from Salim Valji of TSN,

‘Unexpected’ might be the perfect word to describe Calgary’s calendar 2022 year. They unexpectedly rose to the top of the NHL standings last season, culminating in a Pacific Division title and playoff series win. They unexpectedly lost both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, and unexpectedly replaced the two with Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar.

After that off-season, the Flames enter the new year with sky-high expectations. With the calendar flipping soon, here are five bold predictions for what lies ahead for the Calgary Flames franchise.

We’ll get the boldest prediction out of the way early on.

Anything can change with a phone call, but at this moment I don’t think Brad Treliving will be back as the team’s general manager, a post he’s held since 2014. Treliving is in the final season of his contract and has not put pen to paper on a new deal, despite Darryl Sutter inking a two-season extension at the start of the season.

The power dynamic in Calgary is different. Sutter is extremely tight with Murray Edwards, the team’s principal owner, and has far more influence on different areas of the organization than most people can imagine. It’s also fair to ask if Sutter and Treliving have been on the same page this season regarding player usage and integrating young players into the lineup.

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