Calgary Flames: Five New Years resolutions for 2019
It’s a new year which means we’ve got some New Years Resolutions for the Calgary Flames for 2019. Let’s check them out.
New year, new me, right? Well, let’s hope that’s not completely the case for the Calgary Flames. This season, they’ve started it on a high note and have done the best at this point of the season in decades. And while there is room for improvement, let’s hope that they don’t completely turn their season around since it’s going quite well.
Currently, the Flames are 24-12-4 through the first (almost) half of their season heading into the new year, which also leads the Pacific Division. It also ties for the lead in the Western Conference and puts them at fourth overall in the league. While it seems very highly likely that they’ll make the playoffs, never say never.
Although their season is going well, there are still areas of concern (looking at you, Mike Smith). Let’s take a look at five New Years resolutions for the Flames for 2019.
5. Figure out what to do with James Neal
James Neal has been an interesting case this season. It seemed like Calgary Flames fans were ecstatic when he came to Calgary. He could be a beneficial member on the second. or maybe even first, line and the Flames top-six would finally be complete.
However, this hasn’t been the case. Well, at least so far. On New Year’s Eve against the San Jose Sharks, Neal scored his first goal in almost two months. And it’s not like he hasn’t been getting chances. He has. But he’s just been incredibly unlucky. His shooting percentage is at a mere 4.5% which is the lowest it has been his entire career. Neal has also always been a consistent 20-goal scorer since the start of his career in 2008-09.
Related Story. How to turn James Neal into Flames Neal. light
This looks like it’ll be the first year where he won’t hit that 20-goal mark. Unless he goes on some big scoring surge, which is a possibility after finally scoring a goal in almost two months in the last Flames game. But otherwise, he may not hit that 20-goal mark.
The issue is that the Flames are paying Neal $5.75 million AAV for the next five years. For being a very inefficient third-liner, essentially. I’d say the Flames should give Neal one more season and if this continues, they need to figure out a way to get rid of this contract. The good news is that since he has been a consistent 20-goal scorer, the Flames could get some assets from him.
But that’s definitely something they need to figure out. They can’t keep moving him around and trying different line combinations to try and get him going. A player of that calibre doesn’t need to be accommodated to, which is why it’s odd that he just can’t score this season.
All this being said, the Flames really need to figure out what to do with this guy.
4. Keep Matthew Tkachuk happy
Matthew Tkachuk continues to prove season after season that the Calgary Flames got him for a steal with that sixth overall pick. With how that draft class is looking, he easily could have gone third overall, maybe even second, depending on how you view Patrik Laine.
Tkachuk’s ELC expires at the end of this season, so he will need to be re-signed. There have been some speculations (all fan-based, of course) that he may be the first player to break the “Giordano cap”. Currently, captain Mark Giordano gets paid $6.75 million AAV. When Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau were both re-signed, it was known that the Flames didn’t want to break that Giordano cap. Which is why Monahan gets less than Gio and Gaudreau gets the same amount. Which, unrelated, but it’s looking more like a steal every season.
With Tkachuk, this player is incredibly versatile and is rightfully deserving of that ‘A’ on his jersey this season. He has shown immense growth from his rookie season and isn’t making those dumb plays like he used to. Which is why Tkachuk may be deserving of breaking that Giordano cap and the Flames should do whatever they can to keep him happy and wanting to stay in Calgary.
Related Story. Nylander contract a positive for Tkachuk. light
If that means breaking the cap and giving him around $7 million, which is highly likely, I think the Flames should do it. It’s also good news that William Nylander signed at the amount that he did with the Toronto Maple Leafs because he’s had very similar numbers to Tkachuk through his ELC and he signed for roughly $6.9 million. So the Flames could also use that as leverage to keep it under the $7 million mark.
But no matter what must be done (as long as it’s reasonable), the Flames need to keep Tkachuk around.
3. Get rid of Michael Stone’s contract
Oh boy, what to do with Michael Stone. When the Calgary Flames first re-signed Stone, I was completely against it even before the signing. But then it happened and it was even worse. Three years at $3.5 million AAV.
This season, Stone has barely played. Given, he has been injured with a blood clot in his arm, which is a serious injury don’t get me wrong, but even before that, he was a healthy scratch with Juuso Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson filling that third pairing.
After this season, Stone still has one season left on his contract which also includes a modified NTC. The Flames should try and trade Stone to one of the teams that Stone has provided. Given, it may be difficult and the Flames may need to retain some of his salary, but for they should do it if given the opportunity. A possibility could be that the Flames have already tried trading him, especially when he was sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch, but no teams were taking a chance on him.
With only one year left, if the Flames can’t trade Stone, they should buy him out. With only one year left, they’ll only have to pay his contract for two more seasons at half the price. Meaning, since they have to sign Tkachuk, they’ll have money to potentially sign a goaltender as well.
No matter what, this team can’t justify paying Stone $3.5 million next year just to sit in the press box yet again. It’s also not entirely fair to Stone, which I know, isn’t that great of a player. But he’s been signed and that’s the fault of Brad Treliving, who should have known better than to sign a player like Stone to that amount, especially with the defence prospects they had waiting for their shot in the NHL.
2. Figure out goaltending
I hate talking about goaltending, but here we are. Every year, for some reason, the topic of goaltending is a big one surrounding the Calgary Flames. Luckily for the Flames, this is the last season with Mike Smith‘s contract. Unlucky for the Flames, they also won’t quite have a starting goaltender and will only have maybe about $4 million to sign a goaltender, if that.
However, luckily (again) for the Flames, David Rittich has been a star this season and has somewhat taken the reigns from Smith as the starting goalie. The only issue is that Rittich was a great backup last season, but when Smith got injured, that’s when he crumbled when he was dependent on as the starter. So it may be a mental thing for him knowing there’s an experienced goaltender there to back him up if needed, but without it, he falls under the pressure.
To nobody's surprise, Mike Smith is terrible again. light. Related Story
Jon Gillies will be on a one-way contract next season, but that won’t matter too much. Rittich will need to be re-signed this year as well and seeing how the year is going, the Flames will most likely keep him around. But they’ll need to get someone else. Gillies isn’t dependent right now and neither is Tyler Parsons — who’s supposed to be the Flames goaltender of the future.
Figuring out the goaltending situation should be the biggest priority of this offseason. I think Rittich will stay, but they need to find someone else. Who they’ll find, that’s also hard to say. The issue is that they won’t really be able to afford a high-level calibre goalie.
1. Make the season worthwhile
Like I mentioned earlier, it seems likely that the Calgary Flames will make the playoffs. But that shouldn’t be their only goal this year. While making the playoffs is fun, it shouldn’t stop there, seeing how their season is going.
They’ve been leading the division for over a month now and have had their best start to the year since 1988-89, basically. Remember what happened in 1989?
If the Flames make the playoffs, they have the ability to go all the way. They’ve competed hard against some of the best teams in the league and have won some of those games, or at least put up a great fight. Not only do they have the ability to make the playoffs, they truly have the ability to go far. However, it’s not just about going far. In 2014-15, the Flames made it just to the second round and lost in five games, but that was an incredible run for the team and it was a lot of fun. It didn’t seem like any fans were disappointed when they lost in game five.
Ideally, I’d love for the Flames to go to at least the Western Conference finals, which they’re completely able to do, but the playoffs are always different than the regular season. And while that would be great, as long as they play hard-fought games and make this a memorable playoff, as they did in 2015, that’s all I think fans could really ask for.
Next. Making the Norris Case for Mark Giordano. dark
What would you like to see the Calgary Flames accomplish in 2019?