If you are relying on Vey, Chaisson, and Shinkaurak - you guys are toast. So funny Flames and Leafs fans are calling the Canucks a crap team, but are totally relying on former Canucks players that can't even make the Canucks roster.
- Rocket_Launcher

Thats our top line... wow bubba you nailed it.

And yes you guys will be poop. Even the Oil will surpass the mighty Canucks in the standings...

only if you are writing off playoffs in August

I would bet 90% of prognosticators had SJ out of the playoffs in last summers rankings
- flashfire

Just like last summer when most of the flames fans in here said the playoffs the prior year were not a fluke and the flames would not regress. Most in here were predicting 2nd in the Pacific.

only if you are writing off playoffs in August

I would bet 90% of prognosticators had SJ out of the playoffs in last summers rankings
- flashfire

So you are, nice guy...

I WANT this team to be successful, I believe they have a chance to be a playoff team but I realistically do not feel they will. And yes its August and yes a tonne can change but looking at the West and what we have done (today), its better but not quite there.
Playoff teams have 4 lines, we do not. Our D is top notch but drops significantly after Gio, Brod's and Hamilton. Our goaltending helps us get the extra 15-20 points to get us close but sadly I see a 9-11 finish. We dump some dead weight after this season and perhaps make a deal or two during. I see us competing not being hopeful next season...

Just like last summer when most of the flames fans in here said the playoffs the prior year were not a fluke and the flames would not regress. Most in here were predicting 2nd in the Pacific.


- Iggysbff

For the last 6 years we've heard how this will be the year the Oilers make it to the playoffs...

For the last 6 years we've heard how this will be the year the Oilers make it to the playoffs...
- Clyde334

6? You mean since 06?

Just like last summer when most of the flames fans in here said the playoffs the prior year were not a fluke and the flames would not regress. Most in here were predicting 2nd in the Pacific.


- Iggysbff

I think most Flames fans new we defied the analytics in the PO year. The hope was that BT had done enough to avoid the inevitable drop. I think some people here may have believed a 2nd place finish was possible with the way the Cali teams seemed to be going. But most of the 2nd place expectations were put up by the talking heads; sports analysts were all jumping aboard the Flames train, especially once the Hamilton trade happened.

Most Flames fans also didn't expect the goal tending to be league worst by a country mile last season. Most expected them to compete for a playoff spot and I mean they missed it by 5 wins with some of the worst goal tending stats in the last decade.

anyway the point is...who the (frank) knows

To give up in August is not SMRT

2 years ago I would have been laughed of this site for suggesting the Flames were going to not only make the playoffs but get to the 2nd round

6? You mean since 06?
- geta02it

Just like last summer when most of the flames fans in here said the playoffs the prior year were not a fluke and the flames would not regress. Most in here were predicting 2nd in the Pacific.


- Iggysbff

The only fans that were predicting an Alberta team being a Stanley Cup contender were Oiler fans. You idiots have been saying that every year.

Go.ahead and look back at all the threads. We've consistently said that we're better than the Oilers, but never 2ND in the Pacific. Get real.

The only fans that were predicting an Alberta team being a Stanley Cup contender were Oiler fans. You idiots have been saying that every year.

Go.ahead and look back at all the threads. We've consistently said that we're better than the Oilers, but never 2ND in the Pacific. Get real.
- Razzdazzle1

There was a lot of cautious optimism last summer ...there were some flames fans as well as fans from other teams who thought the flames could finish in 2nd in the pacific ...but most were just hoping there wasn't major regression ...looking at the division last summer it wasn't a crazy idea

I was on vacation for a couple weeks but no ban...

Not surprising someone one there was spewing...we have a number of tards in there unfortunately.
- Iggysbff

By vacation, you mean you were in prison for awhile.

No one was expecting a playoff run to be easy. We're still in the West after all. But, I think we have a secent shot. I don't think Anaheim is a lock for playoffs this year by any means and I'm not a fan of a lot of their roster moves and LA is kind of up in the air but I can't see them regressing significantly. I don't think San Jose is going anywhere.

I think one of the Top 3 in the Pacific could be up for grabs, but it surely won't be only us battling for it. I think San Jose and LA are top two and Anaheim, Calgary or even Edmonton could contend for the third seed. If not I think a Wild Card spot is still an option, but then we've got to battle with the likes of Winnipeg and Chicago and Minny as well.

It'll be interesting to see the West unfold this year. I don't think there's as many guaranteed locks for the playoffs this year, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy to get in. I think we can, especially with a much-improved goaltending situation, but it is by no means a guarantee.

Maybe they'll hire Hartley.

By vacation, you mean you were in prison for awhile.
- FlamesFan1230

Sick burn ... You come up with that on your own?

I may be the only one out there with this opinion, but it must be said.

Last year everyone and their dog figured that San Jose was finished. The writing was on the wall, the time had come to blow it all up.....and we all saw what they did.

Then the Sharks come out this year and absolutely tear it up. Great regular season and an amazing run to the Finals...and nobody sees them 'going anywhere'.

I for one, am not in that camp.

First of all, San Jose played a lot of games last year. Secondly, their core, outside of Couture, is not all that young, thirdly, everyone on the team had an exceptional year. I am not saying that I think Thornton will fall off a cliff, but I doubt he puts up 82 points this year. I don't see Burns having close to a point per game again at 32. I could go on and on, but I digress.

They have a couple of players that are reasonably young...but overall I will think out of the box and say that San Jose will finish on the outside looking in, next spring.

I'm going to take a step back and base our upcoming season results on a single stat, goal differential, which, year after year, matches very closely with standings.
Calgary Flames were 10th in League scoring this year, with 229 (Just 8 goals off 4th ranked Sharks at 237).
However, as we all know, due to trash goal tending, we allowed a league high number of goals, and had the worst SV% at 0.892. 29th was CJ at 0.902. To put into perspective how big 0.100 is, 0.100 separated 1st from 19th last year.

Now, I'm going to be conservative, and assume Elliot has an absolutely NHL average season, and I'm going to assume our back-end is absolutely average (neither of which I think are true), and we allow the league average of goals, 15th (215)

If we had that, our goal differential would be +14, which would have been good enough for 13th in the league.

So, conservatively, in my opinion, we still make the playoffs barring another disaster in our team

Reasons for more optimism:
- We might actually have the puck more with Gulutzan
- I'd say Elliot is well above League average goaltending
- I'd say our back end is also above average. Heck, I didn't really consider any dman a massive defensive liability this year. Even Engelland played alright. No reason to believe it's going to get worse with time.
- No reason to think any think of our good forwards will decline. I expect consistent numbers from Johnny, Moni, Frolik, and Backs. I expect a breakout from Bennett (I say 60 pts, imo he was very unlucky last year), maybe Ferland, and hopefully one of Shinkaruk, Chiasson, or Vey.

I may be the only one out there with this opinion, but it must be said.

Last year everyone and their dog figured that San Jose was finished. The writing was on the wall, the time had come to blow it all up.....and we all saw what they did.

Then the Sharks come out this year and absolutely tear it up. Great regular season and an amazing run to the Finals...and nobody sees them 'going anywhere'.

I for one, am not in that camp.

First of all, San Jose played a lot of games last year. Secondly, their core, outside of Couture, is not all that young, thirdly, everyone on the team had an exceptional year. I am not saying that I think Thornton will fall off a cliff, but I doubt he puts up 82 points this year. I don't see Burns having close to a point per game again at 32. I could go on and on, but I digress.

They have a couple of players that are reasonably young...but overall I will think out of the box and say that San Jose will finish on the outside looking in, next spring.
- Dollars2Donuts

I will disagree with you,

I think the Sharks are just fine ...any decline in scoring from jumbo Joe and burns will be made up by a full year of couture and upswing in production from a few of their younger players.
They have good goaltending and a new coach which has changed a lot there .... Also keys not forget little Joe ...he is a very good player

If your picking teams to decline look at Anaheim

I will disagree with you,

I think the Sharks are just fine ...any decline in scoring from jumbo Joe and burns will be made up by a full year of couture and upswing in production from a few of their younger players.
They have good goaltending and a new coach which has changed a lot there .... Also keys not forget little Joe ...he is a very good player

If your picking teams to decline look at Anaheim
- Redmile247

Yeah Anaheim and LA are both way more likely to decline than San Jose is (I think Anaheim moreso). Anaheim has made some very questionable off-season moves and I don't think they'll be nearly as good this year.

LA's an interesting case, too, and I think they'll regress, though not significantly enough for them to fall out of the playoffs. I think San Jose's got first in the division on lock, barring something disastrous happening to them.