Are the Flames actually a playoff team?

[blankall]

Originally Posted by konradical

Rebuilding takes a couple of years, just because the 2024-25 Flames are might make the playoffs doesnt mean we wont find a 1C in the draft. This year we might pick 22nd and 32nd instead of 3rd overall. But who is to say next year we are really bad.

I dont get why people are upset about middling when we are pushing for playoff spot lead by the young guys. We still have 2 years of being bad after this one. We might sneak in this year for example, and next year get McKenna.

I swear people complain for the sake of complaing. Just because we might be better this year doesnt mean we are done bottoming out. Kadri,Backlund,Coleman will all get older and less effective as time goes by

With the way Wolf is progressing, it'll be tough to get a top 5 pick. He's stealing games already. Maybe if the Flames trade Weegar, things will collapse?

It's not a horrible thing. A legit #1 goalie is probably rarer and just as valuable as a #1 centre. Zary is also showing amazing skills. He could develop into the Doug Gilmour type, and the team could be successful without the Gretzky type.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by blankall

With the way Wolf is progressing, it'll be tough to get a top 5 pick. He's stealing games already. Maybe if the Flames trade Weegar, things will collapse?

It's not a horrible thing. A legit #1 goalie is probably rarer and just as valuable as a #1 centre. Zary is also showing amazing skills. He could develop into the Doug Gilmour type, and the team could be successful without the Gretzky type.

Just keep drafting well.

Strong depth at center can also overcome not having that true #1 IMO.

[The Yen Man]

It's also encouraging to see the young guys play on a competitive team. You don't want to be a team like the Sens, Sabres, or Red Wings, where every year they get high draft picks, but it doesn't ever look like the team overall improves or makes any progress.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

How are we not every year? we play in the worst division in the NHL.

And the Oilers haven't won a division since 1987 lmao.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Just keep drafting well.

Strong depth at center can also overcome not having that true #1 IMO.

Plus, you never know if a Brayden Point or Sebastian Aho or Roope Hintz suddenly appears out of a lesser draft spot.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Just keep drafting well.

Strong depth at center can also overcome not having that true #1 IMO.

At the end of the day, you need centers that score. If you've got two centres that can produce at a 70 point pace, that can definitely overcome not having one that can produce at a 90 point pace.

It's definitely important that the depth centres are more than just tweener guys that will get shut down in the playoffs. The playoffs are all about consistency and timely goals.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Not patting myself on the back or anything, but I truly thought either Wolf would fail as an NHLer, or be a star. No in between.

And here we are.

Yeah, I’ve been saying for a bit that if Wolf is as good in the NHL as he has been everywhere else, the kind of bottom feeder tank some people were looking for was just not in the cards, so best to proceed with the rebuild knowing a top 5 pick was unlikely.

And they’re doing it. And it’s genuinely fun to watch. Been to a few games this year and they’re just enjoyable in a way they haven’t been for the last couple.

Getting to watch Wolf live has been especially great. And have to say I love the fact that Zary and Coronato can be screaming into the zone and you just feel like they can put it in the net. Very much like Tkachuk and Gaudreau (obviously they have a long way to go to be compared to those guys on talent yet) where when they were on the ice you paid a little more attention because it felt like something could happen.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

How are we not every year? we play in the worst division in the NHL.

not this nonsense again...Stars lost to the Oilers, Canucks put up a better fight. Oilers took the Panthers further than anyone out east

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, I’ve been saying for a bit that if Wolf is as good in the NHL as he has been everywhere else, the kind of bottom feeder tank some people were looking for was just not in the cards, so best to proceed with the rebuild knowing a top 5 pick was unlikely.

And they’re doing it. And it’s genuinely fun to watch. Been to a few games this year and they’re just enjoyable in a way they haven’t been for the last couple.

Getting to watch Wolf live has been especially great. And have to say I love the fact that Zary and Coronato can be screaming into the zone and you just feel like they can put it in the net. Very much like Tkachuk and Gaudreau (obviously they have a long way to go to be compared to those guys on talent yet) where when they were on the ice you paid a little more attention because it felt like something could happen.

as great as Wolf is they aren't bottom 5 defensively either...this isn't just a goalie stealing games. They have "deserved" to win on the win o meter like 65% of their games which is ridiculously high.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

nm

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by dino7c

as great as Wolf is they aren't bottom 5 defensively either...this isn't just a goalie stealing games. They have "deserved" to win on the win o meter like 65% of their games which is ridiculously high.

65% felt high to me so I looked it up.

Actual number is 40%.

Goaltending has been huge.

And digging deeper ... they've only "deserved to win" four times in the last 15 games.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Bingo

65% felt high to me so I looked it up.

Actual number is 40%.

Goaltending has been huge.

And digging deeper ... they've only "deserved to win" four times in the last 15 games.

I get what you are saying, but goalies are a part of the team.

But it does show that absent sensational goaltending, the Flames are a bottom 10 team.

Thanks for this, I didn't think it was 67%, but didn't think it was 27% either.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by dino7c

not this nonsense again...Stars lost to the Oilers, Canucks put up a better fight. Oilers took the Panthers further than anyone out east

hahaha. go super cheerleader! rah rah rah

Do you physically die a little when someone criticizes the Flames?

[#-3]

what happened to sports stats club? can't find it.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by BsFaninCGY

I don't know if any of you caught Conroy on Real Kipper & Bourne this week, but he essentially said (paraphrasing) that last year they traded Markstrom to make room for Wolf/Vladar/Cooley, and they will do the same this year (IMO alluding to more trades to bring up kids from the farm). It was a good interview all around, but that line kinda slipped in there and wasn't followed up on. Worth a listen I think as it sounded to me like he said he's making more trades. If so, I think playoffs will fall short


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4gi...nnel=SPORTSNET

Start around minute 50

Thanks for sharing. I've been banging the Kyper and Bourne show drum for so long now! Think it's a fantastic hockey show. 1st hour is all Leafs but the 2nd hour is the rest of the league. They spent a ton of time on the Flames starting with the Conroy interivew, continuing on after the interview finished. They're massive fans of Andersson for good reason and think he's the kind of defenceman you want to keep and re-sign with the Flames. Also learned during the Conroy interview that Kypreos was the guy who accidentally let Conroy know that he was traded to the Flames!

[Goriders]

They are a playoff team because they have legit goalies. Their defence is also good enough to get them there.

If they want to do anything when they get there someone other than the defence needs to start scoring goals. If that happens they could even do some damage.

I hope they don’t wait around too long for 19 year olds to develop until the goalies mile out. Then start over.

The way I look at it your most important piece is Wolf. You can’t win minus a goalie. If you’re waiting years for a saviour to maybe show up via the draft Wolf might be gone, injured or even retired if you don’t hit on red.

If I’m Conman I’m looking for some proven scoring help. You have tons of young D, goalies and cap space. Find one or two snipers. You don’t have any coming in the near future outside of Zary and Coronato.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I get what you are saying, but goalies are a part of the team.

But it does show that absent sensational goaltending, the Flames are a bottom 10 team.

Thanks for this, I didn't think it was 67%, but didn't think it was 27% either.

Absent goaltending any team is bottom 10

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Goriders

The are a playoff team because they have legit goalies. Their defence is also good enough to get them there.

If they want to do anything when they get there someone other than the defence needs to start scoring goals. If that happens they could even do some damage.

The way I've seen it is elite goaltenders are fewer and farther between in today's NHL with the overall increase in offense and reduction in pad size.

So most teams work with average goaltending (which is now in the .900-.910 range) and rely on 3-4 lines that can score or a few elite players for their success.

Now the few teams that have all-world talents in net have an advantage most don't. Boston's goaltending last year, Demko in Vancouver and Shesterkin in NY are examples of teams that are/were buoyed by elite goaltending and as a result can win without their offensive talents being better than their opponents'.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

The way I've seen it is elite goaltenders are fewer and farther between in today's NHL with the overall increase in offense and reduction in pad size.

So most teams work with average goaltending (which is now in the .900-.910 range) and rely on 3-4 lines that can score or a few elite players for their success.

Now the few teams that have all-world talents in net have an advantage most don't. Boston's goaltending last year, Demko in Vancouver and Shesterkin in NY are examples of teams that are/were buoyed by elite goaltending and as a result can win without their offensive talents being better than their opponents'.

But that’s my point. Everyone is waiting for the messiah to show up via the draft. I think he’s here now. Draft/trade well and use your capspace. It’s time to start building before he miles out. We need a couple of mid 20s scorers.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Goriders

But that’s my point. Everyone is waiting for the messiah to show up via the draft. I think he’s here now. Draft/trade well and use your capspace. It’s time to start building before he miles out. We need a couple of mid 20s scorers.

It's an interesting and controversial POV.

I say add 20+ scorers where you can, just do it through leveraging cap space or from a position of strength. Just don't sacrifice the assets you're accumulating for the 'retool' to make those adds. That's when it goes down the path of fast tracking a rebuild that hasn't cooked at the expense of futures.

If they can be creative enough to add while staying the course of building the prospect base, then so be it.

But yeah.. IF wolf is a top 3 goalie in the world in a year or two, or this season, then that expedites the Flames' ability to compete considerably. Just like how Igor sent the Rangers rebuild into warp speed.