Wolf at the Door: Flames’ Fate Lies in the Blue Line

We all know the Calgary Flames’ season totally relies on how Dustin Wolf responds in goal this season. We could try to kid ourselves by saying our offence is essential too. However, the Calgary Flames’ offense was one of the worst in the league last year, yet they still managed to score 96 points. Yes, Dustin Wolf holds our fate in his hands.

You could say that if the defence improves this year, it would go a long way to helping Dustin Wolf. The problem with that conclusion is that the Calgary Flames have still not resolved the Rasmus Andersson fiasco. The Calgary Flames have a solid top four, featuring Andersson, Weeger, Bahl, and, of course, the wonder kid, Parekh. Here’s the big challenge: The Calgary Flames need to get more out of the final third pairing, whoever they decide to insert into the lineup.

This is where life gets interesting. The Calgary Flames have plenty of candidates who can fill that position. Here are my picks for the battle of the final three spots.

Daniil Miromanov

Dani Miromanov was in and out of the lineup last season. He would typically be a sixth- or seventh defenseman on most NHL teams. I think what the Flames need is more consistency from Miromanov. He cannot be a hindrance and make the coach afraid to put him out on the ice. When he focuses on his game and doesn’t try to go too hard, he is helpful to the Flames.

Brayden Pachal

Brayden Pachal plays with a chip on his shoulder and does not shy away from physical play. He gradually began to fit into the lineup with his physical play. If he continues to grow, hits smarter, and colors within the lines, he is a good defenseman. We need his toughness. He has to stay out of the box while playing physically.

Joel Hanley

Joel Hanley was a pleasant surprise. Joel is defensively responsible. He adds more stability to the defensive core. Joel was a plus-12 for a third-pairing defenseman, which is excellent. I love his game; nothing flashy, but he is a reliable third-pairing defenseman.

Final word

The Flames aren’t expecting Norris Trophy candidates for the fifth/sixth defencemen. What they’re hoping to do is add some energy to the game, change momentum, and keep mistakes to a minimum. The Flames need to be more defensively responsible and give Wolfe some support.

Calgary Flames: The Wolfman Howls

How are you feeling this morning? Dustin Wolf told everybody but the kitchen sink that he wanted to stay here long-term. He then signs a $7.5 million contract for seven years. The Calgary Flames listened to him and took him up on it, and here we have it: Wolfman’s gonna be here for the next seven years.

Of course, my first reaction is incredible. Woohoo, we have our man! We haven’t had a goalie here since Kipper, but now, the Wolfman is taking over. But then I needed to think this through. Has Wolf earned a 7.5×7 contract? Well, the stats back it up for one year; he was outstanding last season. He was the only reason the Calgary Flames were as good as they were. It’s time to put up or shut up. You have to pay the piper. Meaning, Wolf has earned his money. But what happens if he doesn’t keep it up next year? Then that contract could be a sore spot

. My reaction to that is nothing ventured, nothing gained. We have to keep our core. We have to send a message to our fans: the Calgary Flames aim to keep their men.

Moving on: What if I were to ask you what the Calgary Flames’ most outrageous mistakes were this off-season? I’m sure you have yours. I have mine, and the biggest error this off-season for me is the Rasmus Andersson fiasco. I would have liked to have seen him either signed or traded.

The second issue that’s on my mind is the Calgary Flames’ inability to get a top forward. Where is the offense going to come from? We can’t rely on only Kadri and Huberdeau, can we? I was kind of hoping that we were going to clear that up. Kadri and Huby need some help.

Lastly, I wanted to discuss letting Vladar go. Last season, they took Darth Vladar for granted. Vlader was key to giving Wolf some rest, which was vital to the Flames’ success. Will we have a reliable backup this season?