Flames Season Preview: 'A number of things you can’t rely on duplicating'

The 2014-15 Calgary Flames were the team that wouldn't, and ultimately didn't, go away.

Despite posting a 27th ranked even strength Corsi rating of 44.5, and finishing in the same spot in terms of shots per game (27.5), the Flames held off the Los Angeles Kings and finished third in the Pacific Division, with the highest goal differential (+25) among all seven teams to boot.

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Their success didn't stop there either, as they managed to win a playoff round - albeit in a favorable matchup with the Vancouver Canucks.

General manager Brad Treliving, however, knows his team can't continue to rely on good fortune. "There are a number of things there you can't rely on duplicating," he said during the offseason. "We're not saying we have to retrace our footprints from last season. We have to get better."

Rather than stay the course, then, the Flames made two major additions over the course of the offseason, acquiring Dougie Hamilton via trade and signing Michael Frolik as a free agent.

The Flames also signed captain Mark Giordano to a big-time contract extension, retained the services of goaltender Karri Ramo, and signed depth forwards Lance Bouma, Josh Jooris, and Paul Byron.

While Calgary certainly won't sneak up on anyone this season, Treliving likely did enough to help head coach and Jack Adams finalist Bob Hartley's squad ward off a serious measure of regression, making it a strong candidate to push for a second-straight playoff spot - even in the wild and competitive West.

Projected Depth Chart

X-Factor

Sam Bennett's rookie season was derailed by a shoulder injury that he attempted to hide from the club during training camp. Eventually, it required surgery, and Bennett was off the ice until February, at which time he was sent back to the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.

There, Bennett picked up where he left off prior to being selected fourth overall by the Flames at the 2014 NHL Draft, recording 11 goals and 13 assists in 11 junior games. Bennett was called up near the end of the NHL regular season, and picked up an assist in his first pro game.

It's in the playoffs, however, where he displayed his true potential and value to the team, scoring three goals and adding an assist in 11 games while working his way into the top six. By allowing Bennett to appear in more than nine games, the Flames also burned the first year of his entry-level contract, suggesting he'll be a regular fixture in the lineup come opening night.

That the Flames achieved the level off success that they did last season without Bennett, his presence could serve as a boon up front, adding depth and another weapon on the left side to take the pressure of Johnny Gaudreau.

Putting him on a line with a defensively responsible pair of Mikael Backlund and Frolik could also free him up to focus on what he does best: put up points.

Player to Watch

Few would have expected the Flames to add a player of Hamilton's ilk without sacrificing a major piece of the active roster, but that's exactly what Treliving was able to do, thanks to his colleague in Boston.

Hamilton, who promptly signed a six-year, $34.5-million contract extension upon being sent to Calgary, joins a Flames blue line that already features Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie, with Dennis Wideman, Kris Russell, Ladislav Smid, and Deryk Engelland all set to earn north of $2.5 million this season.

Likely to settle in on the second pairing, what Hamilton is set to bring to the table is a puck-moving, positive possession game, with the ability to dominate both on the score sheet and in his own zone.

While he has yet to reach his full potential as an NHL defenseman, he's primed to do just that as early as 2015-16 in Calgary, surrounded by veterans and relatively sheltered behind the Flames' dominant top pair.

In a tough Western Conference, defensive depth is at a premium, and Calgary added it in spades when Dougie came to town.