Calgary Flames: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

The Calgary Flames are no strangers to the heat. Can they return to the playoffs? That and four more burning questions answered.

Consistency has been an issue for the Calgary Flames. Calgary has been in-and-out of the playoffs for the past five seasons now. They are coming off a disappointing 84-point season following a surprise playoff appearance in 2016-17.

Glen Gulutzan is gone behind the bench. In his place is former Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters. Peters failed to make the playoffs in four season with Carolina. Calgary continued their shake up at the draft, trading Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland to Carolina in exchange for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm.

Heading into 2018-19, the Flames have one goal in mind: make the playoffs. But with questionable leadership and banged up goaltending, can they do it?

You’ll have to read on to find out. That’s a tease, folks. First….

5. Canadian Carolina?

With Peters, Hanifin, Lindholm, and Derek Ryan on board, the Flames have a familiar feel. Living in North Carolina, I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of watching a lot of Hurricanes hockey over the years. As much as I like Hanifin and believed in Lindholm, they never got it done for the Hurricanes. I’m even on record as to saying Peters is a good coach and thought he would turn Carolina around. Four years of questionable coaching decisions later and I’m thinking Old Takes Exposed is slowly creeping in on me.

The Flames roster is more talented than the Hurricanes roster, but we’ve seen this mix before. It didn’t work in Carolina. Why will work it in Calgary?

The first bit of good news is that the Calgary roster is better. The Hurricanes didn’t have a player the caliber of Johnny Gaudreau, nor did they have a defensive pairing on the level of Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie.

Second, Peters would not have signed off on these moves if he didn’t see something in Hanifin, Lindholm, and Ryan. Maybe these three guys were part of the solution and everyone else was part of the problem. It certainly seems as if Peters is thinking this way. If he’s right, we should see all three turn in career years as Calgary steamrolls the competition. If he’s wrong, the Flames will be destined for more mediocrity.

Finally, to answer the question, no, Carolina is not in Canada. It’s on the east coast. And the city where the Hurricanes play is pronounced “Rah-lee” not “Roll-ee” like the geniuses at NBC like to say. And John Forslund was ours before he started playoff games.

Some players might be the same, the coach might be the same. But the Flames are not the Hurricanes. Congratulations, Calgary.