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

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I don't think the Preds would be in a position to spend picks in the off-season. They're the 3rd worst team in the NHL this season, and I doubt the addition of Andersson makes them into a contender.

Depends on what Trotz thinks the path forward is for the team.

Saros' new contract kicks in this summer
They have an okay group of forwards, especially if they can graduate 2-3 more prospects (they currently have the 8th ranked prospect pool).

Their D looks like a disaster right now:
Skjei-Blankenburg
Englund-Del Gaizo
Oesterle-Barron

When healthy they get better:
Josi-Blankenburg
Skjei-Del Gaizo
Lauzon-Barron

But their right side is a mess. Andersson fixes a big problem for that team and he does so cheaper than if they go after Ekblad in the summer.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Why would they need plausible deniability? There's no cap issue, and nothing is technically wrong with sitting a player.


I don't know of any teams sitting players in order to lose games. I do know that Pittsburgh deliberately traded golaies and ended up playing 3rd or 4th stringers on their way to drafting Mario.

40 years ago before the lottery

[madmike]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It is not ANY team's way.

Can anyone give an example of teams shutting players down, in order to lose games?

The Pens did it to get Lemieux but it’s not common in the NHL.

In the NBA, on the other hand… All the bottom teams there are trying to out-tank one another now. It’s pathetic.

I could see the Flames playing Wolf less if they fall out of the playoff race, but there’s a legit reason to do that with a rookie goalie.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Why would they need plausible deniability? There's no cap issue, and nothing is technically wrong with sitting a player.


I don't know of any teams sitting players in order to lose games. I do know that Pittsburgh deliberately traded golaies and ended up playing 3rd or 4th stringers on their way to drafting Mario.

because I don't think reputationally its something that you would want to appear obvious if you were going to do it. Unless you're the Oilers or an org that doesn't care.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Just go streaking one direction or the other.

Being a hair away from a top 10 pick, that certainly feels like the right place for them to be when I watch this team.

Hoping this road trip begins to solidify the direction. However, I'm sure it'll be more like 1-1-1 here we come!

This is the Flames, you know exactly what will happen. Strong push sometime in the next few weeks will keep us just out of 8th.

[Samonadreau]

Next 3 games are winnable, then it's murderers row the 3 after that.

[Scrambler]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Next 3 games are winnable, then it's murderers row the 3 after that.

Meanwhile, the Blues played and beat the Preds last night and play the Preds two more times over 5 days next week.

Talk about luck getting 3 games against a tanking division rival in late March.

[Harry Lime]

The lowest that the Flames an realistically fall is to 9th, and for that to happen they need to be legitimately under .500 the rest of the way.

If they lose the next game, and have two teams in front of them for the last playoff spot, with no games in hand, I think that I'm going to start having issues cheering for wins.

No pressure though, guys.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Scrambler

Meanwhile, the Blues played and beat the Preds last night and play the Preds two more times over 5 days next week.

Talk about luck getting 3 games against a tanking division rival in late March.

Flames just need to keep it close over the next 6 games compared to the Blues and Canucks.

Canucks have a tough scheduled the rest of the way.

Blues have an easier schedule their next 5 games, then it gets tougher.

Flames have 3 winnable games (but not easy), then 3 tough games, then they get into the stretch with Anaheim/San Jose/Utah they need to take advantage of.

If Flames can be within 2-3 points of the 8th spot by April 1st they will have a schedule that starts to soften up, as well as a couple games in hand. Need to just stay close until then.

Flames - 15 games left - .541 opponent point percentage - .545 current points percentage

@Rangers - Win
@Devils -
@Islanders -
Kraken -
Stars -
@Oilers -
@Avalanche -
@Utah (B2B) -
Ducks -
Knights -
@Sharks -
@Ducks -
Wild -
Sharks -
Knights -
@Kings -

Canucks - 14 games left - .561 opponents point percentage - .551 current points percentage

Jets - Win
@Blues
@Rangers -
@Devils -
@Islanders
@Blue Jackets -
@Jets -
Kraken -
Ducks -
Knights -
@Stars -
@Avalanche -
Wild -
Sharks -
Knights (B2B)


Blues - 13 games left - .529 opponents point percentage - .543 current points percentage

@Predators - Win
Canucks -
Blackhawks -
Predators -
Canadiens -
@Predators -
@Avalanche -
Red Wings -
Penguins -
Avalanche -
@Jets -
@Oilers -
@Kraken -
@Utah -

Just please no overtime tomorrow night in the Blues-Canucks game.

There is actually a realistic path where the Flames go 8-6-1 (.567 pts % in remaining games - 90 points), Canucks go 7-6-1 (0.53690 points), and Blues go 7-5-1 (90 points) and it comes down to tiebreakers.

[Bingo]

The problem with the Flames is they could play a great game, but only score one goal and lose.

They have so little margin for error.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Psytic

because I don't think reputationally its something that you would want to appear obvious if you were going to do it. Unless you're the Oilers or an org that doesn't care.

It appears that a lot of fans (on this site at elast) want that reputation.

This would also, BTW, screw guys like Backlund who are on short term contracts, by depriving them of healthy participation in games that could mean something stats wise to them personally.

[Bandwagon Surfer]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

We all know how this is going to go, Flames will give the 11th pick to Montreal and keep Florida's 29th overall

We've known it all year, they've just been toying with us

The silver lining is that all of their draft picks get lower, not just the first. So even in the classic Flames scenario where they lose the 11th pick, they will still get a little benefit.

[kipperiggy]

Don't we have to give our first round pick to Montreal at some point? Or is it if we finish top 10 then we can ship out Florida #29? Or it gets deferred to next year?

Wouldn't we rather keep our ticket in the McKenna sweepstakes?

[FanSince'01]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Don't we have to give our first round pick to Montreal at some point? Or is it if we finish top 10 then we can ship out Florida #29? Or it gets deferred to next year?

Wouldn't we rather keep our ticket in the McKenna sweepstakes?

Basically, with the way thinks have shook out this year, it's either we finish bottom 10 and MTL gets Florida's 1st this year, or we're not bottom 10 and they get the better pick between us and Florida (which will be ours).

The only scenario in which they would've gotten our 2026 pick would have been if we were drafting 1st overall this year AND Florida's 2025 pick didn't transfer to us (it's top-10 protected for 2025). Then Montreal would get whichever would be the better pick of ours or Florida's in 2026.

[The Fonz]

Can't wait for this 1st round pick bull#### to finally be over.

[united]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Blues - 13 games left - .529 opponents point percentage - .543 current points percentage

@Predators - Win
Canucks -
Blackhawks -
Predators -
Canadiens -
@Predators -
@Avalanche -
Red Wings -
Penguins -
Avalanche -
@Jets -
@Oilers -
@Kraken -
@Utah -

I would also point out that since the Blues replaced Bannister with Montgomery, they have been playing at .596 pace (47 games) versus .432 (22 games) prior. And not just hot run, either: adjusted xGF %, per Natural Stattrick, is 52.8% versus 45.0%. The Blues are going to be very tough to top.

[Monahammer]

They played better in the 2nd game of the back to back than the first.

Wild inconsistency in team effort!

I don't think we'll make the playoffs still but again I am back on the "whats the point in cheering for a tank now" side.

[united]

Sports LogIQ posted their probabilities today:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1902366788660150742

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

Nobody is going to sit that is 100%, but who is 100% at this point? I'm sure they could find a few guys that could take a few nights off here and there.

Let's be honest. If Flames are playing meaningless games, it's probably better to dress some of the vets if you're on Team Tank. The give a crap meter will be pretty low, especially if they've been pushed so hard through the whole season to try to get into the playoffs.

Young guys, on the other hand, will be hungry, so you know they'll be giving it their all.

[dino7c]

They aren't gonna suddenly play .300 hockey...just cheer for wins, playoffs or no the higher the pick the better. Its a sunk cost, move on with your lives. Hope for a good pick with the Devil's first.

Outside of the optics does it really matter if the Habs get the 11th or 15th pick? It doesn't really effect the Flames.