Dougie Hamilton joins an already promising young Calgary Flames squad this year. (Photo credit: tsyp9 / Foter / CC BY-SA)
Yahoo! Sports Puck Daddy is doing a great job producing NHL season previews of all 30 teams.
We thought we’d paraphrase a bit of what they had to say about the Canadian squads and apply it to the NHL betting odds to see if there’s any value out there on any of our favourite teams.
For the full Calgary Flames season preview, you can read the Puck Daddy article here.
Better or Worse?
The Flames were a huge surprise last year, finishing third in the Pacific with 97 points, and they’re poised to be even better this season. Calgary added 22-year-old defenceman Dougie Hamilton after his contract stalemate with the Bruins. The Flames will also benefit from the addition of Michael Frolik, a jack-of-all-trades forward who specializes in penalty killing and also has a Stanley Cup ring to inspire his young teammates.
The Flames’ over/under wins total for this season is listed at 42.5 at Pinnacle Sports.
Players To Watch
Sean Monahan is coming off a 31-goal, 31-assist sophomore campaign as a 20-year-old, so it will be interesting to see if he can continue to improve on those numbers this year. Defenceman Mark Giordano has been on pace for Norris Trophy consideration the last couple of seasons, only to have those campaigns cut short by injury. Rookie Sam Bennett, the fourth overall draft pick in 2014 who has been compared to former Flame Doug Gilmour, could make an impact this season.
We’re keeping our eyes open for Hart Trophy betting odds, Vezina Trophy betting odds and Norris Trophy odds. Giordano could be a good Norris pick if he stays healthy, and Bennett might be worth a shot at the Calder.
Coaching
Bob Hartley deserved the Jack Adams Award after getting the young Flames into the playoffs ahead of schedule last season. Things will get a bit tougher for him now, though, that he’s raised expectations.
Best Case Scenario
The Flames don’t get too high on themselves and build on the success of a year ago, Giordano avoids injury and Calgary becomes a legitimate contender in the Western Conference instead of just a feel-good story.
Calgary pays +600 to win the Pacific Division at Bodog, behind only the powerhouse Ducks and Kings, and slightly ahead of the Oilers.
Worst Case Scenario
Giordano gets hurt — again — and the rest of the Calgary defence can’t cover up the team’s average goaltending. The Flames’ mediocre Corsi percentage numbers (28th last year) catch up with them and they drop to the bottom of the conference standings once again.
The Flames are in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference betting odds at Bodog, paying +1400 to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Prediction
Calgary will be hard-pressed to match the surprise of last season, now that opponents won’t be looking past them. The Flames are still good enough, however, to finish above the Canucks and Oilers in the division. Regardless, this young team will be fun to watch.
Sports Interaction lists the Flames as +1800 (18:1) on the Stanley Cup betting odds.
