Brad Treliving’s charge when he arrived in town was to pull the Flames out of the Western Conference basement and back into Contender status. After the dull end of the Darryl Sutter era which saw Calgary floundering, the club fell further into a haphazard, inauspicious rebuild under Jay Feaster.



Last year would have been heralded as “mission accomplished” had the club not fallen on its face so spectacularly in the first round. With the organization’s second-best regular season ever under his belt, Treliving’s mission has been subsequently updated to pushing his roster over the first round hump in the postseason.



Given the team’s impressive 107 point performance, Treliving’s efforts will be more about buttressing the team’s young core than anything drastic. Calgary boasts above average talent throughout the lineup, albeit featuring guys who have mostly looked overwhelmed whenever the second season starts in...