Dobber's offseason fantasy hockey grades – Calgary Flames

For the last 14 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

This year, due to Dobber’s battle with cancer, he recruited Cam Robinson (of Frozen Pool Forensics fame) to pinch hit. The 15th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey.

Enjoy!

Gone – Brian Elliott, Deryk Engelland, Alex Chiasson, Dennis Wideman, Brandon Hickey, Chad Johnson, Ladislav Smid, Keegan Kanzig, Tom McCollum, Ryan Murphy, Lance Bouma, Brandon Bollig

Incoming – Mike Smith, Travis Hamonic, Eddie Lack, Spencer Foo, Luke Gazdic, Marek Hrivik

Impact of changes – The defensive side of the puck featured the most turnover this offseason. Gone are both goaltenders, replaced by 36-year-old Mike Smith who comes with a pedigree of handling tough workloads and a history of solid numbers – sometimes. Smith will be backed up by Eddie Lack who desperately needed out of Carolina and should be a solid bet to play 20-odd games and do well behind a stiff Flames defense. Speaking of the blue line, gone are Wideman and Engelland, replaced by Hamonic who solidifies the top four and makes it one of the best in the league on paper.

Highly-sought after college free agent and Hobey Baker finalist Spencer Foo will try and make the team out of camp and has the skill and speed to step right in, but some time in the AHL may be necessary.

Ready for full-time – Spencer Foo leaves Union College after three seasons, the final in which he recorded 62 points in just 38 contests. The 23-year-old owns top notch speed, drives into tough areas and clearly has a knack for producing points. Deployment will be key for him, and starting him in a bottom-six role is the most likely scenario if he is deemed ready to go. Read more about Foo here.

When the Flames traded Sven Baertschi to Vancouver in exchange for a second-round pick in 2015 (53^rd overall), it seemed like a loss on an asset they took 13^th overall a few years earlier. However, that pick turned into Rasmus Andersson who was done nothing but improve his stock and standing within the organization. He led all OHL defenders in goals and points and was named a first-team all-star in his final junior season with Barrie in 2015-16. The soon-to-be 21-year-old stepped into the AHL last season to record 22 points in 58 contests while skating some tough pro minutes. He even looked at home in a single NHL contest with the Flames. Andersson will push for a spot on the team’s bottom pairing and has a good chance of succeeding. Read more about Andersson here.

Hunter Shinkaruk is now heading into his draft-plus five season after being selected 24^th overall by Vancouver in 2013. The crafty winger had put together a dominant AHL campaign in 2015-16 and looked ready to make the jump, only to slip backwards last season. At 23 years-old, it’s time for the former Medicine Hat Tigers’ star to start sticking or start considering Europe as an option. He is now waiver eligible, so if he doesn’t break camp with the club, he may get a look elsewhere. Read more about Shinkaruk here.

Mark Jankowski has long been the target of some scouting ridicule. At the time of his selection – 21^st overall in 2012, he was pegged as a likely deep second rounder who needed loads of time to develop his extremely raw tools. Well, after four full seasons in the NCAA with improving point totals, the 6’4” centre stepped into the AHL last season and looked fully marinated. He recorded 27 goals and 56 points in 64 contests – tops among first year players for goals and second in points. The soon-to-be 23-year-old will have a hard time cracking the lineup as a pivot, but could slip in on one of the wings. They may need to let the Hamilton, Ontario native cook a bit more in the minors purely from a number’s standpoint, but Jankowski is rewarding those who had enough faith to draft him so early. Read more about Jankowski here.

Fantasy Outlook – Calgary’s top offensive weapons took a collective step-back in 2016-17. Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano all struggled at points of the year. Only Dougie Hamilton really stepped forward. That said, it’s never smart to bet against skill and Gaudreau is an elite talent. He’s heading into the classic fourth-year breakout zone and with an improved team defense and some better bounces, so he should be back to terrorizing opposing goaltenders on a nightly basis. The emergence of Matthew Tkachuk and another year under Sam Bennett’s belt illustrates the youthful punch that is coming for the Flames up front.

On the back-end, Hamilton and Giordano are both capable of 50-plus points, but the captain is piling up the birthdays and may be reduced to a 40ish-point player. Meanwhile TJ Brodie remains the top power play option and is thus a relevant asset in most leagues. If healthy, Mike Smith will once again be back-stopping a playoff team meaning he’ll be a very suitable number two goaltender for your squad.

Fantasy Grade: C+ (Last year: C)

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