Fireside Chat

It's been a rough week for the Flames to say the least. As we try to dissect the Flames challenges the guys try to answer the hard questions such as if management is the issue, what the Flames on-ice identity is (and should be), if we fire Geoff Ward who replaces him and if Mark Giordano is still the right guy to be Captain for this team.

We're now 14 games into the season, and the Flames are out of the top 4 in the Scotia North division. Consistency is still an issue for the Flames that will have to be remedied for them to make the playoffs. On this week's podcast we take a look at where the Flames are at after 14 games and two "playoff rounds" and if the Flames favourable February schedule can help them gain points on their rivals.

If the Flames stay playing at less than .500, what changes need to be made? Is it time to change the coach? GM? Or make major roster moves? The guys answer these questions as well as discuss the Sam Bennett situation and some possible ways to change the forward lines without making major mid-season acquisitions.

Frustration with the team's disappointing week leads to debating how to fix the flaws with this team and if it is time to make major changes to the Flames roster before their window of opportunity closes on the current core roster. The guys have different ideas of how to handle the Sam Bennett request for a 'change of scenery' and debate how they'd handle the scenario and what a reasonable return might be.

The Flames are four games into the season and have been handed their first regulation loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs. There are a lot of good things going on with the team right now, but we’re starting to notice a few weaknesses, including the RW depth and Milan Lucic and the fourth line. Is it too early in the season to worry? As well the guys respond to a Tweet and discuss the rumours that the Stockton Heat could play in Canada this season.

Two games into the season, and the Flames have 3 of a possible 4 points. The powerplay is clicking, Markstrom is giving the team excellent goaltending, Tanev is blocking shots, Mangiapane and Dube are playing hard...there is a lot to like about the Flames right now. Is it too good to be true? We break down the first two games for the Flames and look ahead to what the team needs to do to stay the course with this good start.

It's been a long time coming, but the 2021 season is finally here! We have lots to discuss on this episode including the Flames roster and if the changes over the off season make them better this season. How much difference will Markstrom make to the Flames? Should the young players like Valimaki, Zary, Pelletier and Gawdin start the season on the Flames "taxi squad" or in the AHL? We make some predictions for the season, and discuss how the Flames look in relation to the rest of the North Division.

It’s late October and we should be talking about the Flames poor start to a season about now, but instead, this episode is all about the NHL Entry Draft and free agency. What a weird year!

We recap what the Flames did at the draft table and if we think trading down twice to get Connor Zary was a good move or not. Then we discuss all the Flames who have come and gone in free agency and our thoughts on each move and where the players fit into the depth chart as well as an overall assessment of how the team looks for next season – whenever it starts.

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The Stanley Cup has been awarded, which means the off-season is upon us. With the 2020 NHL Entry Draft a little less than a week away, we discuss the type of player we think the Flames need to focus on this year if they need more forwards or defencemen and profile some players that are expected to be available with our first few picks. Of course, we also discuss what it would take for the Flames to move pick #19 to go up, down, or trade the pick away entirely.

The Calgary Flames were leading their series 3-1 against the Stars, but ended up losing the series and once again exiting in the first round. Now what? What do the Flames have to do to ensure a better result next season? Was the Flames disappointing series loss a coaching issue? A player issue? Both? We break down what happened, and what the Flames need to do in the offseason. A handful of fans wrote in their thoughts and questions about the team which the guys try to answer.