A year after being the National Hockey League’s up and coming team the Calgary Flames fizzled out in the 2015-16 season and it cost Bob Hartley his job as head coach.
General manager Brad Treliving made the call early in May as the playoffs were getting underway.
Another tough call will be made come draft day this year. The top three in the 2016 draft, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi, will be long gone according to the Pro Hockey News Mock NHL Entry Draft selection process.
Then the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks select just ahead of the Flames.
As might be expected, when you miss the playoffs you most likely reside at or near of the bottom of the statistical rankings for the season.
The Flames ended the season with a 35-40-7 record, good for 26th in the NHL.
Their power play clicked at 17% efficiency (22nd) and the penalty kill was dead last for the season at 75.5% effective.
Calgary was also ineffectual in responding to first and second period deficits and their winning percentage after leading in the first two periods was equivalent to most of the NHL.
On the ice, Johnny Gaudreau was the offensive leader with 30 goals and 78 points in 79 games. Sean Monahan was second with a big drop-off to 63 points on 27 goals in 81 games. Mikael Backlund had 16 fewer points than Monahan for 82 games.
The offensive output for the team was 229 goals for 10th in the league. It was the defense that eluded the Flames this season with 257 goals against.
At the sixth spot in this year’s draft the Flames have options and the ability to get pucks on net and then do the dirty work is essential to taking some of the heat off the blue line.
If still available at the sixth position on draft day, Pro Hockey News sees the Flames going for a big, NHL-ready center/winger to get to the paint and crate some scoring chances.
Pierre-Luc Dubois may be just what Treliving is looking for in the early pick.
Dubois is listed at 6’3” and 202 pounds and left winger with centerman talent.
For the last two seasons he has competed for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and competed well.
This past season he collected 42 goals and 99 points in 62 games for the Eagles along with 119 PIM.
“Dubois is a highly skilled power forward who is unique in that he can play all three forward positions,” said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting on the Buffalo News website after this week’s Combine event. “He excels at utilizing his size and strength to his advantage and can play with an edge. A strong skater with deceptive speed and quickness, Dubois is a gifted playmaker with elite hockey sense and puck skills.”
The size, talent, scoring touch and flexibility at the center and left wing position make Dubois a highly rated player for the early picks this season.
And Dubois is available this late on the first day we expect to hear the following announcement.
With the sixth selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Calgary Flames select, from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Pierre-Luc Dubois.
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