Calgary Flames: How will the upcoming offseason unfold for the team?
It was a disappointing end to what was an up and down season for the Calgary Flames. A deflating first round exit, questions arise to how the team will look next season. This offseason is an interesting and critical one for the Calgary Flames.
It was a difficult end to what was a ended up being a successful season for the Calgary Flames. The team returned to the playoffs after missing out the previous season, a step in the right direction. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan rebounded after sluggish starts to find their form near the end of the season As the same for Brian Elliott. The defense group tightened things up as the season moved on. Dougie Hamilton took a step in the right direction, despite the early season trade rumors. Glen Gulutzan also proved that he is an NHL worthy head coach.
While there is much to be proud of this group, they did not get the job done in the playoffs. Plain and simple. There will be some questions to be answered this offseason, and some changes will be made. Here are some questions that the Calgary Flames will have to respond to this summer:
Who is going to be the starting goaltender come October?
Once again, another season is over and there is a level of uncertainty as to who will be the Flames goaltender next season. Both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson are set to become Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) on July 1. Both netminders showed in flashes they could string together consistent and quality starts, but yet again looked as if they forgot how to stop the puck. This could not of been more obvious as it was in the playoffs. Sadly, Brian Elliott let in some soft goals at inopportune times. This season’s tandem failed to secure the consistent level of goaltending that has not been in the organization since the great Miikka Kiprusoff left in 2013.
The one positive to the uncertainty in goal this summer is the fact that the goaltending market is going to be saturated with talent. Ben Bishop is an unrestricted free agent on July 1, he seems like a great candidate. Both current Detroit Red Wings goaltenders Jimmy Howard or Petr Mrazek could become available via a trade. The same case could be made for longtime Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as well.
There are plenty of options available for the Calgary Flames brass to evaluate. Unfortunately, it is difficult to see a scenario in which both Elliott or Johnson return next season. It very well is too early to predict who will be the goaltender in Calgary next season. If I was a betting man, the odds would be strong to suggest that there will be a new face to guard the net next season.
Will Brad Treliving Be The General Manager next season?
This has been an interesting topic as the season carried on. Brad Treliving does not have a contract for the upcoming season. While it has been stated that this is how the Flames conduct their business, its rather odd that there hasn’t been a resolution yet. Maybe, the media has been looking too much in depth into this scenario. It is almost certain that Brad Treliving will be back next year. He has helped build this team onto the brink of being a perennial contender in the Western Conference.
Calgary Flames
The team is not far from achieving their goals, and they will certainly need Treliving to guide them there. Brad Treliving has done a marvelous job with this team. He found a way to pluck Dougie Hamilton out of Boston, for less than what Arizona was willing to pay the Bruins as well. He signed Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan to reasonable long-term contracts, stabilizing the young future of the core group.
The list of the great moves made by Brad Treliving can go a lot longer than that, but the likelihood of the Flames Boss departing seem very slim.
Who will play defense in Calgary next season?
Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano will all be in Calgary next season, can almost guarantee it. But for Michael Stone, Deryk Engelland and others, not too certain. Matt Bartkowski helped stabilize the final pairing on the back end, but long term, he is not the answer. Brett Kulak showed at times he can one day be a regular, but is that going to be on display next year? That is not a certainty. Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson look to be promising prospects, but are they ready to make the leap from Stockton? Not 100% certain on that either.
The free agency market on defense is pretty thin. At the right price, Stone and Engelland might be brought back. But at the wrong price, they can be gone as well. It is all but certain Dennis Wideman will not be back, as the same is made for the soon-to-be retired Ladislav Smid.
The Flames back end could look much different outside of Brodie, Hamilton and Giordano. Time will tell to see what the roster will look like come opening night.
2016-17 Season Was Great…But The Bar is High Once Again
Overall, this was an outstanding season. A 17 point increase from a year ago, as well as a trip back to the postseason helped solidify that. There has been much to take from this year to see optimism for the future, as this was a successful year for the team. With a few questions that will be answered before October, the Flames have some work to do to improve. This team has shown that it has the ability to compete with the leagues best. Now, they need to provide that consistency to the following season and avoid regressing next year.
Next: How Unlucky are the Calgary Flames?
The Flames are not far from achieving great things, and hopefully, those great things come in 2018.