Calgary Flames, Progression and Predictions for 2014-15
By Len Nunes
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
The Calgary Flames defence boasts a top line pairing worthy of any team in the NHL. Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie form a defensive pairing that contains both good puck sense and good puck skills.
Fears of Giordano falling off after a Norris Trophy type season last year should be shelved with the hopes the Captain of the Calgary Flames is able to play a full slate of games in the upcoming season. Giordano missed 18 games last season due to a broken ankle. Even if Giordano regresses slightly from an All Star worthy 2013-14, an extra 18 games of an “ordinary” Giordano is still a positive for our Calgary Flames.
Remember those magic words that seem to make a good player seem to play better, “contract year”. Enter Thomas James Brodie!
Dennis Wideman may no longer be the offensive juggernaut he use to be before he joined our Calgary Flames the summer of 2012 but if he can play a full season is still fully capable of scoring 10 goals.
Things get a little sketchy after those three with Kris Russell, Laddy Smid and Deryk Engelland currently pencilled into starting spots. By sketchy, I mean how long can 5’10” Kris Russell continue to take NHL beatings? Laddy Smid is the unsexy stay at home defenseman and Deryk Engelland is a free agent signing I need to see in an expanded role before I lay judgement.
With training camp invites and signings being pre-dominantly defenseman in Rafael Diaz, Sheldon Brookbank, Corey Potter and most recently Nolan Yonkman you can tell the Flames organization are trying to make sure they ice the best team possible. Moreso, the Flames organization also seem to be trying to make sure not to rush Tyler Wotherspoon, Patrick Sieloff or Mark Cundari into the NHL.