Calgary Flames Monday Roundtable: First week of the 2017-18 season

The first week of the new season is officially done! Well, week and a half. Let’s have a virtual roundtable discussion about the Calgary Flames in that week.

The Calgary Flames have finished their first week (and a half) of the 2017-18 season. They went 4-2-0. That ties them for second in the Pacific Division and ties them for third in the entire league. While their season-opener didn’t go as planned, they’re 4-1-0 since that.

The good news for the Flames is that the next Pacific Division team behind them is the Anaheim Ducks who are three points behind them with the same amount of games played. I know it’s still early on, but it doesn’t hurt to get a good head start.

Speaking of the Ducks, the Calgary Flames finally broke their Honda Center curse with a win in Anaheim. I’d say that’s quite a successful start to the season.

And some players have also had some head starts too. Johnny Gaudreau between games two and five had a three-game point streak with seven points in that time frame. He currently leads the team with nine points and is fourth among all skaters in the league in points.

Last season at six games in, he was at three points and a -7 rating. The Calgary Flames last season six games in were 1-4-1 and one of the last teams in the league. I’d say that’s an improvement. But last year, Johnny also missed training camp and preseason because he and the Flames couldn’t come to an agreement for a contract, so he had a slow start. People also claimed that he had somewhat of an off-season, with his 61 points in 72 points. I’d say that’s still decent, but he could have done better. Right now, hopefully at this pace, Johnny can keep up at least 1 point per game.

And then… we have players who are still kept off the score-sheet. So let’s have a virtual roundtable discussion about this first week and a half.

Question 1: While Sam Bennett has been kept off the score sheet, does his game at least look better than it did last season when paired with Troy Brouwer?

Jonathan Boulanger

Absolutely. I just wrote an article about this, and I believe he has so much more jump and when paired up with good players he has looked great. I think he has a lot of potential but it’s like taking Gaudreau away from Sean Monahan or vice versa, they play well together. Bennett should be playing will players at the same skill level as him.

Ian Gustafson

I believe his game has improved a lot from last year. He seems to be playing more physical and has a jump to his step that was missing last season. He is using his size a lot more and crashing the net. Pairing him with better players has taken him to another level.

Tomas Oppolzer

Hard to tell this early. That said, I did like what I saw from Kris Versteeg, Jaromir Jagr, and him. They had a bunch of offensive zone time and the little passes they were making were really nice. Almost Sedin like. It would be nice to see the line shoot more, but with more time together I think they could be a really good unit for the Calgary Flames.

Related Story: Could this be Sam Bennett's breakout year?

Ben Prokopy

Yes, though the statistics would indicate otherwise. In spite of deplorable even strength possession numbers, the best word I can come up with for Bennett’s play is ‘engaged’.  He is always in and visible on every play whenever he’s on the ice.  And I think he has forechecked very well.

I’d like to see him shoot the puck more (he only has 4 SOG as of this writing). And he could spend less time in the penalty box. But, he’s doing well so far in the faceoff circle (best faceoff win percentage among centres as of this writing).

Altogether, he looks better and is trending in the right direction.

Dan Raicevich

Sam Bennett is going to keep getting chances and I feel like he’s played quite well through the first six games. Having said that, being patient with this talented forward is the most important thing. Goals will come for the young forward and hopefully, sooner rather than later.

To be fair, I feel like Troy Brouwer has not been all too bad this season. His foot speed looks to be much better in my opinion.

Ramina Shlah

I know it’s still early, but his play at this point of the year is already better than what it was at this point of the year last season. Jonathan and I were talking about it earlier and I looked into Bennett’s stats and between the game against the Edmonton Oilers (on a line with Brouwer) and the game against the Winnipeg Jets (not on a line with Brouwer) were significantly different. His shot attempts for/against percentage at 5-on-5 was one of the worst on the team against the Oilers with 34.21%. In the game against the Jets, it was 65.38%.

I know it’s only been a few games, but his game does look more solid and he looks a little more confident than he did last season. I have high hopes for him this upcoming season.

Question 3: That being said, as incredible as Smith’s been in the first four games (not including the Sens), do you think he’ll be able to keep that up for the majority of the season?

Jonathan Boulanger

Yes, game 1 to 70 or however many he’ll play I think he will give the Flames a chance to win every night. He’s that good. I think he even has a shot at the Vezina.

Ian Gustafson

I think if the team gives him a break by playing better defence, then Smith can play at this level. I was unsure about Smith before the season started but he has destroyed any doubt I’ve had. If Eddie Lack can come in every once and a while and steal a game for the Flames then that will lift a lot of the weight off of Smith’s shoulders and the coaching staff can rest him more often.

Tomas Oppolzer

No, absolutely not. And I’m not trying to be a down. It’s just unrealistic to expect a goalie to post a 0.950 SV%. That said, I’ll think he’ll finish the season with an above-league-average SV%

Related Story: In defence of Mike Smith

Ben Prokopy

Not really, but that’s not to say he won’t be good. Consistency seems to be the hallmark of Smith’s game. As I’ve pointed out, he is SO consistent that he chokes around the same time every year. I’ve seen no reason to think he won’t continue to be.

However, age remains a factor I cannot ignore. Degradation is inevitable. Add to that the boatload of shots he faces every night (see below for more on that), and it seems likely his numbers will fall off a bit.

Dan Raicevich

Mike Smith is a proven starter in this league and with a skilled team in front of him, he can provide the goaltending that they need to take that next step. So far through the six games, he has been rock solid for the Flames. He was their best player in Anaheim and Edmonton and is gelling well with this roster.

While it’s a small sample size, there is definitely a glimmer of optimism that this will keep up throughout the year because he is a guy who has proven he can do this at a high level.

Ramina Shlah

I definitely agree with Tomas here. While I do think he’ll finish above average, he won’t be having 0.950 sv% every game. And while he’s been good when facing more than 40 shots a game (I guess he’s used to that playing with the Coyotes), but if he’s facing more than 40 shots consistently, there’s another problem to address there.

Tomas actually put out an article this off-season about Smith’s numbers, and his even-strength sv% is much better than his overall sv%, which can definitely be attributed to the Coyotes’ sub-par penalty killing abilities. The Calgary Flames have been somewhat decent so far at killing penalties this season, but they still need to find a way to remain more disciplined. Again, Smith can’t be bailing them out every game.

Question 4: Who’s been the biggest disappointment for you so far?

Jonathan Boulanger

I would say Troy Brouwer but it’s not like we had high expectations for him anyways. Probably TJ Brodie. Nah, just kidding. It’s gotta be Travis Hamonic for me. He hasn’t been too bad but I guess I just had a bit higher expectations for him than that so far. That being said, it’s only been 5 games and I think he’ll get much better the more comfortable he gets.

Ian Gustafson

It is a tie between two people for me, Michael Ferland and Troy Brouwer. Simply because the way that Ferland played last year I was expecting him to improve and take the next step as a top line player but so far he hasn’t impressed me. He started off on the top line and has been moved around quite a bit so far. Troy Brouwer has disappointed me because I was expecting him to have a bounce-back year from his tough season but he hasn’t shown any signs of improvement. I know a lot of people are hard on him but I’m still hoping for him to flip a switch.

Calgary Flames

Tomas Oppolzer

I’m not really disappointed with anyone. I could say a player that’s been bad like Troy Brouwer, Tanner Glass, or Matt Bartkowski but I never expected them to be good. If forced to say, someone, I guess I’d say Michael Stone. I hoped last season with Arizona was just an aberration and he could be a useful bottom pair guy, but he’s been bad. Let’s all pray Brett Kulak gets in the lineup soon.

Ben Prokopy

The entire defence corps.  A large part of the narrative around the acquisition of Mike Smith was that his workload would be reduced behind what many believed to be the best top 4 (or 5) defensemen in the league. Yet, as of this writing, the Flames are top 3 in the league with an average of 36.3 shots against per game.

Smith has obviously done a fine job managing those shots.  But given the acquisition cost of Dougie Hamilton and Travis Hamonic, he certainly shouldn’t have to.

Offensively, the group has been great. However, if they don’t take care of business in their own zone, losses will accumulate.

Dan Raicevich

Too early to tell for me. Give it some time and I will have an answer for you.

Ramina Shlah

Like Tomas said, I wouldn’t say Brouwer, Glass, or Bartkowski, because I never had high hopes for them to begin with. I agree with Ian about it being Micheal Ferland. After he was put on that first line in February last season and excelled in that role, I somewhat expected him to pick off where he left off. But that’s not always the case.

I do think he still deserves a shot and opportunity at the top line, but other players may be beating him for that spot instead.

Question 5: Who’s been the most impressive for you so far?

Jonathan Boulanger

Curtis Lazar! He’s been a big ball of energy and is always first on pucks. I love his determination and speed and hard work. Plus, he does it all with a smile. He’ll do everything, score in the dirty areas, fish the puck out of the corners, and even hit. I love it.

Ian Gustafson

Johnny Hockey! He is coming off a pretty good 2016/2017 campaign but right now he is sitting in fourth in the league in points. I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnny gets 80+ points this year.

Tomas Oppolzer

Johnny Gaudreau. We’ve always known he’s a special player but his start to the season is just other-worldly. 8 points in his first 6 games is better than we could have hoped for, and a huge step up from his start last year.

Ben Prokopy

TJ Brodie, with honourable mention to Curtis Lazar. Brodie’s offensive contribution has been awesome. Second only to Johnny Gaudreau in team scoring, and 6th in the league among blueliners, he’s been a presence on the opposing team’s zone all year thus far.

Related Story: Curtis Lazar deserves to be in the lineup

Lazar has been the pleasant surprise of the year. Although his possession numbers have fallen off a bit in the last couple games, his work in the corners, along the boards, and in front of the net has been exemplary. With one assist and 4 shots thus far, I hope he is rewarded for his offensive work soon.

Dan Raicevich

TJ Brodie. I want to say Johnny Gaudreau, but its expected of him to be a Point Per Game (PPG) guy. I think TJ Brodie has found his game once again by playing with Travis Hamonic. His four-point outing in the home opener was impressive. His skating, vision, and puck movement all seem to be back, the vital pieces that made him one of the best underrated defensemen in the NHL.

Expect it to continue, and the same with Mike Smith’s stellar play.

Ramina Shlah

For me, it’s a mix between Curtis Lazar, T.J. Brodie, and Mike Smith. With the addition of Hamonic and after Dougie Hamilton had that career-high season last year, everyone was focusing on what Hamonic can bring and how well Dougie and Giordano will be playing together again this year. But Brodie has somewhat quietly come out of the woodworks. Like Dan said, I also think he’s one of the most underrated defencemen. He’s one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen and I rarely see him make a mistake.

After Lazar was signed, people on Twitter weren’t too happy, and I felt like I was one of the few people who had hopes for Lazar. But he’s definitely been worth that $1 million signing. He was somewhat of a low-risk, high-reward signing, and it’s been paying off. After his first game against the Winnipeg Jets, he had good numbers.

Lastly, everyone seemed worried about Mike Smith before the season started, myself included. When the Calgary Flames initially traded for him, everyone was somewhat like “Brad… what are you doing.” But he’s proved us all wrong. He’s been one of the least worrisome things so far this season.

Question 6: While Jaromir Jagr isn’t the fastest guy anymore, does he still look like he can help the Calgary Flames in other ways?

Jonathan Boulanger

For sure. His game against Ottawa on Friday was great. Call me crazy but I think he was our best player that game. Nobody can touch him when he has through puck and he’s still so strong he always wins his puck battles and I have yet to see him turn the puck over in the offensive zone. He’s getting in better shape and more comfortable with the team too so I think he will be useful for the team.

Ian Gustafson

I think Jagr can be a big help on the power play and using his big frame to play physical around the net. He still has great hands and excellent puck protection. As well as helping out all the young guys on the team sharing all of his wisdom.

Tomas Oppolzer

Definitely! He’s never been a player that relied on speed. His hockey sense is other-worldly though. Look no further than his play vs. the Kings when he used his stick to push Bartkowski into the D-zone allowing Bart to make a good defensive play.

On top of that, his ability to hold onto the puck, and his board work in general, is still amazing. (he also got his first point as a Flame and that’s real neat!)

Here’s his first point:

Ben Prokopy

Yes, but at what cost? I’ve always thought that Jagr’s value is as a mentor. He cannot be expected to be the offensive juggernaut he once was. As such, he is very clearly sharing his experience with the rest of the team. During the Sens game, the camera caught him communicating with Bennett and Versteeg. That type of conversation is invaluable.

However, clearly, Jagr needs time to get his legs under him. Having missed training camp (and being 45 years old), he is clearly the slowest guy on the ice not wearing goalie pads.  At some point, that may get costly. Certainly, the best way to get him acclimated is to put him in game situations.  But until he is fully tuned in, he prevents the team from rolling 3 full and effective lines.

Related Story: Hey Jaromir Jagr, you're really old

And, frankly, his postgame media quips about his lack of readiness don’t exactly fill me with confidence.

Dan Raicevich

Give Jaromir Jagr time, he’s already making an impact in the locker room and on the ice. He picked up his first point on Saturday and was an offensive impact on Friday with four shots on net. He is starting to get some chances and his puck possession skills are being shown.

For a 45 year old who barely trained over the summer, it is safe to fully evaluate the player at the midway point of the year.

Ramina Shlah

Like Tomas said, while he’s not as fast as he once was, he can still help in other ways…

He’s helped a lot with mentorship and basically every practice, you see him talking to the younger players and giving them tips. While I do think that the Calgary Flames should have waited maybe waited another week before he joined the lineup (he looked really tired in the game against the LA Kings whenever he was done a shift), it hasn’t been hurting the Flames having him in the lineup, so that’s good to get his legs going.

And in the game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Flames were completely out-chanced, but Jagr was one of the only players who had over 50% CF% and generated a few scoring chances. He signed at a cheap price and he’s been a good leader. And how could you not love having an absolute legend on the team?

Next: New Flames fan? We've got you covered!

That’s all for our virtual roundtable discussion! Who’s been the biggest disappointment for you on this Calgary Flames team so far this season?