Flames have 6 games left until April 3 Trade deadline

[ricardodw]

At Nashville --- 1 game under 500 lost last 3 3-6-1 in last 10
At Columbus --- 1 game under .500 6-0-4 in last 10
Home to St.L --- 6 games over .500 6-4-0 in last 10
At Chicago -- 22 games over .500 8-2-0 in the last 10
home to Colorado 4 games under .500 (contender in the draft lottery)
home to Columbus
At Edmonton .500

7 games 5 games against team currently not in a playoff position.

This weak schedule is liable to give Flames management hope that the team has "gelled".

To me anything less than 10 pts out of the 14 shows they will not make the playoffs even if they were able to trade their 1013 1st pick and 3rd pick for Ryan O'Rielly or another #1 centre.


What will it take for Feaster to be a seller at the trade deadline?

[Huntingwhale]

I think it will take a long, hard uninspired run of losing hockey for the Flames to finally start selling off. I feel disgusting for saying this, but going on a losing streak would be the best thing for this club long term. Sure it's fun when we win and we can all post happy dancing gifs and have our optimism renewed. But at the end of the day, us straddling the .500 line only causes management to delay the inevitable.

I'd like to see us lose and be so far out of it that we have no choice but to sell.

I honestly think the only way Feaster will start selling off is if we are so far back that we have no chance of making a decent run. The longer we stay in a playoff contending position, the worse off the deadline will be for us.

[Vinny01]

I hope the road woes continue because looking at the sked we can easily go 5-1-1 and put us in that no man's land zone of being in the race but nothing secured. Standing Pat or going for it would be a huge mistake.

[Stanley]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I think it will take a long, hard uninspired run of losing hockey for the Flames to finally start selling off. I feel disgusting for saying this, but going on a losing streak would be the best thing for this club long term. Sure it's fun when we win and we can all post happy dancing gifs and have our optimism renewed. But at the end of the day, us straddling the .500 line only causes management to delay the inevitable.

I'd like to see us lose and be so far out of it that we have no choice but to sell.

I honestly think the only way Feaster will start selling off is if we are so far back that we have no chance of making a decent run. The longer we stay in a playoff contending position, the worse off the deadline will be for us.

Sad, but perhaps true...

[JayP]

The post-trade deadline schedule should be the key for any rational organization. Here's what it looks like:

- 5 home games versus 8 road games
- 3 back-to-backs
- no breaks longer than one day
- 13 games in 22 days
- 4 games against non-playoff teams (currently)
- 4 game road trip to end the season vs. Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago

It's an absolutely brutal schedule for any team - let alone a bubble team (at best) like the Flames.

For the Flames to have any shot, they have to be at least in a playoff spot by April 3rd (And that's even a major stretch, IMO). None of this "we're only 3-4 points back" where there's 3-6 teams between us and 8th crap. The chances of the Flames going on a good run and outplaying several teams by several points over that stretch is essentially nil. The Flames have to recognize this and know that if there is any chance at playoffs it has to be set up by the trade deadline. If it hasn't, then "intellectual honesty" says you're sellers.

The Flames have had an easy schedule thus far (more home games than away, lots of 2+ day breaks) and we're sitting in 14th. It's not simply a matter of playing better than we have thus far. With our schedule, the Flames are going to have to play significantly better than we have.

[ComixZone]

The gap won't be wide enough come the deadline to trigger any sort of clear cut "selling" of veterans for the Flames.

If it's going to happen, Feaster and his management crew will have to make a hard decision to do so - and the organization hasn't had the foresight at anytime in the past 4 years to do just that, so I find it unlikely that any change will occur this year.

This bad hockey team will continue on being bad.

[North East Goon]

Would be somewhat noteworthy if the Oilers stuck the final dagger on this core group of Flames.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Would be somewhat noteworthy if the Oilers stuck the final dagger on this core group of Flames.

Meh, at the end of the season, they are going to be lying dead in the same ditch we're in.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

This bad hockey team will continue on being bad.

Hate to say this Comix, but it sure is amazing that pretty much every post I see of yours lately matches your avatar.

[Poe969]

I wonder; if the Flames go 0-7, do they panic and try and get a big star to help them and if they go 7-0 do they get a big start to help them become a contender?

[Igster]

JayP's post puts it all into perspective. If the Flames' management can't see this, well, we're all doomed. It's time to sell folks. Now.

[You Need a Thneed]

A 5-2-0 record puts the Flames at 16-14-4 at the trade deadline. two games above .500. San Jose is currently in 8th place, at two games above .500.

I think the Flames have to go a bare MINIMUM of 5-2-0 in the 7 games to have a postseason shot. Anything less than that, and I think they have to do a strategic sell. 4-3-0 puts them at .500, with a difficult schedule to end the season.

6-1 leading up to the deadline would put them in fairly good shape to make the playoffs. It looks like the dividing line is going to be at roughly 52-54 points. 5-2-0 until the deadline would mean that the Flames would need 16-18 points in the 14 post trade deadline games. 6-1-0 would mean that the Flames would need 14-16 points after the trade deadline.

Altogether, with 21 games left, the Flames can only lose 14-15 more points maximum.

[Yakbutter]

Flames will play at their current winning %. They will be 3-4 points outside of the playoffs and Feaster will say something like "We owe it to this group of players to keep them together and try for the post season" or some such nonsense.

The best thing that could happen for this team is complete capitulation and losing every game from now to the deadline. This way management has no excuse to buy or stand pat.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

At Nashville --- 1 game under 500 lost last 3 3-6-1 in last 10
At Columbus --- 1 game under .500 6-0-4 in last 10
Home to St.L --- 6 games over .500 6-4-0 in last 10
At Chicago -- 22 games over .500 8-2-0 in the last 10
home to Colorado 4 games under .500 (contender in the draft lottery)
home to Columbus
At Edmonton .500

7 games 5 games against team currently not in a playoff position.

This weak schedule is liable to give Flames management hope that the team has "gelled".

To me anything less than 10 pts out of the 14 shows they will not make the playoffs even if they were able to trade their 1013 1st pick and 3rd pick for Ryan O'Rielly or another #1 centre.


What will it take for Feaster to be a seller at the trade deadline?

The schedule isn't all that weak as there is two back to backs in there. The first is on the road Nashville and then Columbs and the way Bobrovsky has played lately is going to make that game difficult.

The second back to back is first in Chicago and then go back home to play Colorado.

The last few years it seems like Calgary hasn't been all that great in the second games of back to backs.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by Yakbutter

Flames will play at their current winning %. They will be 3-4 points outside of the playoffs and Feaster will say something like "We owe it to this group of players to keep them together and try for the post season" or some such nonsense.

The best thing that could happen for this team is complete capitulation and losing every game from now to the deadline. This way management has no excuse to buy or stand pat.

The answers are still in the room.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I just hope to god the Flames stick around 14th until the deadline. I fear that Feaster and co will be positive if we're somehow around 10th or 11th and use that as justification.

[browna]

As an owner, GM, president of this team:
Even if the Flames look out of it for this year,
Even if you get an offer that works or multiple decent offers,
Even if you resign and prepare yourself to the public, casual fan fallout of losing the most recognizeable Flame over the past decade and a half and first ballot HOF'er,
Even if you know what all this means going forward for the future of the franchise on and off the ice and the holes it creates in both,

Iginla still has a NMC, and has his full right to use it.

And although there will be speculation, you'll likely never know, if he doesn't get moved, at what point above things broke down, so can't assign blame.

It's not just the simpleness of deciding to trade Iginla, then getting offers and then out the door he goes...as everyone is starting to think this process is only management's decision.

[bluloc]

Flames management dont care about their fans. As long as they keep selling out the building and somewhat competing to the point where the fans are engaged enough to give 2 ####s, Mission accomplish.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by browna

Iginla still has a NMC, and has his full right to use it.

Sure, but if Iginla wants to remain a Flame, why not help the team out by accepting a trade to a contender, help the Flames with prospects/picks, perhaps win a Cup and then come back and sign again with the Flames. No way the Flames turn him away if he comes back after this season.

Edit: And before anyone comes in and talks about uprooting his family, it's a couple of months. He can live out of a hotel room or room with a teammate. His family can stay put and he can simply slide back into the household when he comes back. And hey, who wouldn't want a few months away from their wife...really?

[flamesfan55]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

The gap won't be wide enough come the deadline to trigger any sort of clear cut "selling" of veterans for the Flames.

If it's going to happen, Feaster and his management crew will have to make a hard decision to do so - and the organization hasn't had the foresight at anytime in the past 4 years to do just that, so I find it unlikely that any change will occur this year.

This bad hockey team will continue on being bad.

As I would usually agree with this statement, I don't think the fan base has ever been so down on the Flames. Last year there was the people that wanted a rebuild, but most didn't. So this year could be different.