Season Preview: Can a new goalie, coach get Flames back on track?
theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.
A 20-point regression in the standings forced the Calgary Flames to make some serious moves this offseason.
The club brought in a new head coach, completely revamped its goaltending tandem, and added a veteran two-way presence up front.
The Flames still hold a large portion of the roster that saw them reach the second round of the playoffs in 2015 and their new acquisitions should only help them get back to the postseason.
Here are three questions facing the club this season:
Can Elliott, Johnson provide stable goaltending?
Goaltending was the Flames' biggest crutch last season, there's no way around it.
The team had a league-worst 3.13 goals-against per game, even though they allowed only the 20th most shots.
Their goalies surely didn't stack up to the rest of the 46 goaltenders who played at least 25 games last season.
| G | GAA (Rank) | SV% (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Karri Ramo | 2.63 (31) | .909 (36) |
| Jonas Hiller | 3.51 (48) | .879 (48) |
Luckily, with Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson now at the helm, the club should be in much better stead.
What can the Flames expect from Brouwer?
Next to Elliott, the Flames' biggest acquisition of the summer was that of Troy Brouwer.
The club inked the 31-year-old to a four-year, $18-million contract after he posted a productive 18-goal, 39-point season, while adding another eight goals and 13 points in the postseason.
Brouwer provides both offense and grit as his 52 blocks and 200 hits prove. However, there is certainly a reason to be cautious regarding expectations.
Offensively, Brouwer has seen a drop in both his goals per game and points per game over the last three seasons, and since the 2012-13 season he has a Corsi-for rating of just 49.07.
Brouwer certainly makes the club better, but Flames fans shouldn't be surprised if his production once again continues to slide.
Was Gulutzan the best choice for coach?
After dismissing Bob Hartley of his head coaching duties, the Flames took a long, hard, and delayed look at all their potential candidates before coming to a decision on Glen Gulutzan.
While Gulutzan has lots of experience, including, but not limited to, serving as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks the past three seasons and as head coach of the Dallas Stars during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, the Flames passed over on some big candidates.
During the time of Hartley's firing, Bruce Boudreau was without a job after being dismissed by the Anaheim Ducks, Guy Boucher had not yet signed with the Ottawa Senators, and Mike Yeo was also still kicking around.
Each of the men above have more experience as head coaches in the NHL. This is not to knock Gulutzan, only to serve as a precaution as the team is set to embark on a new chapter sans a coach with a deep NHL resume.