from Eric Francis of Sportsnet,

Seven weeks before puck drop, and the debate around every backyard barbecue in Calgary is in full froth:

Are the re-tooled Flames better than last year?

Is a team that lost two 100-point players for the first time in the NHL’s cap era actually better off with the additions Brad Treliving cobbled together?

The signing of prized free agent Nazem Kadri Thursday, made possible by trading Sean Monahan, has fueled a discussion that has most people believing the 2022-23 Flames have actually improved over last year’s division-winning squad.

Without the NHL’s most dominant line at their disposal, it says here they’ll be in tough to eclipse the 111-points the team had last season.

However, there’s no disputing the team is now better positioned for playoff success than it was with Johnny Gaudreau as the face of the franchise.

Simply look down the middle, where Treliving and Darryl Sutter have long focused on building winners.

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