Will these same Flames be a better team? New coach, GM give them hope

CALGARY — It’s one thing when the pundits are unsure what to expect from a team.

It’s another when the lads inside the locker room are equally as curious.

“We’ll see (Wednesday), I guess,” said Nikita Zadorov with a shrug, when asked what to expect from this year’s edition of the Calgary Flames.

“We don’t even know. We haven’t played a real game yet.”

On the ice the team remained much the same as the one that barely missed the playoffs last year.

Management’s belief in the bunch trumped all temptation to deconstruct.

The mystery lies in how all the changes behind the scenes will affect players hellbent on bouncing back as individuals and as a group.

“It’s definitely a building process,” said Zadorov, delving deeper into the challenge facing the team.

“Build the character, build the chemistry and the new system, new lines, new coaching staff and new management and everything.

“Build the trust inside the team.

“I feel like everybody is excited to be here at this time of the year and it’s a fresh page tomorrow.”

Go ahead, flip a coin to try figuring out if this team is playoff material or not.

So much has still to be determined, from line combinations and significant contract situations, to whether the new playing style can be effective. 

Last year they crumbled under the weight of lofty expectations.

This year, no one knows what to think.

Surely, club building blocks like Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom can rebound from nightmarish seasons.

That’s a given, considering how far both fell.

They both speak of the refreshing new atmosphere in town under coach Ryan Huska and GM Craig Conroy, whose enthusiasm as new team architects and leaders is infectious.

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Will that translate into a more relaxed club, capable of pulling out more of those one-goal games they found themselves choking on last season?

Can a lad like Dillon Dubé help Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm find chemistry on the first line?

Will Lindholm sign an extension before Christmas, or does his status, and that of Noah Hanifin, become a distraction leading up to the trade deadline?   

Can Harvard sniper Matt Coronato make good on his second-line status by using his world-class shot to pot 20 or 25 as a rookie, as most expect? 

After all, his stellar pre-season earned him a start on the top power-play unit.

Speaking of which, can ‘Power Play Whisperer’ Marc Savard teach this bunch how to run one of the league’s top units?  

Can Yegor Sharangovich — one of only four new faces on the roster — produce alongside Nazem Kadri and Coronato?

Again, more questions than answers.

One thing no one needs to concern themselves with is the consistency and effectiveness of Mikael Backlund’s third unit, between Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman.

They are one of the west’s most reliable lines.

But can a fourth line with newbie A.J. Greer, Adam Ruzicka and Walker Duehr produce enough energy and sound defensive play to be relied upon?

“It’s your guys’ job to predict and set up the rankings,” said Zadorov with a laugh, insisting that handicapping the race for a playoff spot is not his concern.

“We have a winning mentality this year, to get back to the playoffs.

“We have an unbelievable group of guys. I’ve been in the league 10 years and, if you take away Colorado’s group, this is the closest I have seen the guys been in the past two years.”

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Universally applauded as the new captain, Backlund agrees the tight-knit room has one focus in mind. 

“We’re going to try to come out and show everyone we are better than last year,” he said.

“That’s been a big message over the summer.

“We’re talking about playing fast, being aggressive out there, playing with pace, making it hard on teams by moving our feet and pushing other teams.”

The new systems might not be recognizable to the average fans, but the players are going from a man-to-man approach in the defensive zone to more of a positional setup.

Huska made the switch after seeing how some of the league’s top teams fared with a similar system. 

He’s got every reason to believe his team can cut down scoring chances, as the Flames still boast one of the better defensive groups in the loop, with smooth-skating veteran Jordan Oesterle rounding out the third pairing with Zadorov.

Their top four is formidable with Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Chris Tanev and Hanifin providing a steady influence on and off the ice.

Offensively, the focus is on being creative.

It’s not a particularly fast, large or skilled bunch — just a blend of everything, which includes young and old.

Kadri’s play diminished as the season wore on last year, but he’s been sharp and engaged throughout camp, particularly on the man advantage where he loves the new focus on quick entries and fast puck movement.

On Wednesday evening the Flames can officially put last year’s mess behind them, and begin anew with an opening night visit from the Winnipeg Jets. 

“Last season was a lot of ups and downs,” said Zadorov, stopping himself.

“We don’t really like to talk about last season anymore.

“We’re just going to leave it in the past and then focus on the new season.”

How that will play out is anyone’s guess.

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