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A few Calgary Flames notes:
- Last season was a disaster from the word go but I don't think enough people realize just how well the team is set up moving forward.
Their core of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton is extremely good and, Giordano aside, each player is young and still improving.
Their prospect system, particularly on defense, is good, too, and they have a great opportunity to make it even better at this year's draft.
As it stands the Flames have 11 draft picks - including four in the first two rounds - so they have the ammunition to move up if there is a player they really want. They could also parlay some of those extra picks to improve the team now (I hear they need a starting goaltender).
There is still some work to be done, obviously, but the Flames are in real good shape moving forward.
- Sticking with the draft, one of the four top-60 picks the Flames possess is Dallas' 2nd round pick, which turns into a 1st if Dallas advances to the Western Conference finals.
Getting by St. Louis (or Chicago if they somehow win the series) will be no easy task but it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
If the Stars can pull it off and the Flames head into the draft with a pair of 1st and 2nd rounders I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them move that 1st in a deal for a goaltender (Frederik Andersen makes sense).
- I think Andersen would be a good goaltender for the Flames to hedge their bets on. This past season only six guys posted a higher quality start percentage. The Ducks are a very good team, obviously, but the numbers are encouraging nonetheless.
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