Oilers never really tanked. They just sucked hard. IIRC, they were essentially a cap team for most of their time 'tanking'. They are not a model to build around, and never will be. If they didn't get that fluke lottery win to grab McDavid, they wouldn't be where they are today. You can't build for fluke.
I still argue that people are looking too closely at models. Just step back and look at an overall picture.
The Flames are a rebuilding team. No, they aren't (so far anyway) going scorched earth. They are taking it down pretty close to the studs though.
In every media availability, Conroy keeps emphasizing that the draft will be the most important avenue for the Flames. Will only trade picks for 23 and younger players who may 'pop' and were buried in other teams.
He talks about looking at Dallas - was it meant as a blue-print? People take it as such. I think he means that it is an overall philosophy and approach to rebuilding rather than a step-by-step blueprint (which includes as one of the steps getting damn lucky). I don't believe for a second that 'luck' is going to be something ingrained it this solution. "The Dallas Model" is just about not tanking on purpose. Emphasize - ON PURPOSE.
Calgary today - without changes - are probably a bottom 5 team in the league. Making a Markstrom trade will make them worse. There will probably be a few more bodies moving out for futures this season - way too many wingers, and some of them are upcoming UFAs next season.
Let's not get carried away with the whole "Flames refuse to rebuild properly". Tanking is not necessarily rebuilding properly. As long as Conroy does not start spending draft capital and vets, let's just see where this goes before we anoint this as some failure of mediocrity.
|