2013-14 Flames Expectations

[RyZ]

This year showed us just how difficult it is to be really bad. Even with the losses of Iginla, Bouw, Tanguay and Kipper, I'm not sure we are going to be a whole lot worse this season. All the young guys fighting hard instead of vets barely fighting might just have us picking outside of the top 5 again in 2014.

[Miniac]

No stanley cup option? Lol

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This team with Kipper, Iginla, Bowmeester was arguably one of the worst Flames teams of all time under Hartley last season and next season the Flames best player is who? Cammalleri? He's not that good. Giordano? He's was terrible last year. Glencross? He's a good player but best player? Huder? Maybe sigh. Honestly I can't think of a really, really good player in this roster. We are probably the looking at the worst team in the history of the franchise.

Now that's not the end of the world though as this franchise brought it on itself and has chose the correct path out which will be a little painful in the immediate future but as long as the young talent gets good development time this team can climb back up.

Define worst. You really think they can do worse than 67 points in 82 games?

Even with the lockout shortened season, Hartley had the Flames ahead of that pace.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by RyZ

This year showed us just how difficult it is to be really bad. Even with the losses of Iginla, Bouw, Tanguay and Kipper, I'm not sure we are going to be a whole lot worse this season. All the young guys hard instead of vets barely fighting might just have us picking outside of the top 5 again in 2014.

Keep in mind the shortened season magnified the impact of injuries significantly. I know for sure that Nashville and Florida were ravaged by injuries, causing them to quickly tumble down the standings. The Flames just sucked because they're bad. In a regular 82 game season I'm quite confident the Flames would have been drafting higher than 6th, and I fully expect this to be the case next year as well.

Also, the short season made it difficult for teams to really pull away from each other. With more games comes a bigger gap between teams as the season drags on.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

We also saw the Flames best offensive prospect on the 4th line, playing 6 minutes a night with Steve Effing Begin as his set-up man, until he got demoted back to the AHL.

Brodie wasn't on the opening night roster.




I don't think Hartley will ruin Brodie. Brodie will get good minutes. Breen and Cundari, on the other hand, will probably be pushed completely off the roster.

At forward, if Cammalleri draws in at centre the entire top-6 is 29 or older (Glencross, Cammalleri, Stempniak, Hudler, Jones, and Stajan).

If McGrattan and Jackman play on the 4th line, that means one of Backlund or Knight is stuck on the 4th line with them. And so three spots are available for the actual development of young players.

That's only one possible outcome, and I expect a few roster changes between now and puck drop, I'm just pointing out that there is plenty of room to bury young guys at the bottom of the roster, and Hartley has done it before with our best and brightest.

Yeah, those were "just get in" times. This is "rebuild" time.

Why would he move Cammalleri to C when we already have 5 natural centers on the team (if Horak makes it). Maybe, if Iginla and Tanguay were still here.

If you think Hartley is going to implement the same tactics as last year, when the situation and expectations were completely different, then you may be in for a surprise. Vets will be used on the top 3, I expect. But after that, I think you can expect there to be a staggering of young players and prospects, with possibly more space opening up if Feaster makes some deals.

And if there aren't a favorable amount of "futures" playing top 6 minutes at some point, then it's likely because they didn't prove that they could handle those roles yet on a nightly basis.

I'd rather not be like the Oilers and put Monahan and Baertschi on the top line only to have their seasons ended by christmas.

[killer_carlson]

My vote is due to the Butler effect

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by GGG

They also lose Weiss and will count on Barkov and Huberdeau as the 1 and 2 centers. Florida like us is also in a much better division than last year.

They also have Bjugstad, many healthy players returning and Markstrom with even more experience.

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

We also saw the Flames best offensive prospect on the 4th line, playing 6 minutes a night with Steve Effing Begin as his set-up man, until he got demoted back to the AHL.

He played 3 games with under 10 minutes of ice-time. One of those games being one he got hurt in.

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Brodie wasn't on the opening night roster.

And it was the only game he missed all season. Talk about cherry picking information.

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

I don't think Hartley will ruin Brodie. Brodie will get good minutes. Breen and Cundari, on the other hand, will probably be pushed completely off the roster.

As evidenced by? Oh right Brodie was scratched for 1 game.

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

At forward, if Cammalleri draws in at centre the entire top-6 is 29 or older (Glencross, Cammalleri, Stempniak, Hudler, Jones, and Stajan).

You mean the Stempniak and Stajan that spent more time on the 3rd line than 2nd and only saw 2nd line duties when injuries piled up?

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

If McGrattan and Jackman play on the 4th line, that means one of Backlund or Knight is stuck on the 4th line with them. And so three spots are available for the actual development of young players.

Oh for shame, How dare they actually make kids EARN something, I suppose they will learn more by having everything handed to them

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

That's only one possible outcome, and I expect a few roster changes between now and puck drop, I'm just pointing out that there is plenty of room to bury young guys at the bottom of the roster, and Hartley has done it before with our best and brightest.

There is also plenty of room to play them and no reason to think they won't get any ice time. You are really blowing things out of proportion.

[#-3]

I picked 20th

I honestly see LA & SJ way above the pack, and Van,Ana,Edm,Cgy in a tight race for most of the year with Phoenix way behind,
And there are 4 playoff spots.

But if I were a betting man I would say 6th in the Division.

Phoenix finally has an owner, got the Big goalie, and FA coach sign. Everything is going there way, and the Rag Tag mentality will go down the drain with some off ice success.

While the group Feaster is starting to assemble reminds me of Phoenix or Florida the season prior, lots of Character and willingness not to accept that they are supposed to loss. But still not talented enough to make the playoffs

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Easy to write-off the team as 29 to 30th but I don't think that will be the case.

No pressure environment coupled with a team full of (some talented) young players looking to prove themselves = overwchievment in my books. You see it almost every year when teams fall out of the race and start calling up prospects and suddenly go on a run to end the year.

21 to 22 IMO.

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by #-3

I picked 20th

I honestly see LA & SJ way above the pack, and Van,Ana,Edm,Cgy in a tight race for most of the year with Phoenix way behind,
And there are 4 playoff spots.

But if I were a betting man I would say 6th in the Division.

Phoenix finally has an owner, got the Big goalie, and FA coach sign. Everything is going there way, and the Rag Tag mentality will go down the drain with some off ice success.

While the group Feaster is starting to assemble reminds me of Phoenix or Florida the season prior, lots of Character and willingness not to accept that they are supposed to loss. But still not talented enough to make the playoffs

There are actually 5 playoff spots (or possibly only 3) available to our division. The 7th and 8th playoff spots are wildcard spots available to either division.

[Caged Great]

Unless we're gifted a couple top liners in the coming weeks, pretty much every other team should be embarrassed if they finish behind us.

We have 3 decent/good 2nd liners (Cammalleri Glencross and Hudler) 2 good 3rd liners (Stempniak + Jones) and a bunch of question marks amongst the young forwards, a 22 year #1 d-man and a quality 2nd pairing (Giordano/Wideman) and no starter.

Even Florida has more quality pieces than that.

[Vulcan]

I can't see us finishing any higher than 7th in our division. I can't comment on the bad teams out east, although one or two should have disastrous seasons where coaches are fired, but last in our division should put us in the 27th or 28th spot.

[Yrebmi]

So much depends on unknowns especially in the goalie department. If one of our backups can steal the starter and shine like '04 Kipper, sky is the limit

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

So much depends on unknowns especially in the goalie department. If one of our backups can steal the starter and shine like '04 Kipper, sky is the limit

With the way our defence stands right now, i am not sure that even Henrik Lundqvist could get the flames to the playoffs.

Our top 6 D,who ever they might be out of the list, has to be one of the worst, if not worst, in the league.

[Husky]

The true wild card is goaltending. If we get some surprising goaltending we fight for 8th if not dead last.

[Vinny01]

They upgraded in size and have gotten younger but still the worst collection on centers in the league. Basically 2 good #3's in Backs and Staj and a couple of rookies Monahan and Knight. Also only 2 legit top 4 defenders and hopes that Brodie continues to progress. Goaltending is a massive question mark

I said 25-26 because I feel they will be able to fleece a team trying to get under the cap. This current roster is 29-30

[Heavy Jack]

Flames vs Boston for the win!

[FBI]

Well the flames generally thrive on being underdogs and judging by the votes, we are certainly underdogs. So I vote we won't be quite as bad as people think. Probably pick 6th again next year.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by FBI

Well the flames generally thrive on being underdogs and judging by the votes, we are certainly underdogs. So I vote we won't be quite as bad as people think. Probably pick 6th again next year.

We did the underdog thing once, historically we're underachievers, not a team that thrives on being underdogs. The only thing this team might "prove them wrong" on is finishing 20th instead of 26th to 30th.

[ineedanother]

I went 25-26 as I see us facing a lot of backups this year, especially with the usual back-to-back games played in western Canada.