Flames' Treliving after playoff sweep: 'It's time we raised the bar'
The Calgary Flames clearly aren't satisfied with simply advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
General manager Brad Treliving addressed the media Friday in the aftermath of an opening-round series sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, and he made it quite clear that several more postseason games should be the norm moving forward.
"It's time we raised the bar," he stated, per Postmedia's Kristen Odland.
How that bar will be raised, Treliving believes, is through growth within the team's core group of young players.
"The upward trajectory of this team will be charted by the core group ... the big growth is with the group here getting better." - Treliving
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 21, 2017
One position that must be addressed immediately is in net, where both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson are set to become unrestricted free agents come July 1. The former posted a .880 postseason save percentage, and doesn't appear to be the long-term answer for the Flames after one season as the starter.
"We'll take a step back, exhale, and then start looking at the goaltending and all of our positions," Treliving said.
The GM's contract, it should be noted, is also set to expire, with no deal in place past this season. It's expected the sides will meet next week to discuss his future, and he didn't seem to be overly concerned, saying "My situation, that'll get dealt with when it gets dealt with," per Odland.
Treliving has served as GM since April 28, 2014, and the Flames have advanced to the playoffs twice during his tenure.