When the Calgary Flames fell to the Dallas Stars in last fall’s NHL Bubble Playoff, it became clear GM Brad Treliving was determined that his team would go forth with the motto “less is more”..The franchise needs to drastically reduce the number of avoidable errors that led to so many goals against them last year. And most importantly, they need to put an immediate stop to the upheaval on the team. And it appears that they have..What happened to Bill Peters was well documented. The ramifications to the Flames however was barely touched. Whether it was right or wrong while significant, didn’t really tell the whole story. Imagine the shock to the dressing room and the front office when that bomb dropped. No one was left untouched..Fortunately for the Flames, Geoff Ward did a good job and was rewarded with a full-time gig. Treliving avoided unneeded time delay and additional questions by making this move. The general manager – while doing a great job – can ill afford another coaching mishap. No team can deal with that and he needs continuity. Like right now..The passing of former President and CEO Ken King also was a factor. King was larger than life within the organization. John Bean is a fine replacement and his intelligent demeanor will provide a calming influence going forward..The acquisition of free agent Jacob Markstrom showed the team clearly had enough stop gap measures. Again, a six-year contract with a $6,000,000 AAV means Markstrom will stop the revolving door, removing another key distraction. The Flames hope his outstanding performance as a Canuck will carry over to Calgary. Despite the risk, the move should provide a big reward..Speaking of the Canucks, defenceman and former foe Christopher Tanev joined the Flames on the blueline. At age 31 – and known for his consistent performance in the defensive zone – he provides balance. .Mark Giordano at age 37 – while still a fine defender and former Norris Trophy winner – now has a stop gap defenceman to help the up-and-coming youth. Hanafin, Andersson, Jusso Valimaki and to a lesser degree Oliver Kylington represent the future. Tanev helps to bridge the gap..TJ Brodie – a long-time defenceman for the organization – signed as a free agent in Toronto. A brilliant skater and gifted with puck, Brodie will help the Leafs, but his departure may also assist the Flames in another way. Brodie has had a challenging personal life with his wife’s illness and young child. Not to mention last year’s collapse on ice during practice. His health is better and moving closer to his Southern Ontario home will help him. It also clears the deck for younger Flames. .As does the departure of Travis Hamonic, who opted out of the playoffs in the fall. As I mentioned in my Canucks preview, Hamonic’s Calgary exit was not really a surprise. Perhaps another distraction is gone..Up front, Treliving is starting to add some depth. That effort may help relieve some of the reliance on the tandem of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. .Both have talent, but the clock is ticking, especially for Gaudreau. Johnny has two years left on his contract paying 6.75 million per year. The suspicion is Gaudreau has been figured out by the league’s defenders. His size and strength forever in question, it now presents him with his greatest challenge. Can he remove those doubts? Was he indeed on the trading block? If so, those questions may be the reason he remains a Flame. I look for Gaudreau to be much improved, although I’m not so certain he remains in Calgary for the long term. .The Flames have some balance on the forward lines. Matthew Tkachuk – almost every team’s public enemy number one – is a born leader. His issue is staying healthy. He needs to show he can perform over a full season..At 26 years of age, Elias Lindholm has been a steal. His overall game and skill set can be built around. He is going nowhere..In the end, do the Flames have enough? Provided the new emphasis on goaltending and improved defensive play, the answer is yes. Playoffs and perhaps more than one round are entirely possible. However, if the pucks keep going in their net at the same pace as last year, they could very well be surpassed..Roger Millions is the Sports Columnist for the Western Standard
