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CALGARY
FLAMES
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Record: 27-36-15-4; 11th in West; 20th
overall
Incoming: Bob Boughner, Jukka Hentunen,
Dean McAmmond, Rob Niedermayer, Roman Turek
Outgoing: Tommy Albelin, Fred Brathwaite,
Valeri Bure, Daniel Tkaczuk, Jason Wiemer,
Ron Sutter
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Jarome
Iginla is one of the Flames few offensive
threats. |
Goaltending
(B):
Flames general manager Craig Button didn't win
any fans when he dealt fan favourite Fred Brathwaite
to the Blues in return for Roman Turek. The Flames
aren't expected to blow away the opposition with
a flurry of goals, so it will be Turek's job to
keep Calgary in the close games. But this season
will be a new experience for Turek -- he has never
been on a losing team before, and it will be interesting
to see how he performs under pressure. His poor
play during last year's playoffs led to the trade
to Calgary. Mike Vernon will be a capable backup.
Defence
(C+): If there's one area that the Flames
can boast at least a little depth, it's on the
blue line. Derek Morris has all the tools and
skills to become one of the best offensive defenceman
in the league. He is backed up by a young group
of rearguards that will only get better as the
season wears on. Denis Gauthier is already known
as a lethal open-ice hitter, while Robyn Regehr
is known for adding a little nastiness to his
game. Calgary hopes that Igor Kravchuk can improve
on last year's horrific season.
Offence
(C-): Okay, there's Marc Savard and Jarome
Iginla. That's all. The departure of Cory Stillman
and Valeri Bure, who combined to score 48 goals,
has left the Flames woefully weak on offence.
The Flames will need some breakout seasons from
at least four of their players for the team to
actually compete for the playoffs. Rob Niedermayer,
Dean McAmmond and Craig Conroy will contribute
occasionally and might improve their career numbers,
but it won't be enough for the lowly Flames. The
Flames can't expect another 18-goal season from
veteran Dave Lowry.
Game
Breaker: Jarome Iginla
On a team that doesn't have a superstar player
or an outstanding goaltender, Iginla is the closest
thing the Flames have to a game breaker. Iginla
played through some adversity, dealing with constant
trade rumours, to post career-highs in goals (31)
and points (71).
Prediction:
13th in the Western Conference
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Hockey Night in Canada 