[News] Francis: One-year faceplant

[ComixZone]

Article here

A one-year faceplant could pay off for more than a decade.

Anything less than embracing the possibility of a bottom-three finish is reckless and irrational.

Everything Craig Conroy and the front office does the rest of the season should be with that in mind.

If you’re not drafting at the top, you’re not scoring at the top.

And in today’s NHL, that’s the difference between watching the playoffs and playing in them.

Team Tank Francis is Best Francis

[Roof-Daddy]

This slow start should lead to Kadri and Coleman being traded despite them having term left on their deals.

Those two along with Ras being treaded will pretty much ensure the team doesn't get things "turned around" and start crawling back up the standings and work their way out of a good chance at a top 3-5 pick.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Article here





Team Tank Francis is Best Francis

Whenever I see an article like this from Francis, it feels like the ownership / management layer above Conroy floating ideas to the fanbase to see the reaction.

Anyway...maybe the team starts getting their messaging right and we can move to the next chapter of what to do.

[dissentowner]

Eric Francis must be loving this season. He is only happy when he can tear the team apart or try to chase key players out of town.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Eric Francis must be loving this season. He is only happy when he can tear the team apart or try to chase key players out of town.

I like when he's focused on the team/organization as a whole, and not targeting players specifically like he did with Gaudreau Bennett Parekh.

[getbak]

Don't sell yourself short, Eric. You've been faceplanting for decades.

[howard_the_duck]

Agreed on faceplant, disagreed on one year.

If they fully faceplant - which could very well lend to dealing Andersson, Kadri, and Coleman - what do they have in the pipeline in the organization that suggests they'll bounce back as early as next season, even with McKenna in tow?

Maybe it's just a slow drip understanding of the situation we're in, but unless the Flames foolishly go add free agents and make a slew of trades this offseason, we're in for at LEAST a couple of years of this.

Bottom finishes are likely in store for a little while, and they probably should be.

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I like when he's focused on the team/organization as a whole, and not targeting players specifically like he did with Gaudreau Bennett Parekh.

Don't forget Brodie and Monahan.

Called Brodie "weak" for not going to the world championships when his wife was diagnosed with MS.

Said Monahan did not have the will to win; later revealed he needed 4 surgeries.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Whenever I see an article like this from Francis, it feels like the ownership / management layer above Conroy floating ideas to the fanbase to see the reaction.

The “one year” bit is a giveaway

[Jiggy]

I feel like injecting more youth this year will lead to wins. Trade Andersson at the deadline, trade Kadri and Coleman at the draft.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by getbak

Don't sell yourself short, Eric. You've been faceplanting for decades.

When Francis learns how to make a thread on Calgarypuck properly I'll take him seriously. What is he late 40s early 50s and doesn't know how to navigate early 2000s internet?

[Winsor_Pilates]

He's right and I think they team knows it as well.
All things are moving in the right direction.

[saillias]

The one year thing is wishful thinking, but hey if they have to learn the hard way that it's not a quick 1 year rebuild in the exact same manner a year from now, so be it

[Rhett44]

"One year" lol yeah ok...

So likely not trading the vets like we need to then. One player isn't going to turn this around.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by saillias

The one year thing is wishful thinking, but hey if they have to learn the hard way that it's not a quick 1 year rebuild in the exact same manner a year from now, so be it

Yeah, I don't know how they'd ever view it as a one-year thing.

Perhaps they only trade Andersson.

Then when you look into free agency...who will sign here, and...free agency is a barren wasteland.

Evgeni Malkin? He'll be 40.

Nick Schmaltz, Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch...all aiming to hit it big, all will be turning/are 30 come July 1...and there's no centres.

So, I'd wager if that's the view...Kadri stays. Coleman may go, but baby on the way may impact that...

So trades or same team + maybe a top-end pick and Gridin?

Yeah, I don't see any way it stays as a one-year thing. Even if they bank on a bounce back...Kadri will be 36, and the already aged group of veterans around him will be nothing but older, attempting to fly in the face of Father Time yet again.

25/26 and 26/27 are both write offs in my eyes. Maybe they won't be this bad next year, but they'll still be bottom-10.

[Vinny01]

I have thought that even though this season is completely lost the organization is not interested I staying at the bottom for several years. This team is so up and down year over year it is not that unreasonable to assume a lot will be better next year.

They will be in a spot to draft an elite prospect this summer and likely will be bringing some guys up from the farm next year.

What I wonder though is if they will be more aggressive in their pursuit of other players. They don’t go all-in on K’Andre Miller nor did they overpay to get Cozens, Byram or any other young piece available over the last couple years. If Conroy moves Andersson, Kadri, and Coleman he will be adding a lot of future assets and trade chips the flames might use to get better soon. Couple that with a Wolf and Coronato bounce back and they might not be right at the bottom next year.

I will be surprised if there are not significant adds via trade or free agency in the next 2 summers.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Yeah, I don't know how they'd ever view it as a one-year thing.

Perhaps they only trade Andersson.

Then when you look into free agency...who will sign here, and...free agency is a barren wasteland.

Evgeni Malkin? He'll be 40.

Nick Schmaltz, Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch...all aiming to hit it big, all will be turning/are 30 come July 1...and there's no centres.

So, I'd wager if that's the view...Kadri stays. Coleman may go, but baby on the way may impact that...

So trades or same team + maybe a top-end pick and Gridin?

Yeah, I don't see any way it stays as a one-year thing. Even if they bank on a bounce back...Kadri will be 36, and the already aged group of veterans around him will be nothing but older, attempting to fly in the face of Father Time yet again.

25/26 and 26/27 are both write offs in my eyes. Maybe they won't be this bad next year, but they'll still be bottom-10.

In the end with Wolf in net and young progression you never know what happens in 26/27. Which I think is more the point here - they are never going to fully just throw in the towel before the season but should really lean in to getting a top 3 pick this season.

In regards to trades you still have too many bodies at forward, especially if you do get a McKenna or a Stenberg with an early pick - which is another reason to trade Kadri / Coleman.

Look at the organizational depth signed past this season at forward even without those two and before making any other deals / drafting players this year.

NHL

LW: Huberdeau, Sharangovich, Farabee, Honzek, Pospisil
C: Frost, Backlund, Zary,
RW: Coronato, Klapka

AHL

LW: Stromgren, Basha, Suniev
C: Kerins, Morton, King
RW: Gridin

Prospects

LW: Wyttenbach
C: Reschny, Potter, Stockselius, Misa, Lipinski
RW: Battaglia, Hoskin, Lane

So I don't think trading Kadri or Coleman necessarily means you have to punt on next season too. You'd have a ton of cap space and a lot of assets.

With the extra assets you already have (Vegas 1st, Vancouver 3rd), and the assets you'd get from moving Andersson, Kadri, and Coleman you'd be well positioned to try to add a high profile young forward in trade if one happened to become available (For example maybe a Kent Johnson or Adam Fantilli type from Columbus)

And there may be some interesting free agents - I'd have no issue if the Flames gave a bigger money, short term deal to somebody like Laine TBH. RW remains an area lacking in this org - and if he has a big year then you're buying yourself an asset potentially.

Just hypothetically - say the Flames draft McKenna, trade Kadri/Coleman, and make no other additions / bring back no other bodies in trades.

McKenna - Frost - Coronato
Huberdeau - Zary - Gridin
Honzek - Backlund - Farabee
Sharangovich - Kerins - Klapka
Pospisil

They still have too many bodies and they still have some AHL bodies / prospects that could push for a spot.

[rohara66]

Lets hope we're the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche!

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by rohara66

Lets hope we're the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche!

It's pretty crazy what drafting this generation's Bobby Orr can do for a team.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Eric Francis

It’s a reminder of just how good scouting has become in today’s world of endless video and analytics.

Kind of odd comment to make in an article talking about the top 1 or 2 picks which are usually consensus picks and least likely to depend upon good scouting.