3 Offseason Changes To Get Calgary Flames Back In The Playoffs

The Calgary Flames just missed the playoffs after a great effort during the regular season. A big part of the reason for not making the postseason was scoring. The team achieved more than initially expected, but the next step Calgary has to take is into the playoffs. These are some things that have to happen to make that a reality.

Top Prospects to Break In & Contribute

The Flames didn't have any stars, but they did get contributions from a lot of places. The team is going to look a big different next season with some young players pushing for spots. This includes Zayne Perekh, Aydar Suniev, Samuel Honzek, Rory Kerins, William Stromgren, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Ilya Solovyov. We will likely see all of them at some point next season and some more than others like Perekh. They will all be considered rookies, so the Flames will need contributions from somewhere coming from these players stepping in and trying to earn full time NHL jobs.

Bring In Veteran Backup Goalie

The Flames are likely moving on from Dan Vladar as the backup and definitely don't need a goalie who can split time with Dustin Wolf as he more than proved himself as a capable starter and future Vezina candidate. Wolf played 51 games and could go higher next season. He is young and the best thing the Flames could do is bring in a veteran backup who is fine with playing 25-30 games and sharing his experience and knowledge with Wolf.

Find More Scoring

The Flames missed the playoffs because they couldn't score. The team finished 27th in the league in goals and only four goals separated them from 30th. The Flames were in the top half of the league in goals against, so with just a little more scoring, they would have had a chance to compete in the playoffs. The expectation is that some players like Matthew Coronato are going to improve, but at the same time, Blacke Coleman and Mikael Backlund aren't going to surprise anyone and produce a lot more or even at the same level as they have. The team needs Connor Zary to also take another step as well as Yegor Sharangovich, Morgan Frost, and Joel Farabee to all rebound/come into their own. It's asking a lot, so maybe the Flames also make an addition.