huberdeau should be better
The goalies should be better
Opportunities for young players

Negative
Lots of should otherwise essentially the same bunch of guys that failed last year

[ForeverFlameFan]

Positives
- New GM, new approach
- Expiring contracts that can give us assets
- Emphasis on getting younger/playing the prospects and giving them a legitimate shot

Negatives
- Potential boat anchor contracts (unlikely, but concerning) in Huberdeau and Kadri. I’ve got faith they’ll bounce back.
- Coaching… I don’t mind the Huska hire, but you’ve got to give him a season or two to really have his feet wet. The coaching carousel continues. Thought it would’ve stopped for s while with Sutter but he destroyed himself and the organization in the 2022/2023 season.
- Cap is ****ing the Flames… it’s hard to patiently wait for a good deal to come our way because everyone is tight on cap… and we don’t have much ourselves.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The 3 goalies is easily solved
Wolf should be starting in the AHL and being recalled when they want to actually give him a start
Having the farm team in the same city makes it easier

This is undesirable, and actually should be placed as highly undesirable. Vladar is not a calibre of player that should be taking NHL starts from a franchise changing prospect like Wolf at this stage of his developmental curve.

It will be a huge mistake for the Flames not to sort this 3 goalie situation out before camp so that all parties know where they stand. Wolf needs to be practicing and traveling with the team and starting NHL games this season - not receiving spot starts here and there that amount to what? 6-8 games?

25 NHL starts across the season would be far more beneficial to a prospect that has outplayed the AHL badly to this point and needs to continue to be challenged.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

This is undesirable, and actually should be placed as highly undesirable. Vladar is not a calibre of player that should be taking NHL starts from a franchise changing prospect like Wolf at this stage of his developmental curve.

It will be a huge mistake for the Flames not to sort this 3 goalie situation out before camp so that all parties know where they stand. Wolf needs to be practicing and traveling with the team and starting NHL games this season - not receiving spot starts here and there that amount to what? 6-8 games?

25 NHL starts across the season would be far more beneficial to a prospect that has outplayed the AHL badly to this point and needs to continue to be challenged.

At the end of the day, if there's no offers out their for Vladar, Flames could always waive him

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

This is undesirable, and actually should be placed as highly undesirable. Vladar is not a calibre of player that should be taking NHL starts from a franchise changing prospect like Wolf at this stage of his developmental curve.

It will be a huge mistake for the Flames not to sort this 3 goalie situation out before camp so that all parties know where they stand. Wolf needs to be practicing and traveling with the team and starting NHL games this season - not receiving spot starts here and there that amount to what? 6-8 games?

25 NHL starts across the season would be far more beneficial to a prospect that has outplayed the AHL badly to this point and needs to continue to be challenged.

He could get 25 starts while still playing in the AHL. Especially because there is no travel involved in a call-up and waivers are not a factor.

Wolf has just turned 22. Starting to get NHL starts at this age is directly in line with his development curve. Saros split time between the NHL and AHL for two seasons, why can’t Wolf do it for one?

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

He could get 25 starts while still playing in the AHL. Especially because there is no travel involved in a call-up and waivers are not a factor.

Wolf has just turned 22. Starting to get NHL starts at this age is directly in line with his development curve. Saros split time between the NHL and AHL for two seasons, why can’t Wolf do it for one?

Well one thing is that the Flames goaltending was terrible last season, so Wolf is potentially the best goalie in the Flames system right now

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

This is undesirable, and actually should be placed as highly undesirable. Vladar is not a calibre of player that should be taking NHL starts from a franchise changing prospect like Wolf at this stage of his developmental curve.

It will be a huge mistake for the Flames not to sort this 3 goalie situation out before camp so that all parties know where they stand. Wolf needs to be practicing and traveling with the team and starting NHL games this season - not receiving spot starts here and there that amount to what? 6-8 games?

25 NHL starts across the season would be far more beneficial to a prospect that has outplayed the AHL badly to this point and needs to continue to be challenged.

Why does he only need to get 6-8 starts.
If he gets 25 starts at the NHL + being the #1 guy in the AHL to maximize playing time why is that a bad thing?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Was waiting for the Scorch mention. Heart warmed.