Where do you see the Flames rebuild at now?

[flamesforcup]

Personally i think we have most of the pieces needed to contend soon. We have an elite goalie prospect in gillies, a good stop gap in elliot (highest save % in the league last year). 4 good future top 6 forwards in thachuk, bennett, monahan, and Gaudreau, and some solid bottom 6 depth in frolik brower backlund and jankowski. I feel we have all the pieces internally and are just missing one more top 4 defensemen. Hopefully it can be one of our prospects or via trade. Do you guys think flames have all the pieces internally to be contenders? if not what pieces do you see missing?

[RockOnRoberts]

Rebuild is over. I'm expecting playoffs the next year or 2 with an anything can happen mentality and then serious contention for 3-6 years after that.

[dammage79]

75℅ completion.

[GranteedEV]

We need guys like Engelland, Smid, Bollig off the books. We also need a top 6 forward, either via prospect or trade. We don't have room to go UFA.

I could foresee a cup-winning Flames roster being something like

Tkachuk-Bennett-(Top6F.. Mangiapane/Klimchuk/Shinkaruk?)
Gaudreau-Monahan-(Middle6F Prospect like Poirier or Pribyl...or CHiasson if he has an epiphany and has chemistry with those two)
Backlund-Jankowski-Frolik
Ferland-Stajan-Brouwer
Bouma/Hathaway

Giordano-Brodie
Jokipakka-Hamilton
Kulak-Wideman**
Wotherspoon


**Wideman on a vet min type deal. Or just toss Andersson there.

[Yoho]

Learning to walk.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by RockOnRoberts

Rebuild is over. I'm expecting playoffs the next year or 2 with an anything can happen mentality and then serious contention for 3-6 years after that.

Disagree.

I'd like to see playoffs, but we're not in contention just yet.

[Caged Great]

This is a team that should be in the teens somewhere overall. I don't think they'll be in the bottom ten, but I don't think they'll be in the top ten either. I'm expecting playoffs, but if they miss, they should be close.

They need to get rid of the horrible contracts on the team, which will all be gone at the end of the year except Stajan, and funnel those $ into another top six RW and potentially a #4 D-man.

After this season they should be starting to become a contender.

[Strange Brew]

The rebuild almost entirely depends on the development of Bennett, Hamilton and Tkachuk IMO. With maybe a surprise impact player thrown in.

[Parallex]

I consider it done. I expect playoffs this upcoming season or at the very least to be a bubble team narrowly missing out.

[FiveSeven]

As long as we continually improve as well as stay ahead of Edmonton I'm happy.
I think with assuming a couple prospects hit their ceilings we'll be shored up on D.
I think our top 6 will be complete soon.
Bottom 6 could use some loving.
Tricky finding average players that are complete and a blend of complementary styles.

I'd say 70% of the way.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The rebuild almost entirely depends on the development of Bennett, Hamilton and Tkachuk IMO. With maybe a surprise impact player thrown in.

I'd say the long term success depends even more on a goalie. If the Flames are going to become sustained contenders, one of our goalie prospects will really have to develop well.

[TheScorpion]

I think the Flames will finish 12th-14th in the NHL this year.

Some expectations:

- 35 goals and 85 points from Johnny
- 30 goals and 65 points from Mono
- 20 goals and 40 points from Brouwer
- 20 goals and 40 points from Frolik
- At least a .920 SV% from Elliott

All said and done, I think we're 70% through the rebuild.

[Stupid]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I think the Flames will finish 12th-14th in the NHL this year.

Some expectations:

- 35 goals and 85 points from Johnny
- 30 goals and 65 points from Mono
- 20 goals and 40 points from Brouwer
- 20 goals and 40 points from Frolik
- At least a .920 SV% from Elliott

All said and done, I think we're 70% through the rebuild.

I prefer "Mona".

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Stupid

I prefer "Mona".

Yeah, but then Johnny's nickname would have to be "Lisa" and that doesn't work at all.

[Mister Yamoto]

Need to have improvement. Doesn't necessarily have to mean playoffs but that should be the goal. If there is regression, that is a disaster. Burke and Treliving should be shown the door.

I just don't want to be hearing that the Flames are only a couple of seasons (or pieces) away from competing in perpetuity. There are a lot of nice pieces going forward but there are also some problems with the way the team has been built IMO. Can't wait to see how it plays out.

[hockey.modern]

1. #1 RW; Someone who can play on the top line whether it's a speedy, playmaker, or big player that can create space for Gaudreau and Monahan.

2. #4 Defense; A defenceman that can shutdown other top players and be a physical force while being able to make a great first pass.

3. #1 Goaltender; Hopefully Elliott, and Johnson can hold the reigns for now, but for the future, hopefully a goalie prospect can take on the role and become a starting goaltender.

4. Consistency; Need to be better on the road and find consistency in both defensive coverage and holding the puck longer in the offensive zone.

5. Bad Contracts; Need to get rid of the bad contracts that are holding the team back that can easily be replaced by prospects within the organization.
__________________________________

*place holder

Gaudreau-Monahan-X (Brouwer*)
Tkachuk?-Bennett-X
X-Backlund-Frolik
X-X-X

Giordano-Brodie
X-Hamilton
X-X

X (Elliott*)
X

[btimbit]

Would't call it 100% done, but also no longer want to hear "They're x years away" because people will be saying that forever if they want a perfect team, which isn't possible in a salary cap world. I'd like to see a 'win now' mentality, but without doing stuff like selling futures for rentals at the deadline.

That said, I think next off-season is when the team really ramps up the heat. Bulk of the bad contracts are gone, we likely see a prospect develop into a top 6 winger, or we have the room to buy one, either way there won't be many holes in the lineup this time next year.

[DoubleF]

1-2 middle 9 players away and hoping for a top 6 development. A bit of fine tuning after that. Unsure of goalie situation in terms of contention. fixed for the short term though.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I think the Flames will finish 12th-14th in the NHL this year.

Some expectations:

- 35 goals and 85 points from Johnny
- 30 goals and 65 points from Mono
- 20 goals and 40 points from Brouwer
- 20 goals and 40 points from Frolik
- At least a .920 SV% from Elliott

All said and done, I think we're 70% through the rebuild.

What do you expect from Bennett?

[Macho0978]

IMO this is the last year of the rebuild with the chance that we could compete for a playoff spot this year. The reason that I think this is the last year is we still have to wait on some young guys to develop. Tkachuk, Jankowski, Kylington, Rasmus, Bennett all are too young to say the rebuild is 100% complete. But I also do not see the need for a top 3 pick in next draft to fill out the core. Would not hurt but not needed