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Old 07-13-2017, 09:15 AM   #1
Gaudfather
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Default Three biggest questions going into 2017/18 season.

I thought it would be interesting to hear people's views on the three biggest questions that the Flames will be looking for clarification on going into this season.

My three candidates are as follows:

1. What do the Flames have in Troy Brouwer - will he have another fairly lacklustre season, or now having fully acclimatized to this team and its systems, will this prove to be more of a statement year from Brouwer.

2. What do the Flames have in Curtis Lazar. Will he relish in his new lease in his pro hockey career with both his grit and offensive production carving a permanent role for himself in the Flames lineup or will he fail to live up to the potential shown in his Jr hockey days.

3. Is Ferland the answer to the 1st line RW question? Will Micheal Ferland be given the opportunity to be the Flames Right winger on the Johnny-Mony line and if so will his play be consistent enough to take hold of that spot and keep it.
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:17 AM   #2
Frank MetaMusil
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#1 for me is what do they have in goaltending. A full reset button from last year, but could be just as bad.
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:21 AM   #3
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1- Can they finally win in Anaheim?!
2- Will goaltending be an issue yet again?
3- Can they finally win in Anaheim?!
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:24 AM   #4
Jiri Hrdina
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Those are all good questions but the success of the Flames won't hinge on the Lazars and Brouwers of the world. I think the Ferland question though is an important one.
The other three for me would be
1. Will the new combination of Smith/Lack provide consistent and at minimum average goaltending
2. Will the blueline perform to expectations
3. Will Johnny provide more consistent performance as the teams most important offensive weapon

And I'll add on more which all of the above will drive, but is perhaps the most important

4. Can the team get off to a good start rather than digging themselves their annual massive hole to climb out of?
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:26 AM   #5
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1. If you had to sign one of Doan, Iginla or Jagr, who would it be?
2. Would you want the Flames to sign Iginla or Jagr?
3. How many games will Jankowski play in the NHL this year?
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:27 AM   #6
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Goaltending is definitely still the #1 question.

The big comparables for Calgary will be against Philly and Winnipeg. Winnipeg who got Mason for a 2 year contract, and $150K cheaper than Mike Smith, without giving up any assets, and Philly with Elliott on a $2.75 million deal.

I know the ship sailed with Elliott but the real interesting one is Mason. Will be interesting comparing the two teams throughout the year.

So I would have goaltending #1, Brouwer and Bennett need bounce back seasons at #2, and Ferly #3
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:29 AM   #7
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1. Why is the offseason so long?
2. Will Lucic inadvertently collide with Mcdavid during a pre-season game, ending his season due to injury?
3. Iggy?

Honourable mention- goaltending?
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:30 AM   #8
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1 - Are Mike Smith and Eddie Lack good goalies that were in bad situations or are they just mediocre goalies?
2 - Are the Flames top five D elite or a paper tiger?
3 - Can Sam Bennett be a consistently good player?

I really like the Flames team right now and I think that if these three questions are answered in the affirmative, then a long playoff run is a realistic possibility.
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:30 AM   #9
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1.) Does Iginla get a letter when he suits up for the Flames?

2.) Does Gio touch the Campbell trophy?

3.) Who lifts the Stanley Cup first, Gio or Iggy?
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Old 07-13-2017, 09:31 AM   #10
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1. Fries, garden salad, or caesar salad?
2. When Jarome Iginla scores over 35 goals in a Flames jersey this season, how many beers will Peter Chiarelli drink at the Strathcona Hotel before physically assaulting an innocent bystander?
3. How many bags of Skittles will be thrown on the ice per Johnny Gaudreau hat trick? Show your work.
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Old 07-13-2017, 10:17 AM   #11
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1) Goal tending - Is this the year we finally had stability in the net or will it be another goalie carousel.
1B) If the goalies falter does Sigalet get let go, he'll be 0-18 with goalies since coming to Calgary.

2) Can the Flames top 5 D prove to be an elite core.

3) Sam Bennett - With his new contract will Bennett take that next step forward.
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Old 07-13-2017, 10:44 AM   #12
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You just got me excited to read about his new contract
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Old 07-13-2017, 10:46 AM   #13
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1. Does Ken King get fired?
2. Will Ken King get fired?
3. How can Ken King get fired?
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:39 PM   #14
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1) Goaltending - will it improve and can 35 year old Smith stay healthy? I am guessing yes.

2) How does the defence perform? Does Hamonic gel with Brodie? Can they start reverting to a faster-transitioning team like they were/tried under Hartley to make use of that deep skill on the backend, but yet maintain a high level of defence?

3) How will the Flames do against Edmonton - both on the scoreboard and physically? I think they will be better on the scoreboard, but I do worry about what happens when Lucic, Maroon, Kassian, Nurse, etc., start running guys and playing a bit dirty. I remember what happened in Buffalo when Lucic ran Miller, and what Calgary did to Vancouver under Torts, and though this is a young team that should be much more resilient, it does worry me to some degree.

I don't worry about offence. I don't worry about any Jagr/Iginla implications. I am sure Bennett will continue to progress (and he did last season, at least defensively - by a LARGE margin I may add), I do think that Lazar will rebound, I am not sure about Brouwer - but every team has one bad contract and I can live with that on the 4th line if he doesn't bounce back.
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:54 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil View Post
#1 for me is what do they have in goaltending. A full reset button from last year, but could be just as bad.
This. I'm optimistic but goaltending is what's going to make or break this season.
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:55 PM   #16
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Is it in yet?
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:57 PM   #17
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1) Agree with most commenters that the biggest question mark is goaltending. I'm HOPING for a big improvement over last year, but not exactly sold. I think I'm actually less optimistic than I was this time last year with Elliott.

2) Can we get a decent start to the year? There were a number of reasons why we started so poorly last year (goaltending/Johnny/new coach/special teams/etc.), but it put us on our heels and it took an incredible streak to end the season just to make the playoffs. A decent start (with stone cold streaks) would be much easier on my blood pressure.

3) Can our prospects force their way onto the roster? We have room both up front and on the back-end for new blood, but they still need to earn their way. Here's hoping Janko doesn't disappoint and Kulak/Spoon can finally become NHL players.
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:57 PM   #18
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1. Can they get off to an at least decent start to the season. Don't want to be giving the rest of the division a 10 point head start in November.
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Old 07-13-2017, 04:07 PM   #19
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Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Lazar - Bennett - Versteeg

I like the looks of that. Unfortunately, that leaves Troy "I'm making 4.5M" Brouwer to play on the 4th line. It's really unfortunate, because I like Brouwer, but there's no way he lives up to that contract on the 4th line, so he's inevitably the boat anchor on this team for the next few years unless someone gets injured and he steps up.
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Old 07-13-2017, 05:03 PM   #20
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1: In how many games will we win the cup final?
2: Who will win the Conn Smythe?
3: What route does the parade take?
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