The Flames have been a disaster since the moment Gaudreau informed them he was going to free agency.
Their response to their dysfunctional coach and inadequate general manager was to replace them with their assistants, showing no clear direction change after apparently wanting keep both their GM and Coach in place.
There was no significant change to the top of the roster, and their plan for 2023/2024 is to hope that the players at the top of their roster bounce back. They’ve resolved exactly 1 contract situation of the 7 that they were facing at the end of last season.
The media should be hard on the Flames. Do I think they’re 32nd? No. Do I have a problem with other people looking at the team like this? No. I also just don’t think it’s that crazy. I’d also sooner the team actually be the 32nd team than the 23rd team.
They do seem to be projecting where they think younger players will be making impacts, and that’s why Columbus and New Jersey and some others are as high as they are…and with that in mind, yeah I get it for the Flames.
The ESPN article stipulates:
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These rankings consider how teams are set up for success this season as well as the next three seasons.
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The ranking makes sense. They don’t have Lindholm, Hanifin, Backlund, Zadorov, Kylington, or Tanev under contract after this season. That’s a huge chunk of the team that can’t be accounted for.