The San Jose Sharks have made Calgary’s elimination from the Stanley Cup tournament official, but even before that happened, Flames fans (and those with the surname “Sutter”) were asking themselves, “How did this happen?”

Calgary was not supposed to be a team that missed the playoffs; they weren’t even supposed to be a bubble team.  The signing of Jay Bouwmeester over the summer was to be the final step that would turn them back into a Cup contender.  When the 2009-10 season began, the roster included the likes of Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, Jay Bouwmeester, Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf, and Miikka Kiprusoff.

So what went wrong?

Well, Bouwmeester didn’t exactly come as advertised.  He raked in $7 million this season, but points-wise, he’s having his worst season since before the lockout.  On the other hand, Kipper has posted his best GAA and SV% stats since 2005-06.  Jarome Iginla, meanwhile, did not have the type of season he expects of himself, and said so yesterday, telling reporters, “I haven’t been very good.  It’s not been for lack of want or lack or trying. Unfortunately I’ve been in a rut and I’m going to work to get out of it.”  But can he really shoulder all of the blame himself?

There was certainly some controversy surrounding Dion Phaneuf, with many reports (most of them of the anonymous Internet comment variety) claiming that he was the focal point of dressing room turmoil.  When he was jettisoned to the Leafs, GM Darryl Sutter lightened the team’s salary cap load for next season and brought in some secondary scoring, and it seemed to many (again, mostly Internet commenters) that the Flames’ dressing room issues would magically clear up.  Whether they did or didn’t, it was the new arrivals’ scoring that didn’t materialize, and they weren’t alone in that sense.

Though Iginla blames himself for the lack of scoring, he has still buried the biscuit 32 times (with two games left to play).  And that secondary scoring?  At the moment, Calgary has 3 guys who have scored more than 20 goals: Iginla, Rene Bourque, and Niklas Hagman.  Keep in mind that Hagman was wearing blue and white for most of those goals; the same would be true for Matt Stajan, who can join the 20-goal club with just one in his next two games.  Meanwhile, Calgary has guys in their employ like Daymond Langkow, who makes $4.5 million against the salary cap, but has scored 14 goals this year.  It’s entirely possible that John Ferguson Jr. forged Darryl Sutter’s name on that contract while the Flames’ GM was in the can.  At any rate, it conjures images of the accountant in Entourage when he phones Vince up to berate him for spending money foolishly.

If Calgary is looking for suggestions as to what they need to do this summer, it’s going to involve some creativity on the part of Sutter (assuming he keeps his job).  He’ll need to jettison some salary and pick up not only some secondary scoring, but a top-line centre who can get the puck to Iginla.  Patrick Marleau would be a pricey free agent signing, but if Sutter can move some of his own high-priced players, it could get done.  Nine current Flames will be free agents of some description at year’s end, so that will allow Sutter some room to operate as well.

Will the core of the Calgary Flames receive an overhaul?  Probably not.  But there’s certainly the possibility - and probability - of change.  And there’s absolutely no way that the Flames fans on the Red Mile will accept another season like this one, so the brass in Calgary had better get to work.