The problem Calgary has is that there are signs that the current plan, strategy and vision that looked so promising in the Regular Season has clearly shown significant weakness when it comes to pressure situations and specifically the Playoffs.
This will be unpopular because anything negative about the Flames on this website gets hostility thrown its' way, understandably, but Calgary has perhaps its' greatest challenge ahead in recent memory in the first couple months of next season. This is because fans and ownership and everybody are going to want to rightfully know; is the problem with the core of this team simply a 'Playoff' problem (which still needs tinkering and addressing, which hasn't happened yet) or is this a larger systemic problem that could threaten next season and the future of this current group / strategy / iteration?
To me the Flames are in a real box. It's not quite early enough to give up on this core but this core definitely showed they probably aren't capable of winning a Stanley Cup without 1 more core piece added to help the group dig and actually compete come playoff time. People like Justin Williams could be instrumental in that regard, but then again they may end up being more of a Neal sorta signing as well, so not without some risk.
Right now it appears the plan is to pray to god Neal, Tkachuk and Monahan improve their speed but that doesn't address the most glaring and obvious issues of compete level, tenacity, willingness and fortitude that we saw gigantic holes of in the Playoffs.
In sum, I'm not sure Treliving has a plan yet, and probably wants to see the first month or two next season before going nuclear, but I suspect that is an option he is willing to take. And if there is any GM we want at the helm for a significant core re-tooling- it is Treliving. I just don't think this summer was the time to do it, particularly given what was on the table value-wise in free agency or (seemingly) on the trade market. But, if early signs next season are that we are not showing a return to competitive hockey- it'll be potentially ugly and season-lasting. Calgary is in a real box.
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