The Flames made a major splash in the offseason adding a 30+min workhouse to their defense corp and a familiar name to the coaching staff. The biggest beneficiary of the off-season moves? Mikka Kiprusoff owners. With a coach who has defense, commitment and accountability high on his priority list, and three of the best young defensemen in the game patroling the blueline, the Flames got even tougher to play against (if that was possible). 
Welcome back to the fantasy elite Mikka Kiprusoff.Looking at Brent Sutter's defensive record at the NHL level is impressive, but when you factor in his success at the CHL level it is very likely that Kiprusoff vaults back to the elite fantasy goaltenders in the league in 2010. Sutter led the Red Deer Rebels to three seasons as the best defensive team in the WHL as well as a 3rd place finish during his 7-year tenure. Add in the trio of Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester and it will be a shock if the Flames do not morph back into a Sutter style team. Also, under Sutter, Scott Clemmensen resembled an NHL goaltender for 40+ games.
Like Broduer in New Jersey, the system will mask Kiprusoff's precipitous decline. So, if you like fluff pieces about hard work and inspiring comebacks, then prepare yourself for TSN putting together some BS in regards to the Kipper's rebirth over the next 3 months. As for the offense, Parise was not slowed by Sutter's system, so I see no need for concern for Iginla.
Jarome Iginla is one of the elite fantasy wingers in the game, but although he is consistently great, his production varies. Over the last 5 seasons he has produced a 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 pt pace, a rewarding, but frustrating player to own. Also, is he an 80+ PIM player or a 40 PIM player? At 32, he is showing signs of the tail end of his prime as his production has dropped over the last 2 seasons. And how will he respond to the absence of Mike Cammalari, a player who contributed to 56 of his 89 points? Iginla is still an elite fantasy player, if you are in a keeper league, even though the time to deal him was last season, coming off an 89 pt campaign he should still bring a strong return.
Mr. Kim Bauer looked like he was on his way to fantasy stardom after his 60 pt 2008 campaign, but suffered a regression dropping 13 pts and suffering defensive inconsistencies. Rumoured hip and back problems could have been responsible, but even though he regressed statistically, he continues to tease with his limitless offensive potential. Phaneuf has remarkable mobility and passing ability for a man his size and possesses a booming shot that is a lethal PP weapon. I expect Phaneuf to refocus with the hiring of Brent Sutter and simplify his game by focusing on structure and sacrificing for the team dynamic, and with it return to the 60 pt, PIM machine that dominated two seasons ago.
Using the Puck Prospectus VUKOTA system (couldn't they have named a system of scoring the Gretzky system? Not after a goon who scored 46 points in 574 NHL games?) to project Kiprusoff's 2010 season, I would have to find a goaltender who had a terrible debut season, then followed it up with a Vezina level campaign, then five straight declining seasons that saw his SV% drop from .933 - .923 - .917 - .906 - .903 AND a GAA rise from 1.70 - 2.07 - 2.46 - 2.69 - 2.84. Upon finding this type of comparable career regression, I will then tell you the high end of his projection and the low end based on two players who have zero variables in common with Mikka Kiprusoff. Does this make any sense? How would this projection have any relevance to the variables that Kiprusoff will encounter this season? Will any of these comparables have the benefit of one of the best defensive coaches in the game? Stats lie; Tim Thomas and Scott Clemmensen are proof. So although the stats say that Kipper is getting worse, the appointment of Brent Sutter and the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester say otherwise. Everything is set up for Kiprusoff having a monster year.
After a Peter North like explosion on arrival in Calgary (8G in 6 games), Jokinen hit the wall producing only 5 assists in his final 12 games and registered a -6, seemingly dragging Jarome Iginla down with him (4G, 4A, -5 in 12 games). Not exactly the production that Pierre McGuire screamed we would see on deadline day. Jokinen possesses all the tools of an elite offensive center, but has suffered a career free-fall over the last couple of seasons. With a reputation as defensively apathetic and a locker room cancer, it will be interesting to see how Iginla and the Sutter work ethic rub off on him. With those red flags in place, I would shy away from him in the first half of a draft, but if he is around in the later rounds, then I would look past the flags and hope for a rebound.
As I watch Jay Bouwmeester mature, he leaves me constantly wondering if he has reached his offensive ceiling? He has the size, skating ability and can jumpstart the transition game, but he seems to lack the inherent offensive instincts to join the fantasy elite. Most of his fantasy damage is inflicted with a powerful shot which is reflected by his 9 PP goals. Judging by his chart, his production has seemed to plateau over the last 4 years, but in Calgary he will now have an elite PP partner to work with. With both sharing the ability to feed and release, his numbers may spike in 2010. The safe bet is 50 points, but with Iginla, Phaneuf and Jokinen the possibility exists for some monster PP production in Calgary.
Through 40 games Daymond Langkow was on his way to another 70 pt campaign (15G, 20A), before he suffered a mid-season slump. A broken hand in February leant to his woes as it caused him to miss 9 games. Upon his return he never regained his early season form as his PP production dried up and he registered only 7 pts in his last 17 games. Langkow is not a flashy offensive talent, but he is well rounded and is tailor made 2nd line center for a Sutter coached team. With a return to health, expect a return to the 60 pt range in 2010.
Rene Bourque registered on my radar early last season when he made an appearance at number 27 in my top 50 Roto Rankings for October. For a value pick, Bourque provided major production in 4 of 5 categories registering a career high 21 goals in only 58 games. More impressive was that 20 of his 21 goals were registered at even strength as he only averaged 1:00 per game on the PP. I don't expect him to find anymore powerplay minutes in 2010 and counting on another 20+ goals at even strength is probably unrealistic. If he can produce 50 pts, he has underrated rotisserie value. 
After a strong start in 2009 that saw Boyd score 6 goals in his first games, Boyd's progress was nullified by a late November shoulder injury. When he returned he struggled to regain his form and found his way into Mike Keenan's doghouse. Boyd had plenty of offensive success in junior and is a skilled playmaker with great vision. He is deceptively quick on his skates and as his strength increases, so will his ability to battle and create in traffic. With his ability to adapt to the wing and only names like Nigel Dawes and David Moss ahead of him on the depth chart, a clean slate with Brent Sutter could see him placed on a scoring line. If he does see time on the top two lines, with his offensive tools, a 50+ point breakout is possible.
Although Mikael Backlund is not pegged for a spot with the Flames in 2010, I always to prefer to shoot for the moon in the late rounds. Why waste a late round pick on Craig Conroy, David Moss, Nigel Dawes or Curtis Glencross who have limited offensive upside? They are essentially future drops. I prefer to try and catch lightning in a bottle and draft players with huge upside. Backlund is a premier play maker with soft hands around the goal and his vision and playmaking ability mark him as a very special player in the future. Add in defensive awareness and he could be in the NHL ahead of schedule. If he doesn't make the NHL after a couple of weeks you drop him and await his return. If he does make the NHL and somehow finds himself on a scoring line, you just stole a possible front line player in the late rounds.
The Flames are not deep in fantasy talent, but the farm is not barren as the Flames possess two elite level prospects in Leland Irving and Mikael Backlund. Both are pegged for Quad City, but could make an impact if provided the opportunity.
Leland Irving enjoyed a strong professional debut in 2009. After a shaky start, Irving supplanted Matt Keetley as the starting goaltender in Quad City. Irving finished 4th in the AHL with a GAA of 2.23 and was 14th in wins with a 24-18-2 record. After March 1st, Irving went 12-6-1 with a 2.05 GAA and a .922 SV% as the Flames narrowly missed the playoffs. He is strong fundamentally, and efficiently neutralizes the lower half of the net with strong angles and butterfly play. His puck tracking is solid and his rebound control continues to improve. He seems NHL ready, but the Flames have no reason to rush him. Look for another year of seasoning in 2010, with an apprenticeship behind the $7M goaltender in 2011. 
Greg Nemisz had a solid 2009 OHL season and enjoyed a strong Memorial Cup (1G, 6A in 7 games). Nemisz is a large power forward with strong instincts, soft hands and a hard accurate shot. He has the ability to drift to dead spots in the defensive coverage and took advantage of the deft passing game of Taylor Hall. This is where the profile takes a turn for the worse. Red flag ONE. Taylor Hall. Nemisz production before Hall, 34pts in 62 games. Since Hall's arrival in Windsor? 144 pts in 133 games. Red flag TWO. Skating stride has been referred to as lumbersome. Red flag THREE. Lacks aggression, struggles to stay involved and needs to bring more consistency. That is the trifecta of doom. I think I will pass. 
T.J. Bodie broke out in his second full OHL season with Saginaw scoring 50 pts in 63 games. An aggressive puck moving defenseman, Bodie is a strong skater possessing an explosive burst and natural agility. He is dangerous as he can stretch the defense with precision passes and can also dictate the pace with his puck moving ability. Like all teenagers, he will not max his full NHL potential until he gains strength and shores up his defensive commitment, at 6'1" 173 lbs, that could be awhile.
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