Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2022-23 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team over the course of the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2022-23 Calgary Flames.
2022-23 Calgary Flames
2021-22 Season
A full year of Daryl Sutter behind the bench turned into one of the best seasons in Calgary Flames history. The 2021-22 Jack Adams winner led Calgary to a 50-21-11 record. Calgary took the Pacific Division crown and qualified for the playoffs after missing the previous season. An early and disappointing second-round exit in what only can be described as a “wild” series against the Edmonton Oilers appears to be the only blemish on the season. Calgary also saw 11 players have career years, specifically in their under-28-year-old group, proving to its fan base that they are legitimate contenders for years to come.
Offence
High flying and supported by defencemen joining the play, the Calgary Flames took a major leap forward. They went from bottom third to the sixth-best offence in 2021-22, scoring 3.55 goals per game. Aside from the two names that will not be mentioned…yet…the emergence of Elias Lindholm should have the rest of the league on notice. Co-leading the Flames with 42 goals last season, as a player who had never scored 30 in a single campaign, Lindholm added reliability and threat to both sides of special teams as well. Likewise, Noah Hanifin put up career-high numbers on the top pairing with Rasmus Andersson. Hanifin paced all Calgary blue liners with 10 goals while adding 13 power play points as the point man on the second unit.
Defence
Speaking of Hanifin, he continued to impress on his defensive ability that was gained the previous year next to Christopher Tanev on the second pairing. His move to the top pairing with Andersson set the standard for the team’s commitment to responsible play in their own end. Calgary was the third stingiest team in the league, allowing 2.51 goals per game – a full goal less than their offensive output. Hard to score against a team that controls the puck and Calgary was, for lack of a better term, a pest. They ranked third in the league at Corsi for % at even strength. The penalty kill was nearly as impressive, ranking sixth in the league. But your best penalty killer is always the goalie, and Calgary has a stud.
Goaltending
Jacob Markstrom was an off-the-chart workhorse in 2021-22 with a 37-15-9 record. He was one of only five goalies to start 60+ games. He led all of them in save percentage and GAA. Overall, Markstrom was third in the league in both of those categories while leading the league with a career-high nine shutouts. A sparkling first-round playoff series versus the Dallas Stars was overshadowed by a subpar showing in the second round against Edmonton. Expect a very hungry and motivated Markstrom for the upcoming season.
2022 Offseason
Well…if you can think of a team that had a more tumultuous offseason, you’re lying to yourself. The Flames lost their leading scorer of 2021-22, Johnny Gaudreau, in free agency to the Columbus Blue Jackets. A short time later they were informed by their number two scorer Matthew Tkachuk that he was not interested in signing an extension. What looked like a disastrous scenario was saved by general manager Brad Treliving. Calgary traded Tkachuk and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, a prospect and a 2025 conditional first-round pick. Within days, Huberdeau was extended for eight years. Following this, Calgary was able to lure the big fish left on the free agency market, signing Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $49 million contract.
Losing two top 10 scorers in the league last year was met with adding two top 20 scorers from last year, with Huberdeau matching Gaudreau at second with 115 points. Kadri brings the same intensity and tenacity that Calgary lost in Tkachuk. While Kadri may not have the same upside or scoring threat, he is coming off a recent run with the Colorado Avalanche, winning a little something called the Stanley Cup.
Lineup Projections
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau / Elias Lindholm / Andrew Mangiapane
Blame Coleman / Nazem Kadri / Tyler Toffoli
Milan Lucic / Mikael Backlund / Dillon Dube
Kevin Rooney / Adam Ruzicka / Trevor Lewis
Top Six
There is a level of uncertainty as to how quickly Huberdeau and Kadri find chemistry with their new linemates. Replacing one of the most dynamic top lines of Gaudreau, Tkachuk and Lindholm is no easy task either. However, Mangiapane plays an aggressive game and drives to the hard areas in front of the net like Tkachuk. He should see at least a chance on the top line. That leaves a second line anchored by Kadri that should be as formidable as any other in the league.
Bottom Six
As for the bottom six, there are question marks. Lucic will most likely be moving up to the third line and will frankly just have to be better. Ruzika showed promise in a small sample size last year. However, he found it hard to crack the lineup on a consistent basis with the forward depth. With the shuffling of forwards, he should get a shot to center the fourth line and see if he can grow his game. He is currently unsigned but is an RFA with no real bartering chips other than sitting out a full season. Expect him to be signed before camp.
Defence
Noah Hanifin / Rasmus Andersson
Oliver Kylington / MacKenzie Weegar
Nikita Zadorov / Christopher Tanev
There are many different ways Sutter could position the blue line with the addition of Weegar. One benefit he has with this group is the ability to go left/right with every pairing. Hanifin and Andersson are a very tough top pairing and should continue to frustrate opposing forwards. Sliding Kylington up with Weegar could benefit the younger defenseman and keep him on his strong side. That slides Tanev down to the third pairing but keeps him on his strong side as well. The benefit is that Tanev is a legit second-line defender and can slide up anytime he is needed to. It is just ideal to have three pairs of left/right pairings. So, expect Sutter to at least look at this in camp. If they find chemistry this should be your opening pairings.
Goaltending
Jacob Markstrom
With a D core that is stronger this coming season, there is no reason to think Markstrom can’t repeat last season. Calgary fans should also be pleased with their depth here. Daniel Vladar was a very serviceable backup last season. He posted a 13-6-2 record and a respectable 2.75 GAA. It would do Markstrom some good to scale back the number of starts to still be fresh for a deep run. Vladar affords them this option if he keeps the same dependability.
Players To Watch
Jonathan Huberdeau
The success of the Flames this year is going to have much to do with the replacements for Gaudreau and Tkachuk. Can Huberdeau match his production last season? One thing is for sure: he has a chip on his shoulder. He did not expect to be traded out of Florida and is looking for the opportunity to make them regret the decision.
Andrew Mangiapane
A potential move to the top line could be the start of a breakout year for Mangiapane. The 2021-22 season was his first playing in all 82 games. His 35 goals, eight on the power play, shattered career highs. Playing to the side of Lindholm and opposite Huberdeau could make Mangiapane a point-per-game player. Look for a big season upcoming.
Prediction for 2022-23 Calgary Flames
Expect another tough grind in the Pacific with Edmonton, but there is no reason to believe this team cannot repeat as division winners. 50 wins may be hard to match, but another stellar year from Markstrom in net should give Calgary fans plenty of optimism. Calgary should also benefit from more comfortability with Sutter’s system. If they can get better team play in the postseason, a deep run could be in the cards.
The Calgary Flames win the Pacific Division and reach the Western Conference Final.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
