I think it's Calgary just doing the most Calgary thing can in being too good for a quality pick and not good enough to be a playoff lock, keeping the trapped in that evil middle ground.
They should really sell Iginla while he still has value.
What's working for the Flames this year?
- Thread starter voyageur
- Start date
They should really sell Iginla while he still has value.
qc14
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2024
- 299
- 520
Yep. Not a good roster but noticeably better than the real bottom feeders in SJS, CHI, ANA, MTL, CBJ, PHI, PIT. By true talent level I'd still say they're in the bottom third of that next tier -- DET, NSH, STL, UTH, BUF, OTT, NYI, SEA, BOS -- but certainly not a big enough difference between those teams that good coaching, player buy-in, and a really good goalie can't rise you to the top.
viceroy
Registered User
I've said it before, I would not be surprised to see the Flames as buyers at the trade deadline.
There's really nothing for them to buy. You're not getting a 1C at the deadline which is what we need. Maybe a 3C if all the internal options can't figure it out. Possibly a #4 defense to push Miromanov down but they seem to like him and are willing to give him time to figure things out.
Unless they trade Kuzmenko and just replace him with a similar player, maybe one that's overpaid for a year or two.
Not any obvious improvements to make at the deadline that would make sense unless they get some unicorn RFA center that is for some reason cheap.
HighLifeMan
#SnowyStrong
- Feb 26, 2009
- 7,478
- 2,800
So-So. It's tough to say any forward on this roster had stood out consistently from an offensive standpoint.
He gets to much hate, though. Leads the team in goals despite not playing with a single full time NHL centermen yet (Pospisil, Sharangovich, Zary)
The first 6 games worked for the Flames, and since then, they are slowly moving towards the bottom of the standings.
I wish the Oilers played with more desperation on a regular basis. They pretty consistently go from looking like they don't give a shit to putting the pedal down when things look bleak.
HighLifeMan
#SnowyStrong
- Feb 26, 2009
- 7,478
- 2,800
Are they though? I think the next 8 games will be very telling. Tough games vs NYR/MIN then a stretch of six against teams under .500.
5-0-1
1-5
4-1-2
And, that's with a 6.86 SH% during the last 15 games. They've had one poor stretch in which they played some very good teams.
BertCorbeau
F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Glad to see Calgary being competitive
I hope they don't .. burn out.
I hope they don't .. burn out.
GeeoffBrown
Registered User
- Jul 6, 2007
- 6,316
- 4,426
Uncle Scrooge
Hockey Bettor
I don't see their start much different than the 21-22 Sharks. Missed the playoffs 2 consecutive years, team going through changes with veterans who are going to keep regressing as the years go by.
People expected things to get worse before they got better, but the Sharks came out and played well. Some young guys stepped up and they rolled lines. At christmas break they were over .500.
By the end of the season though they fell below and well, things did get worse the last couple of years.
I don't know how you delay the inevitable if you're the Flames. They were supposed to be in the heart of their contending window right now. Things didn't go according to plan, but there's still a price to be paid at the end of the day.
Avoid paying that price by trading guys soon and they're even further away. Keep the veterans and father time makes sure they're going to fall off (and we've already seen they're not good enough to contend anyway).
Seems to me just like SJS, they're headed for the eventual rebuild. This team needs a new core to build around.
People expected things to get worse before they got better, but the Sharks came out and played well. Some young guys stepped up and they rolled lines. At christmas break they were over .500.
By the end of the season though they fell below and well, things did get worse the last couple of years.
I don't know how you delay the inevitable if you're the Flames. They were supposed to be in the heart of their contending window right now. Things didn't go according to plan, but there's still a price to be paid at the end of the day.
Avoid paying that price by trading guys soon and they're even further away. Keep the veterans and father time makes sure they're going to fall off (and we've already seen they're not good enough to contend anyway).
Seems to me just like SJS, they're headed for the eventual rebuild. This team needs a new core to build around.
- Oct 12, 2012
- 57,886
- 9,937
The rebuild already started.
In the last 18 months...
| OUT | IN |
|---|---|
| Tyler Toffoli | Yegor Sharangovich 3rd in '23 (Aydar Suniev) |
| Nikita Zadorov | 5th in '24 (Traded for Nikita Okhotiuk) 3rd in '26 |
| Elias Lindholm | 1st in '24 (Matvei Gridin) Hunter Brzustewicz Joni Jurmo Andrei Kuzmenko |
| Chris Tanev | 2nd in '24 (Jacob Battaglia) Artem Grushnikov |
| Noah Hanifin | 1st in '26 (Unprotected) 3rd in '24 (Karill Zarubin) Daniil Miromanov |
| Jacob Markstrom | 1st in '25 (Top 10 protected) Kevin Bahl |
| Andrew Mangiapane | 2nd in '25 (Avalanche Pick) |
Honestly this team would destroy that 2014 team. How that team did so well is wild. Hudler and Bouma just on fire. Russell and Wideman somehow being a good 2nd pair.
Figgy44
A toast of purple gato for the memories
- Dec 15, 2014
- 13,947
- 9,279
Flames, at home, beat the Rangers tonight 3-2 after out shooting them 49-29. Shesterkin made it close. Wolf was in net for the Flames and finished the night with a .931 Sv%.
Flames now have a 11-6-3 record.
Flames now have a 11-6-3 record.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Well coached. They absolutely destroyed the Rangers last night with like half the talent all while trying to rebuild.
They did trade pretty much everyone they could over the past year: 3 of their top 6 D, their starting goalie and 3 of their top-9 forwards. You can't trade every veteran on the team. Or at least you shouldn't because then there's no one to teach your younger players.
They're also a cap-floor team. They can't try much less than they are.
Part of their problem (if you want to call it a problem) is their younger guys are playing better than expected. Bahl, Zary, Coronato and especially Wolf are significant contributors.
And borderline guys like Pachal, Miromanov and Bean have been decent, which means their D is overall better than expected.
Management did their best to set the team up to tank. But they can only do so much. You don't want to actively encourage a losing culture, because breaking that once you're in it isn't easy.
Some Other Flame
Registered User
- Dec 4, 2010
- 8,066
- 10,416
Same story as 2014-2015. Flames prospects were wildly underrated, even by their own organization itself. Zary, Coronato, and Wolf have been leading the way lately.
Then coaching getting a lot more out of the team than expected.
Conroy did his best to build a tank team but what can you do. In the grand scheme of things, as long as he doesn't make the same mistake as his predecessor (i.e., start trading futures for win now players), it'll be fine.
Then coaching getting a lot more out of the team than expected.
Conroy did his best to build a tank team but what can you do. In the grand scheme of things, as long as he doesn't make the same mistake as his predecessor (i.e., start trading futures for win now players), it'll be fine.
I for one wish the Flames weren't playing so well this season. The Flames need to draft a top line center and in this upcoming draft there are 7 available quality centers, 8 if you count Misa, and odds are they will all be gone early in the first round. Montreal has dibs on the Flames first round draft pick if Calgary finishes outside of the bottom 10 in league standings. Calgary NEEDS to finish in the bottom 10. Right now thats not looking so good.
- Oct 13, 2018
- 4,463
- 5,252
