Sometimes you have to take two steps back before you can go forward and that might be okay with the Calgary Flames.
So long as the backward movement is laced with determination and hard work.
The Flames are coming off a not-so-surprising 77-point season, the lowest for the club since it notched just 75 in 2002-03. And though Calgary would reach the Stanley Cup Finals the following spring a decade ago, the turnaround isn't expected to be as swift this time around.
Further in the past is former cornerstones Jarome Iginla -- a key part of the '04 Cup run -- Jay Bouwmeester and Miikka Kiprusoff.
In is the new breed, led by Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund and T.J. Brodie.
President Brian Burke, general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Bob Hartley have an exciting young nucleus to work with and they want it to be one that gives maximum effort and doesn't quit. Hartley certainly saw that last season, when Calgary matched an NHL record with 49 one-goal games.
And while the Flames look for their young guns to gain valuable experience and deal with the free agency loss of Mike Cammalleri, the front office filled holes with solid veterans, adding wingers Mason Raymond and Devin Setoguchi, defenseman Deryk Engelland and goaltender Jonas Hiller.
Those new faces join the rest of the veteran leadership, guided by defenseman and captain Mark Giordano as well as Curtis Glencross, Jiri Hudler and Matt Stajan.
Add another talented building block in center and fourth overall pick in the most recent draft Sam Bennett, and Calgary fans have plenty to look forward to.
Getting through 2014-15 will be the hard part.
FORWARDS - Cammalleri led the Flames last season with 26 goals despite appearing in 63 games and paced all Calgary forwards with 19 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time per game.
That means there is an immediate hole to be filled in Calgary's 23rd-ranked offense since Cammalleri has taken his talents to New Jersey, and 19-year-old Sean Monahan is the most likely candidate to step up.
Monahan scored 22 goals as a rookie last season and his 34 points ranked him eighth among all NHL freshman.
Monahan is part of the Flames' strength down the middle, with the improving Backlund and veteran Stajan filling out the top three center spots. Backlund set career highs with 18 goals, 21 assists and 39 points and is just 25.
Given the rebuild, how the lines shake out is not set in stone and will be impacted if some youngsters are ready for the NHL. That includes 2013-14 Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau, who will be dogged by questions about his 5-foot-9 frame, and slow-to-develop Sven Baertschi, the 13th overall pick of the 2011 draft who turns 22 on Oct. 5.
Hudler, who led the Flames with 54 points and Glencross should still see plenty of ice time, with Calgary hoping that the latter 31-year-old can skate in more than the 38 games that injury limited him to last season.
Given the depth at center, Joe Colborne could find himself on the wing this season, filling out the right wing spot along with Setoguchi and David Jones. Setoguchi was signed after a disappointing campaign last season with Winnipeg in which he posted just 11 goals for his lowest total since hitting that mark as a rookie in 44 games with San Jose back in 2007-08.
Raymond comes in hopefully on the upswing as the 29-year-old netted 19 goals a season ago after posting just 20 in the previous two campaigns.
Lance Bouma, enforcer Brian McGrattan and trade day pickup Brandon Bollig should make up the fourth line, with youngsters Markus Granlund and Max Reinhart likely starting the year in the American Hockey League if they can't break into the top three lines.
DEFENSE - The Flames return five of their six defensemen from the majority of last season, and while it isn't deep the club does have a solid top pairing in Giordano and Brodie.
Despite the Flames' struggles on both ends of the ice, Giordano was a plus-12 and potted 14 goals with 47 points, both career highs. Half of his tallies and 20 of his points came on the power play.
Giordano will not only be counted on to lead at the blue line, but also in the locker room. That should help his partner and 24-year-old Brodie continue to grow into a solid NHL player.
Things look less promising for the second pairing of Dennis Wideman and Kris Russell, a pair of vets who were a combined minus-26 last year, and Engelland certainly wasn't brought in to log heavy minutes at the age of 32.
Instead, Engelland will likely pair with Ladislav Smid, acquired during the 2013-14 season from Edmonton, to form a physical duo that can throw the body.
Tyler Wotherspoon, 21, is knocking at the door and at 210 pounds would fit in nicely to the current mix if needed, while Corey Potter, who spent last season with Boston, was signed for depth.
GOALTENDING - The Flames saw Karri Ramo and Reto Berra battle for the No. 1 job through the first half of the season, with Ramo eventually winning out and Berra getting dealt to the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round pick.
This season, the Flames will enter the season with Ramo and former Anaheim Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller battling for playing time.
Ramo returned to the NHL last season after four campaigns in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he had excellent numbers. His stats were only decent for the Flames in 2013-14 as he went 17-15-4 with a 2.65 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 40 games with 37 starts.
Hiller, meanwhile, was forced out of Anaheim by some younger prospects and signed a two-year deal with Calgary. His numbers last season were better than those of Ramo -- 29-13-7, 2.48 GAA and .911 save percentage in 50 games -- but on a better team.
Hiller will probably end up with more starts than Ramo as Joni Ortio and Jon Gillies continue to develop in the minors.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Flames added a healthy number of capable veterans to work alongside their young core, but depth is a major issue and the club will just hope that injuries don't force some of its younger guys into roles they are not ready for. Calgary is likely headed to the bottom of the standings again this season, but with its new work ethic it won't go down easy and the new lottery system won't penalize the club for winning games. The Flames will be in the running for the Connor McDavid-Jack Eichel sweepstakes at the 2015 draft and that isn't a bad thing for the franchise.
[SportsNetwork.com]
