Quote:
Originally Posted by All In Good Time
3 year rebuild is not in the cards any way you slice it. We are going to be bad for quite a while
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Really, why? There is some luck involved but I don't think the Flames need to be super bad for many years before turning it around.
If they finish bottom 3-5 in this upcoming season (very likely), they will likely land a potential #1 center in the draft. They will likely have many other picks in the draft. This is something Conroy has done a good job with as the Flames have traded some solid assets for future picks.
For the start of 2025-26, the Flames may have the following players on the roster:
1. Top 3 pick
2. Zayne Parekh
3. Hunter Brzustewicz
4. Connor Zary
5. Dustin Wolf
6. Artem Grushnikov
7. Jacob Pelletier
8. Matt Coronato
Not to mention the following prospects who may also make the team:
1. Sam Honzek
2. Ilya Solovyov
3. Jeremie Poirier
4. William Stromgren
5. Matvei Gridin
6. Étienne Morin
7. Andrew Basha
8. Henry Mews
Then you got the following veterans still on the roster:
1. Jonathan Huberdeau
2. Nazem Kadri
3. Mikael Backlund
4. Blake Coleman
5. MacKenzie Weegar
6. Rasmus Andersson
7. Other players like Lomberg and Pachal and Miromonov
...
Then, you play out 2025-26 and land another Top 10 pick. All of a sudden, with a little luck, your core is set and ready to develop and take the next step for the 2026-27 season. If some of those veterans above leave, there will likely be many options in Free Agency to round out the roster with veterans, as the Flames will continue to have money to spend.