The Flames are a confusing bunch with plenty of overachievers and disappointments through the first half of the year
The Flames are a confusing bunch with plenty of overachievers and disappointments through the first half of the year
With a little more than half a season as a sampler, it’s safe to say the Calgary Flames are still as unpredictable as a Darryl Sutter press conference.
When the former bench boss was let go in the summer, the narrative was Sutter’s surly nature and checking-first approach stifled creativity and created locker-room friction. With Craig Conroy taking over as GM, Ryan Huska promoting to head coach and the addition of another offensive mind in assistant coach Marc Savard, hopes were high for more goal-scoring and powerplay prowess.
Rebound seasons were expected after a number of disappointing player performances last year. A youth movement was in the cards, with Jakob Pelletier and Matt Coronato the most promising Calder-qualified hopefuls.
Positivity was the new energy. Things haven’t exactly transpired as expected, however.
As a team, the Flames started horribly but have battled back to leap over the .500 mark. Their win over the Golden Knights in Vegas on Saturday secured their second three-game winning streak in a month.
There have been many elements that have disappointed. But there have been overachievements, too.
Here’s a look at four first-half flops and four favourable elements based on pre-season expectations.
Over the top
Jacob Markstrom: Last season was a train wreck for the Flames’ top goaltender. Markstrom’s most reliable trait seemed to be allowing early goals against. He didn’t look anywhere near capable of getting back into the Vezina conversation after finishing as the runner-up the previous year. Mistakes compounded a lack of confidence and the only bright spot in his year was the birth of his first baby.
This year, though, Markstrom has been one of the most consistent players on the roster, keeping the development of Dustin Wolf to the minors, and containing Dan Vladar to his backup role. A 31-save victory in Vegas on Saturday was his third straight, and he’s won five of his last six. In the last five weeks, he has posted very Vezina numbers with a 2.12 GAA and .932 save percentage.
As a result, there is some serious NHL trade chatter surrounding the Calgary Flames starter right now.
Blake Coleman: Coleman has often been picked on by the fanbase after signing a massive free-agent deal to join the Flames. He has yet to crack the 20-goal mark with Calgary — but that milestone is on the brink of being breached after his fourth goal in three games on Saturday night.
Coleman has been the most consistent goal-scorer this season and has already bested last year’s 18 tallies with nearly another half a campaign to play. His 37 points is now one shy of the career high he set a year ago.
It’s great to see a player who puts in the work get rewarded for it on the ice and that’s what’s happening with the gritty winger.
Yegor Sharangovich: Randy Sportak has already written about what a surprisingly important piece of the puzzle the former New Jersey Devils prospect has been for the Flames this year — replacing last year’s offensive leader Tyler Toffoli almost point for point.
There was no certainty as to what Conroy was getting when he made the deal, but he sure looks like the 20-plus goal scorer he showed in his first couple of seasons in Jersey.
Barring injury, he’s going to shatter his career highs and is just one more hat-trick shy of the 20-mark.
The Rookies: It may not be Coronato and Pelletier bringing the youth movement to Calgary, but Martin Pospisil and Connor Zary have shown they’re ready for the spotlight. Pospisil brings an aggressive element to any line he plays on and Zary has a gift for creative playmaking. They’ve been a revelation for centre Nazem Kadri this year. Zary has nine goals and 22 points in 33 games so far, with only a single dip of more than three straight games without a mark on the scoresheet this season.
Consistency will be key in the second half but there is tremendous potential for both of these players. And the return of Pelletier and Coronato call-ups could be just around the corner this year, too.
Underwhelming Flames
Jonathan Huberdeau: After the biggest offensive drop off in NHL history last season, most expected the removal of Sutter to be a spark for Huberdeau as he tries to flip the script back the other way in his second season as a member of the Calgary Flames.
So far, it’s been much of the same.
The 30-year-old is on pace for fewer than a dozen goals and 45 points.
A nice stretch of games in the new year, however, offers some hope. A pair of goals and eight points from Dec. 31 forward included a four-game point streak.
Dillon Dube: Back-to-back 18-goal seasons suggested a breakout for Dillon Dube — a likeable young player who leaves fans wanting more and wondering when it will come. Well, with three goals and seven points through 41 games, he’s flirting with more healthy scratches than tallies. He hasn’t found the right fit on any of the top three lines and he’s not been able to take advantage of any possible mismatches when grinding it out on the fourth line.
Dube is still just 25 but things really aren’t clicking for him this season and it’s completely erased his trade value, too.
The Powerplay: It might be true that the Calgary Flames penalty kill units are more dangerous to score than the powerplay. Seriously. They are right behind the Flyers with 10 shorthanded goals and are top five on the penalty kill.
But they were expecting a big improvement on the other side of special teams with Savard coming on and a happier Huberdeau. That hasn’t happened. The man-advantage is abysmal and among the worst in the league.
Elias Lindholm: The Flames’ top centre has had many good years, one really incredible season, but has seen a steep drop-off through the first half. The worst part of it is that this is arguably the most important season of the 29-year-old pending unrestricted free agent’s NHL career.
His contract talks were on-again, off-again all summer and considering the massive offensive struggles, it’s hard to imagine the Flames inking him to anything remotely close to what the ask was just a few months ago.
Lindholm still gets a little leeway for his importance in the faceoff circle, and his Selke-contending history — but even the underlying numbers are suggesting that he’s struggling in most aspects of possession on top of earning just eight goals and 28 points through 43 games so far.
Contending teams should still be banging on Flames GM Craig Conroy’s door at the NHL trade deadline, however.