2009-10 NHL preview: Calgary Flames

It appears that the Calgary Flames finally have the right coach in Brent Sutter. One has to wonder why it took General Manager Darryl Suter so long to get the right man for the job. Two years ago Darryl brought in Mike Keenan, saving him from Hockey exile, but after yet another first rood playoff flop Darryl had to fire him, and bring him Brent. While some blame Keenan for the Flames collapse, he was not the man who mismanaged the salary cap, and allowed a late season injury typhoon to take first place in the Northwest division to slip from the team’s grasp.

The cap situation for the Flames is not a good one. Already paying out mega bucks to a few players, Darryl Sutter went out and signed Jay Bouwmeester to a five year 33.4 million dollar deal. That means the Flames will pay 44 million dollars of their 57 million dollar salary cap to just eight players. That left about 13 million dollars for the remaining 13 Flames players.

Now this team will have to build around Brent Sutter’s system, while he is just as demanding as Keenan was he is more technically inclined and the Flames hope he can rebound, star Jarome Iginla’s 8 year worst season of just 35 goals last season. However this team has been handcuffed cap wise by the last year’s trade for Olli Jokinen. While Ollie played well for the Flames, he did not score a goal in his final 13 games and was a -9 for the year including the playoffs.

Additions- W Riley Armstrong, D Jay Bouwmeester, LW Nigel Dawes, RW Jason Jaffray, D Staffan Kronwall, RW Brian McGrattan, C Garth Murray, C Brandon Prust, RW Fredrik Sjostrom, D Anton Strlaman, and RW Colin Stuart

Subtractions- D Adrian Aucoin, W Michael Cammalleri, D Jordan Leopold, C Warren Peters, C Wayne Primeau, and D Jim Vandermeer