Are the Flames actually a playoff team?

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Perhaps not, but they have far more offensive talent than the 04 team did, Iginla notwithstanding. Really, there's no reason they couldn't duplicate that run.

2024 flames is more like 2018 Vegas imo

No real franchise forwards

A few youngsters pop and play key roles for vegas

GM acquires overlooked top-nine and middle-pairing players on other rosters

Great goaltending (MAF with 0.927 save percentage)

[dino7c]

People trying to spin the Flames as bad so they don't have to admit they were wrong is as fun as watching them win
They just outplayed and beat the Wild and the Rangers...who are we scared of exactly?

With the cap space they could both improve the team and add future assets IMO...might be a fun season after all

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dino7c

People trying to spin the Flames as bad so they don't have to admit they were wrong is as fun as watching them win
They just outplayed and beat the Wild and the Rangers...who are we scared of exactly?

With the cap space they could both improve the team and add future assets IMO...might be a fun season after all

I don't disagree. I just think they're going to have to improve offensively to keep this up when the going gets tough. If Conroy can find the centre he's looking for, that will be a big help.

[Goriders]

It’s becoming obvious it isn’t a mirage.

It’s time to start looking for some scoring help.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

2024 flames is more like 2018 Vegas imo

No real franchise forwards

A few youngsters pop and play key roles for vegas

GM acquires overlooked top-nine and middle-pairing players on other rosters

Great goaltending (MAF with 0.927 save percentage)

Agreed, I said this early in the year. Vegas expansion vibes.

A bunch of castoffs and depth players from other teams, many with chips on their shoulders and something to prove with a bigger opportunity.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

2024 flames is more like 2018 Vegas imo

No real franchise forwards

A few youngsters pop and play key roles for vegas

GM acquires overlooked top-nine and middle-pairing players on other rosters

Great goaltending (MAF with 0.927 save percentage)

Vegas was 4th in the NHL in goals scored in 2018 with a goal differential of +44. They were not offensively challenged.

The Flames top forward on pace for 43 points and their goal differential is +1. They are, to date, offensively challenged.

Vegas had 5 forwards between 55 and 78 points.

Make no mistake, Calgary has had a miraculous start to the season, fueled by exceptional goaltending. They even survived that 4 game losing streak where they had a goal differential of -13, and came out of that playing their best hockey of the year. They are a resilient bunch.

They will need to score more to keep their lofty record intact.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I don't disagree. I just think they're going to have to improve offensively to keep this up when the going gets tough. If Conroy can find the centre he's looking for, that will be a big help.

Agreed, and he knows that, he is looking under every rock to find that improvement. But it’s a hard commodity to find without a massive overpay. It would sure help if that centre was currently on the roster, say Kadri.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by NegativeSpace

Yes. The more I read about xGF the less I think it’s a significant measure of success. It is useful for noticing longer term trends but it has some limitations of usefulness.

I also think we tend to use it wrong in some scenarios. Analytics supporters (myself included) have always gravitated towards using 5v5 numbers for analytics.

And that 100% is the right decision when comparing players - because for an individual player their PP/PK/5v5 ice time mix and usage can greatly skew their xGF. You can't compare all situations for a forward that plays lots of PP and no PK, to a player that plays lots of PK and no PP.

But when looking at team metrics and team results we really should be looking at All Situation metrics. Special teams are too big a part of the game to just ignore them when assessing team effectiveness and you're excluding over 20% of the ice time data we have if you look only at 5v5.

[just_tim]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Vegas was 4th in the NHL in goals scored in 2018 with a goal differential of +44. They were not offensively challenged.

The Flames top forward on pace for 43 points and their goal differential is +1. They are, to date, offensively challenged.

Vegas had 5 forwards between 55 and 78 points.

Make no mistake, Calgary has had a miraculous start to the season, fueled by exceptional goaltending. They even survived that 4 game losing streak where they had a goal differential of -13, and came out of that playing their best hockey of the year. They are a resilient bunch.

They will need to score more to keep their lofty record intact.

Calgary has close to $20m in cap space, a decent minor league and a stockpile of picks - hard to think Connie won’t use his well earned assets when the time is right.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by just_tim

Calgary has close to $20m in cap space, a decent minor league and a stockpile of picks - hard to think Connie won’t use his well earned assets when the time is right.

Agreed, I think Connie is trying to do just that.

But I would rather that he not trade high draft picks for current assets, unless they are quite young, under team control with lots of runway left. And these type of players are not usually available without an overpay.

I think Cozens is the target. But he's quite risky and the price will be higher than most of us like. But he's the one player that would give Calgary the best change of rebounding their offense. High ceiling, low floor. I think with Calgary's start to the season, it's a risk the owners would want to take.

It would be an exciting acquisition to be sure.

[Goriders]

Nm

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by just_tim

Calgary has close to $20m in cap space, a decent minor league and a stockpile of picks - hard to think Connie won’t use his well earned assets when the time is right.

He’d be doing a disservice to the players and fans if he didn’t.

Tied for 6th overall and 2 points out of 4th after 21 games with no real powerplay input or offensive production from your top veteran forwards tells me with some tinkering you’d have a very good team.

You have a goalie. Hardest thing to find. Help him out.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Goriders

He’d be doing a disservice to the players and fans if he didn’t.

Tied for 6th overall and 2 points out of 4th after 21 games with no real powerplay input or offensive production from your top veteran forwards tells me with some tinkering you’d have a very good team.

You have a goalie. Hardest thing to find. Help him out.

The hardest thing to find a #1C. He’d be doing a disservice to the fans if he pulls another Hamonic trade and trying to compete now. Hopefully he is more patient than spending assets on a team whose leading scorer is a defensemen at 126th overall in the NHL.
Enjoy the run and keep the plan the same as it was going into the season.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Looking little deeper Flames are bottom 10 in
- GF/60
- pp%
- pk%.
- FO win%

And 3rd in team save percentage.

Seems like a bottom 10 team that has been propped up by goaltending.

Are those statistical measures of 'good' teams. Special teams and face offs?

Teams that get great goaltending win. There is no propped up. If they remain a top save% team they will make playoffs.

[GioforPM]

The team is indeed close to being a good team and so playing very well with what they have. The problem is the missing piece would(a) cost a lot and (b) destroy the rebuild. And maybe disrupt the chemistry they have now. The lines are working well at the moment. And the lack of scoring seems a little skewed - there are some players who’ve been snake bitten and might just be righting the ship now - Pospisil, Sharangovich, Zary, Kuzemenko. Karri could easily score more, he’s been in a bit of a funk.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Agreed, I think Connie is trying to do just that.

But I would rather that he not trade high draft picks for current assets, unless they are quite young, under team control with lots of runway left. And these type of players are not usually available without an overpay.

I think Cozens is the target. But he's quite risky and the price will be higher than most of us like. But he's the one player that would give Calgary the best change of rebounding their offense. High ceiling, low floor. I think with Calgary's start to the season, it's a risk the owners would want to take.

It would be an exciting acquisition to be sure.

I hope Conroy just lets it play out. If there’s a long term piece to be had for a reasonable price, consider it, but the biggest priority should continue to be draft and develop, despite a strong start from a veteran team.

There is nothing wrong with just sitting tight this season, make your excess picks, and continue to stockpile.

[Sylvanfan]

Every year there are teams who over or underperform their advanced metrics. That's why you have variation and the human element to this stuff.

I'm like many others where if they do get to the playoffs that they don't change course and splurge on big names and trade off picks thinking they're better than they really are. The results this year could work in their favor...might correct back hard next year.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Goriders

It’s becoming obvious it isn’t a mirage.

It’s time to start looking for some scoring help.

No no no no no no no. Let them keep playing well and see how it goes. We do not need to be shipping assets out for this team.

[Dan403]

If offensive help is coming, it’s coming from players already in the dressing room playing better offensively.

[browna]

Things could drop off at any point, but thaf could for most teams.

The underpinnings and attitude are clearly there, with rock solid defense (really it's very rare that goals come from the defenseman making big mistakes as one may expect) and goalies that are playing above average.

There is no way Conroy would just let this team languish and let fade away, he said from the beginning when we were 0-0-0 (and more than likely promised the vets all offseason) so looking for scoring now, is more than reasonable assumption.

Especially since they have lost a forward they brought in over the summer expected to aid up front.

It doesn't mean trading away the farm, but it so doesn't mean keep things as is; a responsibility to the guys and vets in the room whom have bought in, to continue to improve and make a push.

Establishing a winning culture and expectation of winning and knowing the organization will push for that, is more valuable to the development of young guys in the lineup and on the farm, then just saying "wait until next year". Next year for what? To get to the same point the team is now?

The Zarys and Coronatos will learn more for long term by being on a team looking to make the playoffs, even if it means they play a little less minutes, than playing 4 more minutes a game and being frustrated in constant 5-2 losses playing out the string.