Is this a good year to Tank?
It appears that the Flames are a long shot to make the playoffs icing their very best star studded line up.
The team has the most talent in years and Hartley has most players playing well and still after 6 games they are 29th in the league.
They have played 5 of their first 6 games at home.
Small skilled teams like the Flames have difficulty picking up points on the road.... not made for grinding out a road win.
This is a short season and if you are going to tank the best one. I am thinking of 2005-06 (the year after the last strike) were the Bruins tanked and drafted Kessel 5th overall and basically changed their team's future
They have no significant injuries..... Although they have more depth than ever.... but it is all small skilled depth. Someone like Byron and Horak have virtually no chance to get called up into this line-up. They were really close to being full time NHL players with the Flames last year.
If the Flames are able to dump salary there will be a bunch of quality bargain basement UFA's avaiable as teams are forced to cut salary to make next years cap.
The Flames have a lot of quality players that should be able to be turned to assets.
Kipper is nearing the end..... According to the contact he signed this was supposed to be his last year. He presents a problem that if he wins 5-7 games like he did last year he still might not come back to play next year for $1 M without a contract extension (or a change to play for a contender) . Then the Flames might finish 10th or 11th rather than 14-15
Right now Bouwmeester is playing better and has much more value than he has had since he was a UFA.
Is it more important for Iginla to be a Flame for Life or play on a contending team? Is he willing to sign a 2 year extension for a home town discount?
It looks like they can play entertaining hockey while losing.
Should the Flames be targeting 8th spot and hoping to somehow escape a beating in the first round? or be setting up for next year and the year after?
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