A rebuild would start with the gutting of the team's top players for picks. A good chunk on CP and the internet would cheer for this overdue tear down and eagerly follow the team the next season as prospects would get real shots st the NHL level and be on the opening night roster. The team would be bad, very bad. Like Columbus Bluejackets bad, but even worse. Yeah the kids would put effort in but it would just be terrible hockey. Most of the rebuild supporters would stick around in season 1. More casual fans would stop following by the end of year 1. Season 2 would begin with more promise and new prospects entering the fold. Team would suck again, maybe worse? Maybe the same or slightly better, but still bad. More casual fans would drop off and stop following the Flames. Org would lose season ticket holders and the Dome would likely see 12-13k on good nights. Under 10k maybe on many. After about 3 or 4 seasons of rebuilding with not much improvement (rebuilding is very hard) many of the ardent supporters of the rebuild years ago would have already stopped following the Flames so closely and support would be at an all time low for many years to come until they make the playoffs again.
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