Making the playoffs or keeping our top-10 first round pick 2025?

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

They offered contracts that would have kept Lindholm and Hanifin as organizational assets, at an amount at which they would still have been tradable assets. When those offers were rejected, they refused to make offers that would have retained the players at an amount which would have no longer made them tradable assets.

Every team with the cap space will make Rantanen an offer. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Flames are any more interested in him than any other team, they just have more cap space than most other teams. If Rantanen offered to sign with the Flames for $10M, would you consider that a bad signing? Put him on the Flames' top line line, slot almost every other forward in a better spot than they are now, and tell me that that doesn't instantly make them a contender.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Rantanen
Farabee-Zary-Coronato
Honzek-Frost-Sharangovich
Pospisil-Backlund-Coleman

Lmao that isn’t a contender. Go look at the defence.

Also Lindholm was offered 8.6M per year. That makes him one of the worst contracts in the league. Not a single team would trade anything for him guy is a passenger who fed of Gaudreau.

You don’t win in free agency win with home grown talent. Find me a team who built a winner from free agency.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think the Flames have shown interest in signing players because they know it is hard to attract players here. So if you have a good payer (e.g. Hanifin or Andersson) and they want to stay for a reasonable rate - they probably are open to it. But it has to be for the right type of contract.

How many ACTUAL and COMPLETED moves has the team made that suggest they are trying to win now. Not rumored moves. Not things that didn't happen. Actual things.

Frost and Farabee. The GM even said it’s a move to help win now and future but they are 25 and soon to be 26 that future is closing quick.

[All In Good Time]

Hold the presses!!!
Who flops more than McDavid?

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

We don’t need Wolf to suck for us to tank. The team is clinging on to 9th right now despite being 31st in goals for and 30th ranked PK.

They are in this position because they have played a difficult brand of hockey that requires them to outwork team by a significant margin every night to win. You saw what happened yesterday if they don’t do that.

Guys have bought in but as we know it doesn’t last long when a team has to play this way.

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Teams' inability to be bad is because of Wolf.

It's clear they have pivoted, it's disappointing to hear on many levels especially Conroy being part of a team that was trying to ride a goalie with a mediocre roster in front of him.

It is what it is, thanks for sharing.

[Icon]

Sign Rantanen
Somehow trade for MacKinnon......
Sign Makar when he's a free agent
Bring Landeskog in as an assistant coach

Calgary Avaflames win the cup.

Easy

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Frost and Farabee. The GM even said it’s a move to help win now and future but they are 25 and soon to be 26 that future is closing quick.

Now and future.
I see nothing wrong with deals like that.
Particularly when the cost was minimal.

This idea that they shouldn't trade ANY picks is silly. They need to value picks more than the organization has in the past, and seem to be doing that. But you need to be maximizing the value of assets across the board, and if you can use a pick, to get a better long-term asset - you do it.

[Bonded]

The Frost and Farabee trade also allows them to trade Kadri and Andersson without taking bad contracts back. I will judge Conroy as he continues to make moves.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Now and future.
I see nothing wrong with deals like that.
Particularly when the cost was minimal.

This idea that they shouldn't trade ANY picks is silly. They need to value picks more than the organization has in the past, and seem to be doing that. But you need to be maximizing the value of assets across the board, and if you can use a pick, to get a better long-term asset - you do it.

So you think we should be sending picks for guys like a Cozens? All metrics point to him being a middling 2nd most likely 3rd liner ?

Teams start spending picks when they are ready to contend.

That trade should be the last one Conroy spends picks on unless a jack Eichel pops up and he likely won’t.

All they keep doing is pushing a rebuild down the road. We probably never will with Edwards as an owner.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I really don't care too much about this year. Make the playoffs or don't - the lines are really tight between playoffs and a top 10 pick. There is a good argument to be had on which would be the best for the organization moving forward - getting the young guys some playoff experience and us fans having fun cheering this WELL BELOW the cap floor team into the playoffs, or just kicking out a leg and getting another good prospect for the future.


Next year for me is a different story. I still don't see them as a contender, and a season of hurt is worth a good shot at McKenna IMO. It isn't like the Flames are far off now. Will be really interesting to see if the organization sort of goes that way or not. With how Chicago is doing, they might just end up trying to unite the cousins.


Heck of an interesting last few years for this organization, and I know I am glued to my seat for the rest of this season. Deadline day will be really damn interesting as it really is a mystery at this point - do the Flames buy a little bit? Sell a little bit? Stand pat? I don't think there will be major moves regardless of the direction they go in, but I can't begin to pretend I know which direction this goes.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by dino7c

come on now...Flames are 8 points up on Seattle with 2 games in hand. They have 4 games in hand and 6 points on the Pens. These teams all play each other they can't all lose.

Top 5 is certainly out of the question

Eh, we'll see, Flames would have to go over a cliff for it to happen, but these last 2 games have been ugly. #7 certainly seems attainable. I'm mostly saying I don't see why some feel #10 is as high as they could get. When I look at the reverse standings, I'm not seeing that.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

So you think we should be sending picks for guys like a Cozens? All metrics point to him being a middling 2nd most likely 3rd liner ?

Teams start spending picks when they are ready to contend.

That trade should be the last one Conroy spends picks on unless a jack Eichel pops up and he likely won’t.

All they keep doing is pushing a rebuild down the road. We probably never will with Edwards as an owner.

Depends on the picks they would have to send.
"That trade should be the last one Conroy spends picks on unless a jack Eichel pops up and he likely won’t. "

Why? Why would you place that level of restraint on ways to improve your franchise. They need to VALUE picks, but that doesn't mean they should not trade any of them because sometimes it may make sense.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think the Flames have shown interest in signing players because they know it is hard to attract players here. So if you have a good payer (e.g. Hanifin or Andersson) and they want to stay for a reasonable rate - they probably are open to it. But it has to be for the right type of contract.

How many ACTUAL and COMPLETED moves has the team made that suggest they are trying to win now. Not rumored moves. Not things that didn't happen. Actual things.

Imagine how hard it would be to attract players if they tanked and actually tried to suck as much as possible. You would probably never sign a UFA again.

Trying to keep Hanifin who is probably a top 25 dman in the NHL and is currently 28 years old is something every single team in the NHL would try to do. So Conroy tried to do it.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Eh, we'll see, Flames would have to go over a cliff for it to happen, but these last 2 games have been ugly. #7 certainly seems attainable. I'm mostly saying I don't see why some feel #10 is as high as they could get. When I look at the reverse standings, I'm not seeing that.

They lost to Lightning/Panthers on the road

Ducks lost 5-2 to chicago last night. Flames have 4 wins in there last 10 and havent lost any ground other than a point or two on a couple teams and have even gained on some. Top 5 isnt happening....barely inside the top 10 is possible but I doubt it.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Imagine how hard it would be to attract players if they tanked and actually tried to suck as much as possible. You would probably never sign a UFA again.

Trying to keep Hanifin who is probably a top 25 dman in the NHL and is currently 28 years old is something every single team in the NHL would try to do. So Conroy tried to do it.

Tons of teams attract feee agents when they build a winner.

What a terrible take.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Depends on the picks they would have to send.
"That trade should be the last one Conroy spends picks on unless a jack Eichel pops up and he likely won’t. "

Why? Why would you place that level of restraint on ways to improve your franchise. They need to VALUE picks, but that doesn't mean they should not trade any of them because sometimes it may make sense.

1st round picks prospects.

You don’t win by trading away 1st round picks being a team that’s likely a lottery team.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Tons of teams attract feee agents when they build a winner.

What a terrible take.

You combine the fact that tear down rebuilds rarely work with the fact that nobody will want to sign with your franchise when you are actively trying to lose and it would be a long time before any credible free agents would even consider signing with an organization that is committed to losing.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think the Flames have shown interest in signing players because they know it is hard to attract players here. So if you have a good payer (e.g. Hanifin or Andersson) and they want to stay for a reasonable rate - they probably are open to it. But it has to be for the right type of contract.

How many ACTUAL and COMPLETED moves has the team made that suggest they are trying to win now. Not rumored moves. Not things that didn't happen. Actual things.

I think people also ignore the asset management aspect of re-signing players. The worst thing you can do is lose a player for nothing, so what are your options? Trade them for picks/prospects etc to keep building, or re-sign them, which keeps the option to trade them or other players open. It’s the last part people ignore. Say Hanifin signed. Suddenly the Flames have a lot more flexibility to trade Weegar and/or Andersson, AND they can still trade Hanifin (now a known, locked in commodity) to whoever (trade protection permitting) instead of just the one team he wants to sign with.

There’s also the GM game to play, which we’ve seen play out. The Flames were “willing” to sign Lindholm long term, got a great return. They were willing to keep Markstrom, which means NJ wasn’t able to force their hand at the trade deadline. Once it came out that Hanifin wasn’t re-signing and was only going to re-sign with certain teams, the options were limited (we heard stories of Tampa lowballing thinking that was the only place he’d go).

Re-signing guys (or making offers) doesn’t automatically make them part of the core, it keeps options open. Same with inquiring on Jones, which one poster seems to struggle with understanding. It’s keeping options open or just seeing what they are. Any idiot can just blindly trade away every expiring player.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

You combine the fact that tear down rebuilds rarely work with the fact that nobody will want to sign with your franchise when you are actively trying to lose and it would be a long time before any credible free agents would even consider signing with an organization that is committed to losing.

Chicago signed Hossa right away after picking 1. Other teams made trades when they became contenders.

You can’t even answer how the teams gets elite talent to get to that level. Just want to cheer on going for 9th in the west.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Just want to cheer on going for 9th in the west.

This is another extremely tired lie. Nobody in history has ever cheered specifically for finishing one spot out of the playoffs.

If you can't address your opponent's actual argument, at least find a straw man that is stuffed with a better grade of straw.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

This is another extremely tired lie. Nobody in history has ever cheered specifically for finishing one spot out of the playoffs.

If you can't address your opponent's actual argument, at least find a straw man that is stuffed with a better grade of straw.

The argument that when a team “tanks” no UFA will ever sign there again ? Is that even an argument / sensical . Clearly UFAs sign every year with bad team or teams exiting / hoping to exit a rebuild

SJ and Chicago have signed UFAs the last 2 offseasons

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Chicago signed Hossa right away after picking 1. Other teams made trades when they became contenders.

You can’t even answer how the teams gets elite talent to get to that level. Just want to cheer on going for 9th in the west.

Who is saying they want to cheer ok going for 9th
Christ-almighty can you stop making things up about what people are saying ?