6 things the Flames need to go right in order to make the playoffs
The Calgary Flames are hopeful they can turn things around after a disappointing 2022-23 season.
After an offseason of chaos, the Flames felt they were in a good position to go on a deep playoff run thanks to additions such as Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar. Instead, they missed the postseason entirely and are now set to enter the 2023-24 campaign with a new general manager and head coach.
Despite the disappointing season, there is reason to believe the Flames can get back on track. The roster remains talented and could surprise many in 2023-24. If they are going to do that, however, they need these six things to go their way.
New additions need to improve
The mentioned additions of Huberdeau, Kadri, and Weegar all came to Calgary with sky-high expectations. Huberdeau, who was coming off of a 115-point season, was the main get in the Matthew Tkachuk trade and was expected to continue producing at an elite rate. That failed to happen, as he endured one of the worst seasons of his career, scoring 15 goals and 55 points in 79 games.
Weegar, who was also a part of the Huberdeau trade, got better as the season went on, but only showed glimpses of his capabilities. His 31 points in 81 games weren’t horrible, but more should be expected of him moving forward.
Kadri was a bit of a different story, as he was great through the first half of the season and was even selected to play in the 2023 All-Star game. However, his production fell off a cliff shortly thereafter, resulting in him finishing the year with 24 goals and 56 points in 82 outings.
If these three can perform the way former GM Brad Treliving had envisioned, this Flames team could become a real threat in the Western Conference this coming season.
Coaching staff needs to change the environment
It isn’t a secret that many on the Flames were miserable last season. The constant criticism from former head coach Darryl Sutter quickly wore on players and the team’s performance on the ice showed just that.
Taking over for Sutter is Ryan Huska, who has spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach with the Flames. This could pay massive dividends for the organization moving forward, as Huska had a front-row seat to observe what went wrong under Sutter’s leadership. If he can be more supportive and create a better environment, the players should respond in a positive manner.
Bounce-back seasons needed
While players like the three mentioned above in Huberdeau, Kadri, and Weegar will need to improve this coming season, they aren’t the only ones. Several returning Flames players weren’t at their best last season, including Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Jacob Markstrom, and more.
All three are certainly capable of more, but the biggest wild card is Markstrom. His play will be a huge determining factor in whether or not the Flames can get back into the playoffs, as he simply wasn’t good enough last season. If he can get back to the level he played during the 2021-22 season, the Flames could be dangerous.
Contract situations need to be solved
Much of the talk heading into this season is the status of the seven returning Flames players needing extensions, those being Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Oliver Kylington, and Dennis Gilbert. The majority on this list have left the door open in terms of re-signing, but until they put pen to paper, questions will continue to arise from the media.
Having even a single key player in the final year of his respective comment can cause a distraction for a team, let alone this many. The hope is that these can all be solved soon, whether in terms of extensions or trade. If that can happen, the entire Flames roster can focus directly on winning games.
Leadership needs to step up
The Flames have left the captaincy role vacant since the departure of Mark Giordano. Several names have emerged as potential options, though none have yet to be named. From the sounds of things, however, that will soon change.
Having a captain is extremely important for a team, as every locker room needs that one leader they all know they can turn to. It is also important for a captain to be able to step up and challenge and/or offer perspective to a coach at times. That was missing the last few seasons.
Thankfully, both Huska and Craig Conroy have said a captain will be in place to begin the 2023-24 season. Who that is remains to be seen, but players such as Weegar and Rasmus Andersson are being viewed as favourites at the moment. Whoever gets it needs to ensure they keep the dressing room much more positive than it was last season.
Powerplay needs to improve
With the majority of the Flames’ top offensive talents struggling last season, it should be no surprise to hear that their power play wasn’t very good. Likely due to the fact that there were several new pieces involved, their first unit never seemed to develop chemistry, which resulted in the Flames finishing 19th in the league with a conversion rate of 19.8%.
Many attributed the Flames’ struggles on the power play to assistant coach Kirk Muller, who also moved on this offseason. With a new coaching staff in place, along with the new additions having gotten more comfortable in their surroundings, this unit has the potential to be very good this season. If they are, it will go a long way in helping the Flames get back into the playoffs.
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