The Calgary Flames had high hopes for the 2017-18 season after loading up the
prior summer with high-price talent. Unfortunately their season disappointed,
and that disappointment has led to another busy summer for general manager Brad
 Treliving. Expectations remain sky-high in southern Alberta, but the margin
for error has become quite thin for the current management group.(Vince
Richard/The Hockey Writers)

After some shaky defensive play throughout last season and some inconsistent
goaltending down the stretch, the Flames will need more from their back end
group to succeed in 2018-19. Here';s our projections for how the Flames roster
shakes out in the crease and on the blueline heading into training camp.The
Projected Goalies

Mike Smith

David Rittich

The 2018-19 Flames will arguably be made or broken by their goaltenders, much
as they were throughout the prior season. The 2017-18 Flames were initially
held together through some very shaky early performances by a series of stellar
 efforts by a 35-year-old Mike Smith. But Smith suffered a low-body injury on
February 11 and ended up missing a month of action. With rookies David Rittich
and Jon Gillies splitting starting duties the Flames went 5-10-2, and Smith
looked all-too-human upon his return to the crease in mid-March.Calgary Flames
goalie Mike Smith (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

After his superb netminding in the first two-thirds of last season Smith is a
lock to return as Flames starter - though his status beyond this season may be
in question due to his age, as he turns 37 in March. But the surprise regarding
 the Flames'; netminding is how few changes they';ve made to their personnel.
After the Eddie Lack as backup experiment fizzled out early last season -
resulting in Smith playing a ton of early games - Rittich settled into a nice
groove as backup, primarily playing the second game of back-to-back road trips.
 While he seemed to crack under the pressure of being an NHL starter while
Smith was injured, his age, waivers status and developmental maturity make him
an ideal backup. The challenge for goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet and new
head coach Bill Peters may be tapping Rittich early and often enough in the
season that he develops a starting routine in net in the event Smith suffers
another injury.Goalies Beyond the NHL Level

Behind Smith and Rittich, Gillies will likely begin the season as the starter
for the American Hockey League';s Stockton Heat - Rittich';s waiver status and
the chance to keep Gillies playing and developing in Stockton are the primary
reasons for this preference. That said, keep an eye on Gillies'; performances
in the AHL. With a higher developmental ceiling than Rittich, he could press
for time in the NHL net with a strong start to the AHL calendar. The
medium-term goal for the Flames is to keep bringing Tyler Parsons, the
incumbent AHL backup, along in his development, and expanding his workload this
 season would go a long way to doing so. If Gillies can make a case for time in
 a Flames sweater, Rittich may end up being the odd man out.The Projected
Defense

Mark GiordanoTJ Brodie

Noah HanifinTravis Hamonic

Juuso ValimakiMichael Stone

Brett Kulak

The big challenge for the Flames last season was TJ Brodie';s lack of chemistry
 with Travis Hamonic, particularly in terms of communication and positioning in
 their own end early in the season. While Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton
were superb in the offensive zone, they faced challenges on the defensive end -
 primarily in Hamilton';s side of the rink. But the top four didn';t deliver
the consistency that Treliving had hoped they would, so changes were mid over
the summer.

Brodie returns to a familiar spot: the right side of Giordano, where he spent
the better part of three seasons and played the best hockey of his career.
He';s replaced on the second pairing by Noah Hanifin, acquired from Carolina in
 the Dougie Hamilton trade. The challenge for the Flames and their coaching
staff is now to help Brodie recapture his magic with Giordano and assist
Hanifin in gelling with Travis Hamonic. As has been the goal with the last few
defensive tinkers made by Treliving - the trades for Hamilton, Hamonic and now
Hanifin - the hope is that they';ll alleviate the drop-off between the Giordano
 pairing and everybody else.Flames defensemen Mark Giordano (Perry Nelson-USA
TODAY Sports)

The biggest spot for potential improvement for the blueline over last season is
 on the third pairing. Last season';s third duo of Brett Kulak and Michael
Stone (with occasional appearances by Matt Bartkowski) were fine, but they
didn';t factor into helping the Flames win games very often. 2017 first round
selection Juuso Valimaki is a high-impact defenseman who starred with the
Western Hockey League';s Tri-City Americans and captained the Finnish entry at
the World Juniors last winter. He';s mature, composed and highly skilled.
He';ll be given every chance to prove that he';ll be an improvement over Kulak
- who would likely become the seventh defender if he';s supplanted due to his
waiver status.Defense Beyond the NHL Level

Behind Kulak and Valimaki are AHL standouts Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington
and veteran Dalton Prout knocking on the door. Prout would be fine as a seventh
 man in the NHL, but he would also be a good mentor for youngsters in Stockton.
 If given a choice between waiving him or Kulak, Kulak';s youth and versatility
 probably keeps him in the big leagues. The Flames are hoping to be a harder
team to play against in 2018-19, but rather than employ more big bodies on the
back end it seems more prudent for them to load up with youth, speed and skill
wherever they can.

The post Projecting Flames 2018-19 Opening Night Roster: Goalies & Defense
appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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