2016-17 record: 45-33-4 (94 points)
Lost to Anaheim in the Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Mark Giordano
Despite making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, the fatal flaw in the Calgary Flames' gameplan has been the same ever since Miikka Kiprusoff retired: goaltending. That flaw, along with a lack of scoring punch, was a big reason they were swept aside in the first round last season. Now, the names in goal have changed once again, but the goal remains the same.
Starting in goal, Mike Smith and Eddie Lack are the new tandem, and they are the seventh and eight goaltenders to get regular playing time since the end of the 2013 season. Combined with very little in the way of goaltending prospects developing in that time, something that the Flames hope finally ends soon, it is why the Flames have been middle of the pack for so long. On the blue line, they should be great on paper, as they are five deep as far as quality players go. Finding the sixth and seventh guys will be a challenge, but not one that should be of major concern. Up front, most of the players had down years on the stat sheet, but the emergence of Mikael Backlund as a Selke candidate has given the Flames peace of mind on who to slot behind Sean Monahan. Dougie Hamilton showed what he is capable of, starting the offense from the back end at least 50 times (the number of points he put up). If there is someone that needs to step up, it's Sam Bennett, who fell victim to the sophmore slump.
Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division
The Flames are even better on the blue line, but until the goaltending finally solidifies itself, it may not matter who's in front. Getting the offensive bite back to the team would also go a long way in helping the overall team take the next step forward.
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