Best Fantasy Players & Markstrom's Preseason Concerns
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Today’s edition discusses which Calgary players fantasy owners should target, and after a shaky preseason, will Markstrom have a bounceback year?
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Calgary Flames: Best Five Players to Target in Fantasy
October 9, 2023, by Derek Olsen
The preseason is over, therefore organizations and media alike have gathered plenty of metrics and data on players. Team roster cuts will be ramping up, and a better idea of who will be playing in the league and who won’t be will be established over the next few weeks. For the Calgary Flames, the onus will be on improving from last season’s dismal performance in which the team finished with a 38-27-17 record and missed the playoffs. A few individual Flames that struggled offensively should look to bounce back, especially under a new coaching staff. New head coach Ryan Huska and new assistants Marc Savard, Dan Lambert, and Cail MacLean will likely be experimenting plenty with their group to construct stable chemistry.
From a fan standpoint, the start of the regular season means the beginning of fantasy hockey. Drafts have been materializing and will continue to do so even after the first puck drops on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Each team will feature one or two star players and these are easy picks, but the real talent in fantasy is predicting which lesser-known individuals will break out or which formerly successful ones will get back to their old ways. This season, the Flames roster features many viable options for fantasy team owners, and here are our top five picks.
Flames’ Vladar Could Fill The Lightning’s Vasilevskiy Hole
October 4, 2023, by Derek Olsen
The NHL’s preseason is in full swing and players are getting their first taste of professional competition for the year. Of course, most rosters have young players battling for spots, but many individuals use the opportunity to shake off the rust and get back into game shape. Unfortunately, as with any high-level sport, as soon as play begins the potential for injury does as well.
Flames: Markstrom’s Preseason Struggles a Cause for Concern
October 8, 2023 by Rupert McDonald
The success of the Calgary Flames this coming season largely lies in the hands of Jacob Markstrom. Through three seasons in Cowtown since signing a six-year, $36 million deal, he has had long stretches of brilliance, and some equally long stretches of poor play. As for what he will provide in 2023-24, it is extremely hard to predict.
This offseason, there was plenty of optimism amongst Flames fans that Markstrom would bounce back. That optimism was shared in the team as well, as several players played far below expectations last season. While fan optimism remains high regarding a number of players bouncing back, however, it has already decreased when it comes to Markstrom.