Make the Playoffs Mandate for Next Year

[GGG]

In the intermission Feaster stated the mandate is still to make the playoffs next year. I do not believe that this is a good idea and I think it shows the ownership are not taking the longer term view and still looking at short term success.

The difference to me between make the playoffs and make the playoffs 2 or 3 years from now will be free agency. Focusing on now will mean we sign longer term free agent deals on young free agents which means using up our cap space quickly.

A longer term approach would be to use thus years unique situation with buyouts and the cap coming down to sign ufas to 1 year deals who want to prove themselves. Then move them at the deadline for more assets. The shortsited approach is also shown in the jbo trade where we didn't keep salary to increase the return.

Moving Iggy and jbo made me believe that our ownership had turned the corner on the win now mind set. Now with Feasters comments I am concerned again. I think a much better goal would be playoofs 2 or 3 years from now. I am not trying to bash feaster as I am generally satisfied with the return at the deadline but ownerships insistance on playoffs rather than championships concerns me.

[GirlySports]

Will ownership insist the Flames remain a cap-team? If so, Feaster will spend like a drunken sailor in the off-season.

The owners will never ever ever buy anyone out. They will never eat a penny for the betterment of the team.

[albertGQ]

I'm ok with that. I hope his year is an anomaly. Just like Millions said, we can take a look at the Ducks and Flyers. Yes, we traded our core but if Kipper retires, we'll have $19M in cap space. I want us to make the playoffs next year, not get another lottery pick

[#-3]

Well, Feaster better have a plan for a 25 minute a game D man, that doesn't hurt your team, can skate, and can pass.

Because our D is in way over its head now.

[Badgers Nose]

it's the dumbest thing I have ever seen come out of the Flames

they jumped the shark

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by #-3

Well, Feaster better have a plan for a 25 minute a game D man, that doesn't hurt your team, can skate, and can pass.

Because our D is in way over its head now.

His name is Seth Jones... As long as Florida doesn't get in our way.

[bax]

What is this? Did you not listen to anything he said? The goal is to win, it always will be. You don't want to create an atmosphere where losing is acceptable. Everyone knows this team will not be in the playoffs next year, that doesn't mean that they stop competing.

[PeteLFan]

If the playoffs are not the goal then what is?

Would you have preferred he say, well you know we expect to suck for next 2-3 years then hopefully we might end up in the playoffs.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by GGG

In the intermission Feaster stated the mandate is still to make the playoffs next year.

[Mathgod]

As long as Feaster does not

- sacrifice draft picks to improve the team in the immediate term
- sign free agents to long term deals

making the playoffs next year does not sound like a bad idea.

[Baaarrden]

As long as they don't go out in the summer and sign a bunch of middle or older aged players to multi-year contracts to fill roster spots, I'm fine with that being the goal. If they stick with the rebuild and continue to get younger, I don't realistically see them making the playoffs next year and maybe not even the year after, but the three first round picks this year I think will be a big boost to the rebuild, and I would hope that if the Flames are out of the playoffs next year around this time, they clean out a few more "big name" players like Tanguay and Cammalleri (again assuming they don't depart in the meantime) and turn them around for some decent high picks in next years draft.

edit: ^ also what Mathgod said

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

As long as Feaster does not

- sacrifice draft picks to improve the team in the immediate term
- sign free agents to long term deals

making the playoffs next year does not sound like a bad idea.

but without those two points happening, it's impossible to make the playoffs next year.

[EVERLAST]

every game matters.....

[MrMastodonFarm]

What's funny about this thread and posters who seemingly hear what they want to hear, is that Feaster qualified his statements from this afternoon. He reiterated that the rebuild was still on but you don't want to accept losing.

He stated, again, that the Flames will not be going for players past their prime and instead focus on young players. Young players that they draft and produce themselves I'd imagine.

Does anyone have a problem with that, isn't that what everyone wants?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by GGG

In the intermission Feaster stated the mandate is still to make the playoffs next year.

I figured he'd double down on it instead of just talking a different way. His explanation after the press conference was basically that "mandate is to make the playoffs meant not letting players just coast through the year". That's sort of just demanding accountability, and expecting players to be pros. A mandate to make the playoffs is completely different from that.

Did he at least add the caveat afterwards in the intermission?

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

What's funny about this thread and posters who seemingly hear what they want to hear, is that Feaster qualified his statements from this afternoon. He reiterated that the rebuild was still on but you don't want to accept losing.

But again, demanding professionalism and compete from your players isn't the same as having a mandate to make the playoffs. It's a ridiculous statement, and to repeat it is just silly.

[Baaarrden]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

but without those two points happening, it's impossible to make the playoffs next year.

It may be near impossible, but seeing as that has precisely been the Flames mentality in the last 8 seasons, and we pretty much dug ourselves into a deep ass hole during that time, it would only screw us up for another decade if that were the goal of management.

[#-3]

I like what Feaster sad, I couldn't agree more that the best way to get better s trying to win.

But the title was about winning next year just, and that isn't going to happen. Unless Buffalo runs Myers out of town and we are lucky enough to grab a 23 year old Calder winning d-man for relatively nothing.

Allot of other things will need to happen, but that has to be the most important after watching the last two games.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

If the playoffs are not the goal then what is?

Would you have preferred he say, well you know we expect to suck for next 2-3 years then hopefully we might end up in the playoffs.

Yes, but not exactly, I would have perferred he said our goal is to improve from a 30th place team next year and to be a team contending for Stanley cups over the next 5 years. Our goal the organization talks about shouldnt be for next year.

To me the statement of a Mandate to make the playoffs means sacrificing opportunities to be better in the future to win in the present. I am all for trying to make the playoffs next year provided that all of our moves are based on being the best we can be in 3-5 years and not 1-2 years.

The word Mandate scare me as it was the Mandate to make the playoffs that started the whole phaneuf/joki disaster that got us here in the first place.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by nik-

But again, demanding professionalism and compete from your players isn't the same as having a mandate to make the playoffs. It's a ridiculous statement, and to repeat it is just silly.

He only brought it up again because of the insane amount of crying about it earlier it seemed.

I'm no fan of Feaster but that was a funny thing to go ape-poop over.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Why are people having such a hard time with this? As an immigrant, let me translate what Feaster said, since it doesn't seem to be in English:

"Mandate to make the playoffs next year" = "Not make the playoffs obviously, but don't play like a bunch of losers up North."

They want to keep a culture of competing in this franchise, even if they have no hope to win. Understand now?