With no first round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames expected to be in the playoffs, but they fell well short after finishing the season with 84 points and just four in their last 11 games. With stocking up through the draft out of the picture, the Flames will have to come up with another way to turn things around during the offseason, and that could involve getting more picks in return for some of their current players.
So how do the Flames get better after more or less shooting themselves in the foot last offseason?
Remove some of the veterans
This sounds like rebuilding, but it is not. There is one “veteran” on this team that is considered a reliable option for the team moving forward, and that is captain Mark Giordano. His leadership and popularity with the team and the city makes him valuable, but trading him away might be worth it if it means getting an first round pick in return.
The rest of the veterans tail off. Troy Brouwer was the next successful player above the age of 30 for the Flames, but 20 points is a far cry from his totals with St. Louis and Washington, and he might need to find a better environment if he wants to revive his career.
Others, like Tanner Glass, Chris Stewart, and Matt Stajan, are better suited as enforcers, but they were not nearly as effective as former Flame Deryk Engelland. Add on the fact that the team was the 27th ranked offense in the NHL, and the Flames should focus more on making the offense strong rather that loading up on enforcers that provide very limited offensive production.
The biggest challenge will be what to do with 36-year-old Mike Smith. There is no doubt that Smith has plenty of talent, but his workload early in the season really took its toll after the All-Star break. He dealt with injuries and posted a GAA just under 3.50 after the break, and that was a big reason why the team faded.
With Jon Gillies and David Rittich getting their share of looks and Tyler Parsons lurking in the AHL, Smith is likely not going to be in Calgary for much longer. However, unless any of those three goalies prove he can take the reins in, for example, the preseason, it is probably safer to keep Smith for next season. With more options, however, Smith’s workload needs to be reduced to avoid the kind of finish that he had.
Look for better options for the third/fourth lines
Besides the aforementioned veterans, there are other players that failed to meet expectations. Curtis Lazar is the most glaring one, as two goals are not nearly enough to warrant another year. Others, like Sam Bennett, probably should be doing better, and Micheal Ferland and Mark Jankowski are wild cards in terms of which line they will be placed. Ferland has had the most success with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, and Jankowski is likely going to get a closer look at the top lines after scoring four times in the final regular season game.
There are other players that were in the AHL that will look to make the permanent transition to the NHL, too. The most notable player was an April bloomer under the name of Spencer Foo. He was not a secret prospect by any means, as he signed with the Flames after a huge junior season at Union College. He then added to his scoring touch in the AHL with 20 goals before making his NHL debut and scoring in the final two games of the regular season.
Add on fellow developing players Andrew Mangiapane, Morgan Klimchuk, and Rasmus Andersson, the leading scorers for the Stockton Heat this season, and there are plenty of options for rounding out the roster for next season. With very limited work from the current combinations, it cannot hurt to give some of the prospects a chance to break out, which was something Jankowski did late in the season.
Clear things up in the coaching staff
Is Glen Gulutzan the answer to run the Flames bench? Despite getting a hotter seat, the Calgary head coach has received plenty of praise for his leadership, especially from John Tortorella. After getting the Flames to the playoffs in his first season, an off year should not be enough to get the boot.
What if, however, the recent string of relieved coaches proves to be too much? Alain Vignault, who led both the Canucks and Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals, has already been removed from his coaching duties with New York, and other notable coaches, including Joel Queeneville, Dan Bylsma, and Michel Therrien, may also be available.
It may be tough to convince any of those coaches to come to Calgary for anything other than a head coaching position, but the Flames will need to find a stronger group of assistant coaches, which former Senators head coach Dave Cameron headlines.
At this moment, Vignault and Queeneville would both be significant upgrades, while Bylsma is not as concrete. After missing out of bigger names like Bruce Boudreau two seasons ago, the Flames should be willing to sacrifice Gulutzan if that means getting a coach that knows a thing or two about making the playoffs. The coach’s expertise could make a significant impact on the team, especially for the ones with Hall of Fame repertoires.
That alone might be enough to make the Flames contenders again, but it would not hurt to give Gulutzan another chance, either. After all, it is hard to win when Smith, Monahan, and Matthew Tkachuk were all out for a significant amount of time.
The post How can the Calgary Flames right the ship? appeared first on isportsweb.
