Well, despite the fact that I openly believe that almost no one is reading this, I will continue to post my humble contributions... if for no other reason than to occupy my time. Today I am going to relate the concerns and issues I think the Calgary Flames will be facing heading into the coming season:
1.) Goaltending -
This first issue is more of a question mark (?) than an actual concern. While all indications are that Kiprusoff will be a highly capable number one goalie, it still remains to be seen that he can consistently shoulder the load of a full NHL season. Further, the Flames have relatively untested commodities in Sauve and Krahn, who are currently battling for the back-up position. Given that Suave is 25 and has some NHL experience (as well as one way contract) , it can be assumed that he will start the season as the Flame's #2. Especially since Krahn is only 23 and could use further development in AHL. The major concern this year in goal for Calgary, therefore, will be to see if Sauve can be capable enough to win some games when Kipprusoff is resting, or, god forbid, injured. Overall, however, with a strong defensive core and a healthy Kiprusoff, I think Calgary will again have one of the lower goals against totals in the league.
2.) Offense -
While there are numerous indications that Calgary will considerably improve in this category in the 05/06 campaign, there are still a number of unknowns and a history of relative goal-scoring impotence that plagues the Flames. While adding Amonte and Langkow looks good on paper, it remains to be seen whether they can develop chemistry with Calgary's established sniper and captain, Jerome Iginla. A failed experiment with Chris Drury several seasons back shows that added talent doesn't necessarily translate to added success. Although the Amonte, Langkow and Iginla line has shown some flair and promise in the preseason, the only real proof will come with regular season success.
In addition the Flames seem to have an improved secondary attack, with the potential emergence of young guns like Reinprecht, Kobasew and Lombardi. Reinprecht has been dogged by numerous injuries throughout his tenure with the Calgary club, while Kobasew has been relegated to 3rd and 4th line checking duty to aid his development. This year, Calgary fans and hockey pundits alike expect big things from Reinprecht, who has recovered fully from his various maladies due to the lock-out, as well as a break-out performance from Kobasew, who led the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL last year in goals and plus/minus. In addition, it is also conceivable that Lombardi will improve on the 16 goals he scored in his rookie year. Add in the potential for the likes of Donovan, Yelle and Nilson to contribute 10-15 goals each, and Calgary would appear to have shored up some of their offensive issues. Of course, should Reinprecht get injured, Kobasew disappoint and Lombardi experience the dreaded "sophomore jinx", Calgary will be top heavy and over-reliant on the ALI line to carry the team offensively.
Powerplay -
A related but seperate issue is the Flames uninspiring powerplay. This will be an especially pertinent issue in the "new NHL" while teams and players learn to play under the "no-obstruction" decree. Of course, any Flames fan that suffered through the last decade of squandered PP opportunities knows that this has been a bone of contention with this team for a long time. For me personally, it is in this area that I fully expect the Flames to improve in this season. The additions of Hamlik and Phaneuf mean the additions of 2 more booming shots from the point. Add Jordan Leopold, who has the vision and skill to quaterback a powerplay, plus Amonte, Langkow, Iginla and Reinprecht and Calgary SHOULD have a significantly dangerous PP attack. Heck, the Flames even have some capable big bodies like Simon and Weimer to plant in the crease and shovel in garbage goals. In addition, Calgary seems to be employing Regher in a more offensive manner on the man advantage during the preseason by moving him into the rush and in front of the net a la Jovonovski for the Canucks. It would be immensely beneficial to the powerplay - and the team in general - for Regher to develop some offensive upside...in particular, if he could release his slapshot (which is apparently very hard) with some kind of speed and accuracy, the Flames could finally have an array of intimidating weaponry on the point.
Of course, the potential for powerplay improvement also suffers from similar doubts that are heaped upon Calgary's offense this year - will the new players develop chemistry? Will Reinprecht actually stay healthy? Will Leopold continue to develop into the offensive d-man that everyone projects? Here's hoping that the answer is "yes" and this year Flames fans will be able to anticipate the man-advantage with delight rather than trepidation.
Anyways, those are some of the major concerns and issues I see facing the Flames going into the regular season. Overall, I am rather excited about the teams chances this year (like Sports Illustrated and many other analysts and experts) and hope that the promise and potential evident on paper translates to both season and playoff success.
