2016 NHL offseason outlook: Calgary Flames

2015-16 Season Review

The Flames were an exciting, but flawed team. They were flawed because of their awful defense, which allowed 260 goals (the most in the NHL). Despite that, they still allowed just 2,371 shots on goal (11th fewest in the league). Their blue line was impressive. It was led by captain Mark Giordano (21 goals and 56 points), who played excellently when he was on the ice. T.J. Brodie (six goals and 45 points) proved that he is more than just the Robin to Giordano’s Batman. Dougie Hamilton showed a lot of promise with 12 goals and 31 assists despite often playing a second or third pairing role.

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Their offense was why they were an exciting team. They finished 11th in the league in scoring. Just like in 2014-15, Calgary was led by their two outstanding young forwards Johnny Gaudreau (30 goals and 48 assists) and Sean Monahan (27 goals and 36 assists). Mikael Granlund took a huge step forward and emerged as a legitimate second line center with 21 goals and 26 assists. Sam Bennett was inconsistent, but certainly showed his skill with 36 points in 77 games. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old.

So why was Calgary doomed this season? Because Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Niklas Backstrom each had subpar save percentages.

Next: Offseason Needs