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Signed. Sealed. And now he must deliver.
The Flames may find out that negotiating Jarome Iginla's new contract was child's play compared to negotiating a playoff berth this season. Despite a stellar, award-winning year from Iginla, the appearance of Roman Turek as the big, solid front-line goaltender they'd lacked, a career turn from center Craig Conroy and a head-start that saw them lose only two of their first 21 starts, Calgary still finished a staggering 13 points out of the postseason party.
General manager Craig Button has tinkered with the lineup, adding gritty third-line winger Martin Gelinas from Carolina and goalie Jamie McLennan to take over from Mike Vernon and caddy for Turek. He's expecting an impact from two rookies as well -- Kelowna Rockets right winger Chuck Kobasew and Hobey Baker Award-winning and NCAA champion defenseman Jordan Leopold.
Can Iginla duplicate, or even approximate, his breakthrough season?: The heat is most definitely going to be on the 52-goal, 96-point, Art Ross-winning, Hart Trophy runner-up right winger, what with $13 million guaranteed him over the next two seasons -- $5.5 million the first, $7 million the second and $500,000 up front for trifles and knick-knacks. He lugged the Flames around on his back last year, but now he's got the added weight of being the highest-paid employee in franchise history.
Seeking a second scoring line?: The Iginla-Conroy-Dean McAmmond unit accounted for 100 of Calgary's 203 goals. Clearly, someone's got to assume some of the production responsibility. To that end, Kobasew will be given a long look on the No. 2 unit, as will Gelinas, the fitfully-effective Marc Savard and the spectacularly underachieving Rob Niedermayer, who cost the Flames $100,000 a point last year.
Are the playoffs possible?: The odds are against it. Too much would have to go too right. They'd need a superhuman season from Turek, repeat efforts from Iginla and Conroy, a star-making year out of defenseman Derek Morris, much, much more production from Savard and Niedermayer, as well as Calder Trophy-calibre seasons from Leopold and Kobasew. There are simply too many variables here for the Flames to finally end their city's anguish.
Preseason schedule
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DATE
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OPPONENT
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TIME (ET)
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Sat., Sept. 21
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Vancouver
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9 p.m.
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Mon., Sept. 23
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Minnesota
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9 p.m.
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Wed., Sept. 25
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at Minnesota
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8 p.m.
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Fri., Sept. 27
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at Vancouver
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10 p.m.
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Sun., Sept. 29
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at Calgary
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9 p.m.
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Mon., Sept. 30
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at Edmonton
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9 p.m.
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Fri., Oct. 4
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at Edmonton
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9 p.m.
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Sat., Oct. 5
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Edmonton
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9 p.m.
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