2025/26 season: The Flames' (non)-rebuild

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Or you could teach kids a 200 foot game so they don't end up like a lot of one dimensional guys.

The Leafs are a prime example of not knowing how to play a 200 foot game

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...ng-true-again/

One of the best offences in the league, one of the best offensive lines in the league. They’re a good team, no doubt about it,” Drew Doughty said of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The date was Oct. 23, 2017.

They are giving up over three goals a game, it seems like to me,” Doughty continued that day. “They can improve defensively, but that’s not just on their defence. It’s on their top forwards playing good defence, too. That’s how you create a good defensive team.

“It’s not easy to do. Defence comes down to willing to compete on both ends of the puck and willing to sacrifice your body to block shots and get in lanes and just hating to get scored on. That’s how we developed it — and that’s all it takes, really.

“I would rather not be scored on than go out there and score a goal. That’s just the way I am.”

Flash forward eight years, and the Maple Leafs rank dead-last defensively

Interesting, then, to contrast Doughty’s well-aged perspective with that of Toronto’s leading scorer, William Nylander, amid the home side’s three-game losing skid.

“You know, defensively we have been struggling, and that is something that can be fixed. You can adjust, make changes, to be better at that. Pay better attention to details,” said Nylander, who has stacked 24 points in just 14 games.

“I would be more worried if we weren’t scoring goals — because that’s harder to do.”

Poor Willy, he has been in the league for 11 years and still has no idea what it takes to win.

[GioforPM]

Twas a time when I was conviced they'd keep Marner and lose Willy (after his holdout).

[stemit14]

I really hope the stars align and Conroy leans into this rebuild by trading Kadri, Coleman and Andersson before the trade deadline. When I say “stars align” I mean the market for these players is really strong before the deadline and the flames come out of the deadline with something around the following:

Top 40 prospect in the NHL (either center or defenceman) from the Kadri trade
2026 1st round pick from the Kadri or Andersson trade
2027 1st round pick from the Kadri or Wndersson trade
Conditional 2026 or 2027 2nd round pick (becomes a 1st if acquiring team makes the conference final) from the Coleman trade
2026 3rd round pick from the Kadri or Andersson trade
2026 3rd round pick from the Kadri or Andersson trade

Hand more responsibility to the young players in the system once these trades are complete. I know the team won’t be good but they already aren’t good so I would rather watch the young players play a bigger role. Make at least 3 picks in the first round of the 2026 draft and at least 2 picks in the first round of the 2027 draft. The flames prospect base looks really good right now. By summer of 2027, I think it will be the best in the league.

[bubbsy]

Just hearing Elliotte friedmann’s podcast on Calgary just thinking that they can get a high pick after this bad year, and be competitive next year, just resonates with that ‘1 year face plant’ article headline.

Definitely feels like the flames think they’re just 1 high pick away from being good.

This franchise is actually dumb enough to think this and execute a plan that stupid unfortunately.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Just hearing Elliotte friedmann’s podcast on Calgary just thinking that they can get a high pick after this bad year, and be competitive next year, just resonates with that ‘1 year face plant’ article headline.

Definitely feels like the flames think they’re just 1 high pick away from being good.

This franchise is actually dumb enough to think this and execute a plan that stupid unfortunately.

The owner is unfortunately and that's all that matters

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Just hearing Elliotte friedmann’s podcast on Calgary just thinking that they can get a high pick after this bad year, and be competitive next year, just resonates with that ‘1 year face plant’ article headline.

Definitely feels like the flames think they’re just 1 high pick away from being good.

This franchise is actually dumb enough to think this and execute a plan that stupid unfortunately.

We have a dumber version of Jerry Jones as our owner. What do you expect lol, I don't believe for a moment that Conroy has full reign.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

The owner is unfortunately and that's all that matters

Maybe CC is not extended because he wants to see if other offers come his way before he has to make that decision.

Can’t be easy working for Edwards, by the sound of it.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Just hearing Elliotte friedmann’s podcast on Calgary just thinking that they can get a high pick after this bad year, and be competitive next year, just resonates with that ‘1 year face plant’ article headline.

Definitely feels like the flames think they’re just 1 high pick away from being good.

This franchise is actually dumb enough to think this and execute a plan that stupid unfortunately.

Even if they thought this (which I doubt), it's irrelevant because they can't execute it. Wanting to be good won't make them good.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Even if they thought this (which I doubt), it's irrelevant because they can't execute it. Wanting to be good won't make them good.

Yes but it may mean you're not maximizing the opportunity to move guys like Coleman and Kadri this year, because you're convinced you'll be better next year.

And all that does is delay things by another year if you're looking at draft picks as the primary return in deals like that, and probably makes the return worse too since they are both one year older.

Way more benefit to being honest now and not trying to fool yourself that this team will suddenly be a contender next year.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Yes but it may mean you're not maximizing the opportunity to move guys like Coleman and Kadri this year, because you're convinced you'll be better next year.

And all that does is delay things by another year if you're looking at draft picks as the primary return in deals like that, and probably makes the return worse too since they are both one year older.

Way more benefit to being honest now and not trying to fool yourself that this team will suddenly be a contender next year.

And once again, let's see how it plays out, and judge their actions instead of media noise.

[Badgers Nose]

Flames should stop feeding the media.

Who is the audience for this crap?

Casual fans (where most of the money comes from) don’t follow that closely for these concepts to even matter. They just want fun hockey to watch (not Huska hockey).

Hard core fans know that sort of ‘one year faceplant’ talk is nonsense. Prime Sid would probably fail to get this version of the Flames into the post season. One 18/19 year old player is not going to make the difference.