[PMT] 2023/24 - Season Post-Mortem Thread

[Locke]

Alright. Well. That was a ride.

What are our collective thoughts?

I'll start.

I'm glad Conroy didnt bite on the UFAs and shipped them out. As much as I hate being negative...which is a lie, I am a Flames fan, they simply weren't worth what they wanted, so "buh-bye, watch the door...."

Obviously I wasn't happy to see Hanifin and Tanev leave but Hanifin needed to go back to his home Planet and Tanev wanted a shot at winning. I cant begrudge him that.

Thrilled with Sharangovich. I think him and Kuzmenko might be fun to watch for a while.

I'm glad Wolf got a few shots. He's impressed me a lot, but there is a ways to go.

I'm not going to take it all up, but I will say...it was more fun than I thought it was going to be.

What are your thoughts? Good, bad and ugly about your 2023/24 Calgary Flames?

[TheIronMaiden]

I just can't help but be totally 100% negative about Huberdeau. I'm sure he is a great guy, teammate or whatever, but he is a 50 point player making 10.5 million who is on the wrong side of 30.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I just can't help but be totally 100% negative about Huberdeau. I'm sure he is a great guy, teammate or whatever, but he is a 50 point player making 10.5 million who is on the wrong side of 30.

Yep. I think many feel the same.

[Johnny Makarov]

I didn't watch a full Flames game live after we traded Zadorov. Prob not going to change the next few years.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by memphusk

Yep. I think many feel the same.

The only silver lining is that the Flames are not going to need to spend to the cap anytime soon. Still, 2030-31 is a loooooonng time.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I just can't help but be totally 100% negative about Huberdeau. I'm sure he is a great guy, teammate or whatever, but he is a 50 point player making 10.5 million who is on the wrong side of 30.

He did have a better 2nd half to the season. The first half was atrocious, no way around it.
Still -- he's nowhere near a franchise player. Biggest challenge for the team is that insane contract.

[FlamesAreOne]

Kadri should still have positive value to a contender. I wonder if he wants out for a chance to win + we would retain to get him off the books long-term?

[FlamesAreOne]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I just can't help but be totally 100% negative about Huberdeau. I'm sure he is a great guy, teammate or whatever, but he is a 50 point player making 10.5 million who is on the wrong side of 30.

He looked better than last year (The 2nd half of the season at least) but shockingly had less points and his +/- took a HUGE hit. We're stuck with that historically bad contract for another 7 years.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Better than last season.
Part of that is expectations have shifted and Conroy executed on my expectations of changing the teams direction.
Going to be a difficult few years to come, but hopefully the right draft picks bring hope. Hope will keep me interested.

[DiNaMo]

Originally Posted by FlamesAreOne

He looked better than last year (The 2nd half of the season at least) but shockingly had less points and his +/- took a HUGE hit. We're stuck with that historically bad contract for another 7 years.

I'd be interested in seeing what the worst contracts were on say the last 5-10 Stanley Cup winning teams if someone more knowledgeable could compile.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I just can't help but be totally 100% negative about Huberdeau. I'm sure he is a great guy, teammate or whatever, but he is a 50 point player making 10.5 million who is on the wrong side of 30.

Thats a pretty good point. People are going to bitch and moan about linemates and supporting talent etc. but come on...he's gotta give us more than this or this is going to be a loooong contract.

[Roof-Daddy]

Well, Huby dooby doo had 37 points in his last 46 games, 0.80 points per game and a 66 point pace. Not worth $10.5 million AAV but a potential sign of life maybe?

He actually went pointless in the final three games too. So that was a 71 point pace over 43 games before those three pointless ones.

Grasping at straws here..

[keenan87]

I am still holding hope that Huberdeau will have at least 1 or 2 PPG seasons. I wonder if we will see a resurgence once the new core is established in the next 2-3 seasons and he is only expected to provide secondary scoring --> kind of like Seguin and Benn.

[Johnny Makarov]

Hubey's problem is that he tries all those stupid hard no look passes. Like after that amazing blind pass to Sharangovich, he went fivefold in the next few games after with no luck.

I think if he just simplifies things he would get more points. But that trade would be the worst trade in the history of the NHL if not for Weegar.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by keenan87

I am still holding hope that Huberdeau will have at least 1 or 2 PPG seasons. I wonder if we will see a resurgence once the new core is established in the next 2-3 seasons and he is only expected to provide secondary scoring --> kind of like Seguin and Benn.

Jeff Skinner is kinda sorta another example of this.

Had 23 points in 59 games and 14 points in 53 games his first two seasons after signing that monster deal of his.

Bounced back to 63 in 80 and 82 in 79 the next two years.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FlamesAreOne

He looked better than last year (The 2nd half of the season at least) but shockingly had less points and his +/- took a HUGE hit. We're stuck with that historically bad contract for another 7 years.

His production numbers are mainly about December, which was atrocious. From Jan. 1 onward (until the last week) his numbers were not bad at all (not $10.5M, but also not $5M). Outside of December he was, in fact, much better than last year, which explains your eye test.

His +/- has been explained: 21 of those minuses are ENG against and/or shorthanded goals against, most of which would not be on him. Possession wise, his stats are among the best on the team over the last while, according to Bingo.

[Erick Estrada]

It's just a matter of finding some building blocks in the next two drafts and better times will be ahead.

[dobbles]

As one of the biggest Wolf advocates last summer, I am decently satisfied with the amount of games he got this year. I was worried early in the season when the callups and games were few and far between. Would have loved to see 5 or 10 more games, but overall a decent year.

I still have to think the fate of the next few years of the Flames depends on him continuing to develop. If he can turn this years learning experiences into better play these next few years, that gives you guys a much better chance.

[Bingo]

Great season in my mind ... not on the ice, but off it.

Hope is back.

If you have an average team, and you retain everyone it just seems like you're locked into that average result until it gets worse, which leaves you with the decline in the average players and no cap space.

Now they're picked a path, made the moves, have more assets and the team will get younger and change.

Won't be easy ... hoping it won't be Buffalo etc, but at least we didn't sign "please stay!" contracts with 2-3 players adding to the Kadri/Huberdeau future contract woes.

And being out of the playoffs isn't miserable once you've started adding some young players with some upside. Then you enjoy the try and the games become more entertaining.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Great season in my mind ... not on the ice, but off it.

Hope is back.

If you have an average team, and you retain everyone it just seems like you're locked into that average result until it gets worse, which leaves you with the decline in the average players and no cap space.

Now they're picked a path, made the moves, have more assets and the team will get younger and change.

Won't be easy ... hoping it won't be Buffalo etc, but at least we didn't sign "please stay!" contracts with 2-3 players adding to the Kadri/Huberdeau future contract woes.

And being out of the playoffs isn't miserable once you've started adding some young players with some upside. Then you enjoy the try and the games become more entertaining.

Hard not to agree, the Flames are rounding into a decent position with the prospects and pick they've accumulated since Conroy took over.