Biggest Offseason Question: Calgary Flames

Can The Big Names Bounce Back Under A New Head Coach?

      Huberdeau was Calgary’s biggest acquisition last summer, arriving in the blockbuster deal that sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida. He was coming off a career year, having racked up 30-85-115 with the Panthers, prompting the Flames to back up the Brinks truck and lock him up on a monster 8 year contract extension with an average annual value of $10.5 million. This turned some heads, considering there was still a year remaining on his previous deal and had yet to even suit up for a practice in Calgary when he signed, but the Flames were confident his playmaking skills would translate to a new team and didn’t want to risk losing him to free agency after being left at the altar by Johnny Gaudreau. After one season, the results are not pretty. 

      Huberdeau’s perimeter passing game landed him squarely in Sutter’s doghouse, and his ice time dropped while the hard nosed bench boss made comments to the media about his star winger’s bowel movements. Huberdeau finished the year with only 15 goals and 55 points in 79 games of action, and with his massive contract kicking in this season, the Flames are desperately hoping he’ll respond better to Huska’s collaborative communication style than he did to the grumpy old muppet’s gripes. 

      Kadri is a straight line center with plenty of skill and a healthy dose of sandpaper, the kind of player you’d think Sutter would love. He too was coming off a career year, piling up 87 points in 71 games and winning the Stanley Cup in Colorado. Calgary brought him in via free agency for a healthy $7 million per season, but he too struggled to adjust to Sutter’s system and his point total dipped, only finding his way onto the scoresheet 56 times. He’s another guy that needs to have a bounce back year under a new coach for the Flames to have any hope of returning to the postseason. 

      It's not uncommon for players to struggle in their first season with a new team. Learning new systems, building chemistry with new linemates, and living in a new city require major adjustments. It wouldn't surprise anyone to see these two talents return to form now that they've had a year to settle in, and a new coach that doesn't share Sutter’s reputation as one of the hardest guys in the league to play for should certainly help. The third player on our list, however, has been in Calgary for a few years now.

      Starting goalie Jacob Markstrom had a dreadful season. After finishing 2nd in Vezina voting a year prior, his save percentage dipped from .922 to .892 in 2022-23. He often looked shaky in net, and allowed some surprisingly soft goals at critical times that leeched the momentum from his team. His performance was a far cry from previous seasons when he looked like a top tier goalie, and there’s evidence to suggest he’s capable of returning to that level.

      While Markstrom bears a lot of the blame for last season, the team defense under Sutter’s system didn’t do him many favors. On the surface Calgary looked to be an impenetrable fortress as they surrendered only 27.32 shots on goal per game, good for 3rd in the league. Watching the team play told a different story though, as the timing and location of these shots would make life difficult on any goaltender. 

      Sutter’s system focuses on puck possession and shot volume. He wanted his team to play with the puck in the offensive zone and fire shots from all angles, while selling out to prevent shots in their own end. This sounds like a winning formula in theory, but opponents quickly adjusted to it and opted for quality over the quantity Sutter prioritized. Opposing teams would collapse to the high danger areas of their own zone, allowing Calgary to roam freely around the perimeters and rip countless low percentage shots that their goaltenders would easily turn aside. When attackers entered the Flames’ zone they would prioritize puck movement over quick shots, patiently probing the defense until fatigue caused a breakdown and they could attack the slot. This resulted in long stretches during which Markstrom didn’t get to feel the puck, throwing him out of rhythm and making him more susceptible to the grade-A chances that finally arrived on his doorstep. The result was a massive number of games in which Calgary outshot their opponents by wide margins but ended up losing because of the difference in quality of scoring chances. 

      Conroy specifically mentioned the defensive zone as an area he wants to improve now that he’s running training camp, in addition to getting more from Huberdeau and Kadri. He recognizes that he’s working with a talented roster, and he seems to be focused on implementing a system that plays to their strengths. If he can pull it off, it will be a stark contrast from Sutter’s method of cramming square pegs into round holes, and the Flames should at least be competing for a wildcard spot down the stretch.