What They’re Saying About The Calgary Flames

 

 

Earlier this week, we looked at what some of the major off-season publications had to say about the Maple Leafs and the Canucks; now it’s time to do the same with the Calgary Flames.

Projected Finish: 8th, Western Conference

The Report: The biggest of the hockey annuals clocks in at just under 500 pages, and spends anywhere from 11 – 14 on each team. Kent Wilson’s (yes, that Kent Wilson) 15-page write-up is one of the longest in the book and a stunningly comprehensive account of both the strengths and weaknesses of Jay Feaster’s roster. More statistics-based than any of the other publications listed here, Prospectus is the only publication to use a stats-based team projection guide. Tom Awad’s VUKOTA system has been in place for two seasons now, and during that time has proven remarkably accurate – giving better projections than pretty much any of the other hockey annuals. It does stand out as one of the more optimistic projections for the team this coming season. Full disclosure: I worked on the Prospectus magazine, though not on the Flames’ segment.

Price: $9.90, Available online.

Projected Finish: 8th, Western Conference

The Report: The Sporting News’ hockey annual is fairly strong overall, comparing well to other publications. While the Flames’ portion acknowledges some of the challenges, it is an unabashedly cheery look at general manager Jay Feaster and gives him credit for much of the team’s mid-season improvement. According to the magazine, the change from Sutter to Feaster “so positively transformed the environment, dissipated the paralyzing pall created by the hyper-intense and joyless Sutter… that the Flames were reborn in midseason.” If that seems a logical connection to make, this is absolutely the magazine to purchase.

Price: $9.99 at newsstands.

Projected Finish: 9th, Western Conference

The Report: Another magazine that is technically more for fantasy hockey enthusiasts, Sports Forecaster has a three paragraph write-up for each team and then blurbs and projections for a wide range of players. The write-up for the Flames is possibly the worst for any hockey team in any magazine, pitching an identity transition without evidence, and then asininely suggesting that Lance Bouma (20 points in 61 AHL games last season) was a serious threat to Niklas Hagman (and then noting that Hagman wouldn’t be an asset with anything less than 20 goals) – they’re obviously fighting for different jobs, and if Hagman scores 19 I doubt anyone will be complaining.

Price: $9.99, Available online.

Projected Finish: 10th, Western Conference

The Report: Properly a pool yearbook rather than a general guide, McKeen’s spends half a page giving a brief overview of each team and then focuses on high-end scouting reports for the team’s most significant offensive players, top goaltender, and best prospects. The 2010-11 recap does a good job of covering the high and low points of the season, while the prognosis for the future does a depressingly good job of explaining why the road ahead will be a difficult one for Jay Feaster to navigate. Full disclosure: I received a copy of this publication for review purposes.

Price: $7.99 at newsstands, $14.99 online.

Projected Finish: 10th, Western Conference

The Report: The subtitle for Randy Sportak’s Flames capsule lacks subtlety, making the prognosis painfully clear: “One bad break or under-performer will snuff all hopes.” Pessimism reigns for the most part, although Sportak is a little more generous with Miikka Kiprusoff than last season’s performance really warrants. The loss of Regehr and the inability of Jay Bouwmeester to generate offense are quite rightly regarded as significant weaknesses.

Price: $9.99, Available online.

Projected Finish: 12th, Western Conference

The Report: Poolers’ Guide has a unique – and busy – design that at times makes comprehension more than a little challenging. Although Poolers’ Guide is a poolers’ guide (a real shock, no doubt) the magazine does devote significant space to both a recap of 2010-11 and a projection for 2011-12. I’ve found the recaps in this magazine to be quite thorough despite their relatively short legnth, and the Flames write-up isn’t an exception, hitting most of the main points though not going into a lot of detail in any one area. The outlook is pessimistic, and forecasts no forward movement for the team.

Price: $9.99, Available online.

Projected Finish: N/A

The Report: As Flames Nation currently offers this magazine for sale, we will avoid editorial comment here and simply note what the magazine provides. No team write-up is included – just player projections along with some general articles. However, the fantasy projections are broad – 500-odd player write-ups, along with statistical data. Shockingly, Jarome Iginla projected as the team’s scoring leader with 77 points.

Price: $5.00, Available online.

Projected Finish: N/A

The Report: THN’s other fall annual focuses specifically on hockey pools rather than broader league coverage. As a result, its team page offers just the basics: player point projections, top-10 prospects, and a single general overview of the team along with a depth chart and some statistical data. Aside from the team essay, the annual does offer a wealth of statistical data on the individual player pages, along with a brief blurb for 325-odd players (the magazine offers 500+ projections, but in-depth analysis only of the most important players). Draft guru Murray Townsend’s projections are typically more conservative than most publications – and consequently more realistic. He has Jarome Iginla leading the team in scoring with 80 points.

Price: $7.99, Available online.