Calgary: Hamilton’s early woes exemplify tough quarter for Flames TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button assigns his letter grades for the Calgary Flames at the one-quarter mark of the NHL season. The Flames have simply failed to live up to preseason expectations.

Craig Button TSN Director of Scouting Follow|Archive

The Calgary Flames, who ended a five-season playoff drought last season, have simply failed to live up to preseason expectations, sitting seven points out of the playoffs and 27th overall.

Sure, everything went the Flames’ way in 2014-15, including an uncommon number of individual career seasons, but adding Dougie Hamilton to a first-rate defence and a reasonable expectation that their young defence corps would only get better had people projecting good things for Calgary.

But two wins in their first 11 games and a league-worst .882 team save percentage through 21 games has earned them a D-plus grade - even if they won three of their final four games in the quarter.



Below are the Flames’ individual player grades.



Three factors were considered in assigning grades: performance, results and expectations, as framed by age, previous performance and cap hit/contract average annual value (AAV). Skaters must have appeared in a minimum of 10 games and goalies, five, to be graded.

Spotlight Player Grade: Hamilton was a much-celebrated summer acquisition by the Flames. The 22-year-old defenceman immediately signed a six-year, $5.75-million AAV contract with Calgary, making him the 14th highest-paid blueliner in the league. He is in his fourth NHL season and coming off his most productive year, collecting 42 points (10-32-42) with Boston in 2014-15. He has earned just five points (2-3-5), putting him on pace for 20 points over 82 games in 2015-16.

Early this season, Hamilton was a defensive disaster, standing at minus-11 after nine games. Bottom line: he started the season as a D player, but eight straight even or plus games – and a Flames’ rise in the W-L-OT columns - has lifted him to the C-minus level over the entirety of the Flames’ quarter season.

Editor’s Note: Follow TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button at @CraigJButton and join the discussion on his Interim Report Cards.

Grading System

A Excellent

B Very Good

C Satisfactory

D Poor

F Failing

Inc. Incomplete