[Rumour] Canadian Division, you say?

[Enoch Root]

lol

is that just bitterness from losing Markstrom, Tanev and Leivo?

[Enoch Root]

it is amazing that anyone in Vancouver could look at the Flames adding Markstrom and thinking they are going to be worse than last year. They know better than anyone how good he is

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Vancouver radio not liking the Flames

https://twitter.com/user/status/1323369290783883264

Discuss ...

Yeah I heard them talk about this this afternoon. I laughed after how they justified Edmonton at number one.

Just disregard totally.

[N-E-B]

Am I crazy or does Montreal actually suck and people are severely overrating them?

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Am I crazy or does Montreal actually suck and people are severely overrating them?

They totally do, but they still have the Price factor which is an untankable situation.

Say what you want about his game today, he’s still very much Carey Price. I watch them a lot solely to watch him play. Because he’s an absolute beast and he can still pull out a monster game on any given night.
- He had 4 shutouts on that garbage team last season.
- 2nd in saves, by a lot, with 1595 (Hellebuyuk 1655, Vasilevskiy 1472)

He carried them on his back as far as he could, a bubble team. Which he will continue to do for the next 4 years at least. Leaving them in perpetual mediocrity.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Am I crazy or does Montreal actually suck and people are severely overrating them?

Nope you are perfectly sane.

In my opinion they just signed Clarkson 2.0 in Andersen and while the Toffoli contract is nice he is still just a second liner who will get 20ish goals and 40ish points. Edmundson is a third pairing D making $1M less than Tanev. They have 2 intriguing centers in Suzuki and Kotkinemi but neither guy is a proven top 6 guy at this point.

I see a team stocked full of players who are in or past their prime and now with heightened expectations are likely to be a massive disappointment.

I said this in another thread but they are in the worst position of all Canadian teams going forward.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Vancouver radio not liking the Flames

https://twitter.com/user/status/1323369290783883264

Discuss ...

Was it bring your stupid kid to work day?

[Roof-Daddy]

I've seen the Flames improve "on paper" too many times and fall flat on their faces to be overly confident about how good they might be next season.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I've seen the Flames improve "on paper" too many times and fall flat on their faces to be overly confident about how good they might be next season.

Fair comment but have they improved goaltending to this degree though?

Flames have also been an up and down team over the last 6 years and we are heading toward an UP year

[VilleN]

Every year McDavid is on the Oilers the media will overrate them. You’d think they’d have learned by now... they’ve made the playoffs once. They also got worse this offseason.

[Robbob]

The higher they are the farther they fall. This Oilers team is built the same way they were in the 2nd rebuild. I believe the media predicted they had so much firepower they would be getting 300 to 400 goals.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I've seen the Flames improve "on paper" too many times and fall flat on their faces to be overly confident about how good they might be next season.

It's undeniable they have improved their depth and goaltending.

But my big concern is that this core group has gotten totally stale and could take a big step back. A change to that group could have totally energized the remaining players and maybe changed the dynamic.

I really like the young depth on D, and that's probably my area of greatest excitement. But that is tempered with the belief that we really don't have any elite defensemen to start the year. You do a ranking of best D in the league and you're getting rather deep in the list before a Flames comes up. Hopefully Andersson or Valimaki (or Hanifin) grow into that.

I sure am ready to get the season started. Really can't stand to read any more arguments about Sam Bennett.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Robbob

The higher they are the farther they fall. This Oilers team is built the same way they were in the 2nd rebuild. I believe the media predicted they had so much firepower they would be getting 300 to 400 goals.

I'm pretty sure the Oilers have had better cup odds than the Flames in about 16 of the past 20 seasons.

The Flames have been better than the Oilers in about 16 of the past 20 seasons.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Ottawa being ranked hilariously low. They are going to surprise some people and push.

Edmonton and Vancouver hang out in the basement together this year.

What makes you think Ottawa will surprise? Looking at their roster they are basically guaranteed to be a bottom 5 NHL team.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Fire

What makes you think Ottawa will surprise? Looking at their roster they are basically guaranteed to be a bottom 5 NHL team.

First I should mention that I sort of expect them to complete a trade/more signings before puck drops. They will be a prime location for PTO’s. They added a goalie who (in my opinion) is a legit starter in the league. Dadonov will likely score 30 with the amount of minutes he’s going to get, and the fact he’s playing with Brady Tkachuk. Brady Tkachuk is likely going to take another step, since he’s a Tkachuk and that’s what they do. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Stutzle put up reasonable minutes as he’s been playing in the DEL, and he’ll have the opportunity to do so in Ottawa if he wants to take it.

Chabot is one of the best young defensemen in the league, and they brought in Zaitsev to bring some physicality to the pairing. They sneakily added Gudbransson (not an all star or anything, but was even+\- on the Ducks last season.... so that’s impressive), and if they sign another D (Chara return!? “US is a mess, come to Canada for a year”), they could be middle of that pack.

All that being said, by my saying they could surprise and push, I mostly meant that I don’t see how Edmonton, Vancouver, or Montreal are leaps and bounds better. Not that this is a playoff contending roster.

[Robbob]

Goalies are the x factor for teams. I could see the Sens surprise a few if Murray comes into form. That is the same reason I think the Oilers will disappoint, probably safe to say they have the weakest goaltending out of the Canadian teams.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Goalies are the x factor for teams. I could see the Sens surprise a few if Murray comes into form. That is the same reason I think the Oilers will disappoint, probably safe to say they have the weakest goaltending out of the Canadian teams.

As well as....their defense corps and bottom 6.

[FlamesAddiction]

When COVID brought the season to a halt, the Oilers looked like a team backing out of the playoffs. Then they lost to the 12th place Hawks during the play-in round.

And they really didn't do anything to improve their team on paper. In fact, keeping their goalies is a step back, at least in the case of Smith who isn't aging gracefully at this point. A defensively questionable Barrie in for Klefbom who will be on IR and a few bottom 6 players like Turris, Quine and Kahun (at least bottom 6 on any good teams).

Their hopes are basically resting on McDavid and Draisaitl figuring out that scoring isn't everything, JP having a surging season, and Yamamoto continuing his unsustainable play for another year.

That seems like a lot to gamble on.

[dino7c]

whatever the Flames can go in as an underdog with a better roster on paper

[simonsays]

No.


Best case is the Flames bring their heat to the games. No more changing the game plan because someone is good at picking off passes. Play to win, and force the other team to change. Change the details, not the strategy.