Fireside Chat

The Flames notoriously start slow almost every season, but 5 games in and they are over .500? Could it be?  What are the Flames doing differently and how do they look compared to last year's team?

This week we discuss the healthy scratches of Mark Jankowski and Michael Frolik, why they were likely benched and what their response should be.  As well we discuss the changes we're seeing in Sam Bennett's game, how the rookies are doing and what Rasmus Andersson has to do to stay here after Hamonic comes back.

All this and more as we recap the first 5 games of the season, and look ahead to the next week.

The Flames opened their season with a home-and-home series against the Vancouver Canucks, with each team winning at home. Losing their ninth season opener in a row, the Flames still have a lot to work on moving forward including their powerplay. This week's episode looks at these two games and what the team needs to work on still and how Dube and Välimäki looked in the first two games. And we'll look at the roster moves including the recall of Rasmus Andersson and how he slots into the lineup, Hamonic's injury and if he should have fought or not, and the current line combinations before the team heads to Nashville.

We've got a couple feet of snow on the ground in Calgary, which can only mean one thing - hockey is back! Today the 2018-2019 NHL season kicks off, and this episode is our first look at the Calgary Flames. Who gets traded first? Who will be a disappointment this season? How far can the Flames go in the playoffs, and what does the team have to do for us to call this a successful season? We answer these questions and many more as we get ready for the puck to drop in Vancouver.

The Flames are back from China deep into their training camp, prepping for the 2018-2019 NHL season. In this episode we look at all of the off-season moves since the Rookie Development Camp, including the signings of Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm and Mark Jankowski.

Looking at the Flames training camp we talk about who's looking good, who isn't and who needs to impress to get an NHL job. Plus Dan has a wacky idea as to why the Flames should consider Kari Lehtonen or Steve Mason as a backup goalie this season.

Join us as we get back to talking Flames hockey, and get ready for the regular season starting next week.

This episode is recorded live from WinSport as we cover the Calgary Flames 2018 Rookie Development Camp. The episode starts with our thoughts on the Flames moves on July 1 and how the new Flames will fit into the lineup to fill the gaps.

The rest of the episode is our day-by-day recap of the camp - our thoughts on the new draft picks, who we like, who needs to be better, and which walk on players might be worth a Flames contract. Plus, we have some exclusive interviews with some of the players at the camp.

This special episode of Fireside Chat is sponsored by ProStockHockey.com.

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There has been a lot of Flames news since the season ended - Bill Peters is the new Head Coach (and has a new coaching staff), The Flames made a big trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, and the GM says they aren't done making changes yet.

We'll recap all the happenings since the season ended, and look ahead to July 1 when Free Agency opens. Who do we expect the Flames to sign? Who are we sad to see go? What will it cost to sign the players the Flames need? These questions and more are answered here.

The disappointing Flames season is over, and this week we break it all down and try to figure out what the heck happened. We look closely at many areas of the team to determine where the Flames went wrong and what needs to be improved.  This week we'll play "stay or go" with each of the Flames Unrestricted Free Agents, and discuss how different the roster may look next season. Dan poses a "crazy" theory - that the Flames should consider moving Johnny Gaudreau in the next few seasons - and what they'd need to get back for him.

This week is a join episode with Agree or Disagree: The Podcast we look at the final week of the Flames season, and what to expect in the last three games, as well as discuss which of the Flames Restricted Free Agents should be re-signed in the off season, and discuss the job performance of the coaching staff and General Manager. The question "Are the Flames missing strong, outspoken leaders?" is debated, and we talk about if leadership needs to be added next year.

Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Matthew Tkachuk are all out as the Flames start to wind down the season. We discuss what the Flames new look lineup looks like, and Jon Gillies being recalled from the AHL.

The main discussion of the week revolves around the question everyone has been asking...who will the next Head Coach be? Dan and Matt break down the options who might be available, and what we think we need in the next head coach. Both of our hosts make their top 3 lists and justify why.

We want your Flames questions and comments. Send us a text message or leave a voicemail at 587-200-7176 and we'll play the best on the show over the next few weeks.

The Flames had a terrible week, and weren't able to win their "must win" games, so it looks like this season is realistically over. We recap the week that was, and look at what AHL players the Flames should call up to get a look this year, and at some of the Flames prospects who might turn pro next year.