The way the NHL works now severely punishes badly or mediocre managed teams. You have to be good at drafting, asset management, free agency, all aspects - just being good a couple facets is not enough. I'm not sure a small team of scouts and a GM can be everything anymore (like how do we have one guy scouting all of Europe?).
There is no cap on back office, this is where you can really spend to make a difference - not just in GM and Coaching but all the other cutting edge sports stuff that great teams (not just NHL) invest in.
Flames will suffer as long as they keep a cheap front office. We dumpster dive for key talent. Every once in a while magic happens like the last rebuild/Hartley.
If you want to celebrate winning the big prizes you are cheering for the wrong team. There is nothing about this franchise that says 'The Best.'
Flames are like the Saddledome, elite in the 1980s when they were new and the league was smaller. But only serviceable now.
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