Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
As for the mushy middle, just because the Flames finished at 96 points last season, doesn't mean they don't take a step back this year. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, or just not as well.
I still think this team naturally finds itself in a position for higher picks. I thought they were a bottom 5 team last season (was wrong), but there is a lot of year over year variability for teams like this in the NHL.
Bottom 5 is not out of the question for me.
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Before they drafted Mackinnon, the Avs were in the so called mushy middle a lot. Then they cratered at an opportune moment. And note that Calgary "tanked" and was only 3 points ahead of Colorado (who passed Florida in the lottery draft). And TB, Carolina and Nashville still squeaked between as well. And TB drafted a mediocre player with the 3OA, and Calgary ended up with Carolina's player anyway.
Calgary tanked enough to have two other first round picks that year. And those players managed a total of 8 games played. Calgary could easily have had Mackinnon or Barkov, Burakovsky or Theodore, and Hartman, as opposed to Monahan, Poirier and Klimchuk. Luck is just so huge.