As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, it means that the offseason has arrived for several more squads. Having covered the teams that weren’t a part of the NHL’s return and the ones ousted in the Qualifying Round, we shift our focus to the ones that were eliminated in the official first round. Next up is a look at Calgary.
It has certainly been a disappointing last year and a half for the Flames. After a quick exit at the hands of Colorado in the 2019 playoffs, GM Brad Treliving didn’t shake things up too much and instead just tweaked a few veteran players. Things weren’t much better this season. Bill Peters resigned following reports of abusive behaviour in the past and the team played a bit better when assistant Geoff Ward took over in an interim role (and was promoted to the full-time spot just yesterday). However, it didn’t yield much in the way of playoff success; although they beat Winnipeg in the Qualifying Round, they were taken out by Dallas soon after. This time around, bigger changes are expected meaning there is a lot at stake for Calgary this offseason.
Determine The Size Of The Forward Shakeup
When a team bows out quicker than expected once, it’s understandable if a GM decides to give that core group another chance if he believes that they can turn it around. When it happens a second time in as many years as is the case here, patience isn’t going to be as justifiable. The decision to give Ward the permanent head coaching position takes one of Treliving’s potential cards out of play which means the changes are going to have to come from their personnel.
Two of their top offensive players in center Sean Monahan and winger Johnny Gaudreau are coming off of quiet regular seasons. After putting up 99 points a year ago, Gaudreau’s output dropped to just 58 while Monahan went from 82 to 48. Yes, missing the final dozen games due to the pandemic skews the numbers a little but it was still a big letdown nonetheless. Things weren’t much better in the playoffs either. Gaudreau had seven points in 10 games but all but one came with the man advantage. The ratio was only slightly better for Monahan who had five of his eight points on the power play. Gaudreau has two years left and Monahan has three. Treliving will need to decide if he’s willing to shake up the core with one of them potentially being moved or if he’ll dip a little deeper into his roster.
If he opts for the latter, Mark Jankowski is a likely trade candidate following a dreadful seven points in 56 games while Derek Ryan could be expendable in his walk year. But moving those two players isn’t going to move the needle very much. How much confidence does Treliving have in his forward group? We’re going to find out soon enough.
Find A Starting Goalie
With David Rittich coming off of a nice rookie season, the decision to go out and add Cam Talbot in free agency made sense for Calgary. Talbot was someone that was coming off of a tough year but had shown himself to be capable of playing more than a typical backup. He’d bring a bit of upside while being an insurance policy for the inexperienced Rittich.
The results were mixed. Talbot played a bit less than expected but put up his best numbers in several years. That was the good news. The bad news was that Rittich took a big step back. It was telling that Talbot made every postseason start as well.
Talbot now hits the open market as one of the more intriguing goalies out there. There aren’t going to be many starting opportunities available but he is well-positioned to land at least a stronger platoon role than what he had this year. Rittich, meanwhile, is signed for another year at $2.75MM before being eligible for unrestricted free agency himself in 2021.
At this point, it’s hard to envision either of the two goalies being considered for the starting spot next season. These next few weeks figure to feature a lot of movement between the pipes between trades and free agency. With their prospects not being ready for prime time duty just yet, the Flames need to add a more proven starter ahead of Rittich if they want to head into next season feeling more confident about their chances.
Reshape The Defense
The back end has been a staple of the Flames for a while now but changes are on the horizon. No fewer than five veteran defenders are set to hit the open market next month in T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, Derek Forbort, Erik Gustafsson, and Michael Stone. With more than $64MM in commitments already for next season to just 14 players, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to bring back more than one of Brodie or Hamonic while Forbort and Gustafsson will likely find bigger roles if they go elsewhere.
As things stand, just three veterans are under contract for next season in Mark Giordano, Noah Hanifin, and Rasmus Andersson (whose six-year extension is set to come into effect). Juuso Valimaki is also signed and on his entry-level deal but he missed all of this season after tearing his ACL last summer while training. He’s likely going to be on the team but counting on him to have a big role would be risky considering how much time he missed. Oliver Kylington is a restricted free agent and should be back as well but he is more of a depth option at this point as is Alexander Yelesin who enters the final year of his deal. College free agency signing Connor Mackey is worth keeping an eye on but it’s unlikely he’d step into an impact role right away either.
This presents an opportunity for the Flames to reshape things a bit. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to funnel a bit of their previous spending either into adding a more prominent goalie or some more firepower up front. If they can’t bring back one of Brodie or Hamonic, they’ll likely have to try to add a new rearguard or two. Depth defenders are available in free agency but if they want a top-four option, they’ll likely have to turn to the trade market and if it’s an impact defenseman that they want to add, it’ll take more than a depth forward or two to get one. Changes appear to be on the way for Calgary’s defensive group.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I don’t think the Flames played as poorly as you have indicated. They were 11 seconds from going up 3 to 1 against the Stars. Which is better than other teams did against them in the bubble. Also the criticism of Monahan and Gaudreau is an exaggeration. It is like somehow goals on the power play count less then 5 vs 5. Last time I checked a goal is a goal.
@Billy Ogabowski – The brutal truth is that most games are played at even-strength and that the top-six need to be consistent contributors. Teams that rely on PP/PK production to win are playing with a house of cards. So, those expensive guys at the top of the lineup are expected to be on the scoresheet with monotonous regularity. When they don’t, they’ll start feeling the heat from all angles. “That’s why they get paid the big bucks.” I believe, for instance, that EDM’s post-season problems were due to lack of 5v5 production and strategy. They were deadly on the PP and PK during the regular season, but at even strength, not that hot. Calgary also could use more consistent 5-on-5 production and pressure, which could get them to the next level, as well. So, while it is true that “a goal is a goal”, some are more valuable when they can come in the key situations in games.
I agree. Flames rarely scored 5×5. Dallas keyed on guys. Losing Matthew hurt big time. You guy’s let him walk your crazy.Like ward hire.I truly Think Bowness hire would be a mistake for the stars.
@shawn baber – CGY found out the hard way just how valuable Walt Jr. #1 (Tkachuky-cheese) really is. And, most everybody else in the hockey world underestimated his presence, too. Why do you think Ricky B. as Dallas bench boss would be a mistake, in your eyes? Right now, he seems like a perfect fit, although I’m also partial to Coach Monty, too. I’d be surprised if they brought Monty back, though. Plus, with the slight pay hike, he’d be able to pay Burkie the $400 he still owes him! :)
Monty won’t be back. He need’s to get his life in order.Rick Bowness know’s D. no ? about that. He just doesn’t know offense. We had to Many colds spell where the offense dried up like a prune.You can’t win every game 2-1.I would rather have Rick on staff and bring in Gallant.
@shawn baber – Yeah, except for a few games in the post season where they had out-of-character scoring outbursts, Dallas seems to still be stuck in Hitch’s “let’s win zero to minus one” systems. And, how long has Hitch been gone now? Turk would have to learn to adjust some when the Stars go into various funks, though, and unless that’s happened in his down time, it could end up being another short trip. I like that idea of bringing him in, though. If they could get coordinated strong offense to go with the stalwart D, they’ll be up at the top of the conference.
Yes your right on the button. I would kill to win 5-0 once in a while. Starting to wonder about Bishop’s health. Dobby won’t be back.I am just enjoying the trip that is to come. Jamie FINALLY show up. Tyler is playing hurt. Will see how they do.
Not saying 5 on 5 goals don’t matter. Special teams and defense win a lot of games. Just saying we don’t see this type of criticism of the Leafs star players even when they are invisible against Columbus. Or Pittsburgh being run out of the bubble by Montreal or Edmonton choking against the Hawks. Last couple of yrs Tampa looked awful not near the negativity. Eric Francis writes an article lol and the sky is falling for Calgary. Do they need changes, absolutely. But so do most teams.
@shawn baber – For a guy who is 6’7″, Bishy is an unusually semi-fragile Black Bear, that’s for sure. And, I wouldn’t give up on #35 just yet. Remember, the Texas tax situation could be just the lure to keep him there, on an affordable deal. No guarantee, mind you, but it sure helps as a selling point. And, I agree that The Captain is having his best post season in years. He can still be a force to be reckoned with.
Well every team has a problems. I do wonder what TB’ is.We need our young guys to step up.
I won’t give up on any Star as long as there Stars.Your right about taxes in Texas.Off topic here but what was your ppionion of Reeves in the series?
@Billy Ogabowski – To be fair, the Leafs’ big guns have been criticized, but a couple of their sports talk show folks have been coming to their defense. It didn’t help that they were still wildly inconsistent, even after Sheldon took over, and that continued in the play-in festival. Their D is still kind of shoddy, and most are rooting against them getting Petro out of STL. And, as for Eric Francis, well, that’s just Eric being Eric. There are a number of guys like that all over, and they provide some balance, to offset occasional homers in the media and even the fan base.
It’s crazy in leafland.If the leafs EVER win the cup Toronto might be burned to the ground in joy.There D need’s need’s up grade.They need grit. Can wonderboy do the job with all there cap problems?
@shawn baber – To me, Ryan seemed to lose sight of what his role was or should have been. Maybe that had to do with the cleverly-disguised fans who resembled tarps, but he seemed to try too hard to generate energy for his team. When you have 18K fans in the stands at T-Mobile, you can really feed off of them, and vice-versa. When you have to play in a mausoleum, it seems to discombobulate some guys. If things had been normal, we might be seeing different combatants in the Finals.
@shawn baber – I want to be well UPWIND if that happens! :) It sure seems like Kyle is trying to rearrange some deck chairs to fit the STL Captain in, but it remains to be seen how he can do that, without going down the LTIR road again. He said or hinted they weren’t going to do that, but maybe they’ve changed their minds. Petro’s presence on their blue line would go a long way for them, I believe. But, going back home to play is not always what it’s cracked up to be, so we shall see how it plays out in the coming weeks.
Derek Ryan? I agree about the bubble stuff. But everybody has to deal with it. I was dying in game 4. But we have stepped up. I wonder If Derek Ryan walks to Germany maybe.
Yes he is putting all his eggs in petes basket. Might back fire. Leafs are talented; but TB is the top team in the east till knocked off. Leafs have maybe 3 decent d men. Trading Andersen Would be a BIG Mistake..I think he need’s to be fied.
@shawn baber – I think CGY would miss Doc a lot. He’s a real glue guy there and he still has one more year at $3.125MM. Better than 50% on faceoffs, and would continue to be another proverbial “veteran presence” for younger guys coming in. I’ve never heard anyone said anything remotely bad about DR. Not sure I’d believe them if they did.
I think you right. Flames need leadership. Young guns don’t seem to have it. He is a cool story. Didn’t play in NHL till he was 29. Any Reeves comment?
@shawn baber – Did you catch the reply above? By the time the digital ink dries, it’ll be about “35-36 mins ago” It’ll show “comment-45425” at the end of the link. Not sure if that answers it for you…
I am still learning this stuff on here. Any Ryan Reeves Comments?
@shawn baber – Fair enough. Sometimes the comments don’t seem to end up properly placed in the threads, making things a bit messy. I just think Reevers had a hard time channeling his energy in a productive direction. He’s proven to be a force to be dealt with, but when the barns are empty, it seemed to cause him to lose some focus. Some guys need that fan energy to get them into a higher gear, it seems. Other guys don’t care how packed (or not) the place is. Just my take, no real science behind it, other than eyeballs…
I agree with stuff being hard to comment on here for sure.Is Travis Harmonic happy in Calgary?
@shawn baber – Is Travis happy? I wish I knew. He’s a coveted stay-at-home RD at age 30, but will he be part of future plans? With a number of UFAs, three RFAs (two w/arb) and $16.9MM (or less) cap space to work with, Tre has his work cut out for him. I got the impression that he’s fairly well-liked in the room (the guys on SN960 are great about stuff like that), but I wish I could say I knew that he’s happy there and would like to keep it going at the ‘Dome. One thing’s for sure, he does stick up for his teammates, even at his own personal peril. Gotta respect a guy like that!
I agree with this. What we forget is the #1 Line didn’t only struggle in the playoffs, but was inconsistent and underperforming since the All Star break of 2019. That’s a season and a half. I’m keen on moving Lindholm to centre on the top line because he can carry the puck and is a decent playmaker. It’s his natural position. He can also backcheck, and uses his body more than Monahan. He played well in this role when it was tried out last year. Given the recent news, I’d try and shift Monahan to Minny for Dumba. (Minny looking for a top 6 fwd, preferably a centre.) Then send Johnny Hockey to a team like Detroit for 2021 1st Round pick, and free up cap space. We will never win with an offence built around Gaudreau, but he is hugely entertaining for a franchise desperate to fill seats as it builds for the future. To complement Lindholm, go after Hall or Hoffman on the one side, and Taffoli on the other. Resign Gustaffson for the PP and give him a 3rd Line pairing with Vallimaki. 1st Pair-Gio and Rasmus. 2nd Pair-Dumba and Hanafin. 3rd Pair-Gustaffson and Vallimaki. Kylington and new guys in reserve. Or add Stone as insurance. Re-sign Talbot and Reider if the money is reasonable. Say goodbye to Janko, Czarnik, Brodie, Hamonic, and Rinaldo.
Well done. Lot’s of thinking went into this post.Not sure how much of it comes true for good or bad. Changes will be made is all an outsider can say right now.Outstanding post. Well done. Mr. Kmack.
Do need a bit of a shake up. Talbot let in some soft goals vs My Stars. Overall team is up and coming.
Hi Shawn, respectfully I thought Talbot was the best player in the series with the exception of the last game where he let in 3 quick bad ones. Big mistake was the coach not telling him to calm down and refocus and that he would be going back in. Instead Talbot went into the lockeroom to vent for 10 minutes. By that time it was game and series over. Dallas clearly was the better team but it was a fun series to watch imo
Talbot look shakey in the series to me.I was surprised David Rittich didn’t play some.I think Flames need a small wake up call. I think they have a better future than Oilers who everyone seem’s to be bandwagoning. How true are the Monahan rumors? He is a 30 goal scorer or a 3rd liner?
What do the Flames have under 25 to look forward to? Tkachuk and ??? Valimaki? Maybe Andersen and Dube. Edmonton has McDavid Draisaitl Yamamoto Bear Bouchard Broberg and Maybe Lajoie Jones and Athanasiou.
That is why people are saying Edmonton could be the next big thing in the west and not the Flames. Plus the McDavid factor. Guy is easily the most skilled player currently in the NHL.
Oilers still a way’s away. Need better goalies. D still need’s work. Good prospect pool; but unproven when it matters. If your the next big thing why did you lost to Chicago?
Monty won’t be back. He need’s to get his life in order.Rick Bowness know’s D. no ? about that. He just doesn’t know offense. We had to Many colds spell where the offense dried up like a prune.You can’t win every game 2-1.I would rather have Rick on staff and bring in Gallant.
Flames will be shaking up about 1/4 of their roster for next year or following. Hamonic is gone, Brodie is gone, Gio probably the year after, Mony or Gaudreau this off season, Talbot gone, Big Siv Dave relegated to backup at best, all those other Dmen mentioned gone, a couple of their bottom 6 as well. Might become a tough couple years for the Flames as they dont have much in the pipeline and might not have much value to retool with based on recent performances.
Not sure flames ‘bowed out’ quicker than expected. Dallas was the higher seed and has since won 2 more series against better teams than the flames.
Flames haven’t had a goalie since Kiprusoff left and the bottom 6 is still terrible. Jankowski is horrible. Doesn’t belong in the NHL. Dube and Mangiapane are developing nicely and they stole goalie Dustin Wolf in the 7th round last year. Emilio Pettersen also looks like a steal at #167 in the 2018 draft.
Trading away 3 early round picks for Hamonic set the team back in having talent to develop. Terrible trade by Treliving. However the team is drafting better than in the past.
Several key players had career years last season enabling them to finish #2 overall. This team didnt get bad overnight. They did have a less than stellar year.
Sorry to flame fan’s I guess I started a fire in Calgary. You guys figure it out.