[Article] Calgary Flames: Alone at the bottom

[Mathgod]

Since the lockout, the Flames are the only organization in the NHL to rank in the bottom three in playoff wins, series wins, conference final appearances, and top-five picks. The closest team to the Flames was the Wild, who also ranked in the bottom three in series wins, conference final appearances, and top-five picks, but 26th for playoff wins.

These are the kinds of metrics that should determine draft order.

Make that change, and you'd see tanking pretty much disappear immediately.

[Toonage]

The Win Column is awful. Only ever see them mentioned on Reddit.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Everyone seems to have a spreadsheet or a database to compare everything these days. People can decide what they think on their own. As an example the flames missed the playoffs this season but it was one of the more entertaining seasons I have witnessed

Data isn’t the be all end all.

Personally it was fine, but I did not find it that entertaining for these reasons:

Didn't make the playoffs. Never really felt like a threat even if we did. Our highest producing player is 35, signed here a couple years ago and had a topping 67 points.

It was close games. But it wasn't dynamic high skill hockey. And we never were a serious threat.

Then you add in what's happening up North.

It was fine, but just fine for me.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Canucks, Flames, Ducks, Wild, Preds, Knights and Kwaken never have had 1st OA out of 32 teams.

That story cements what people call the mushy middle. That's what this organization is. Luke warm porridge.

Over the last 20 years, I'll gladly take the Ducks and Knights 'mushy middle' and their two cups. That's some tasty porridge IMO.

[Vinny01]

In the cap era the Flames have made the playoffs 9 times. They have also finished as the 7th-10th in the west 12 times in those 20 years. 3 division titles, 4 top 10 picks and one season where they had the division locked but injuries cost them that spot and they finished 5th in the west and lost to the Hawks in round 1.

Not a ton of playoff success has added to the mediocrity. Even though they are not doing the tear down build I have confidence that Conroy is doing the right things.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by redmile04

yet there is still fans that do not want to tear it down.. will never understand why fan want the current state to continue...

Probably because tear downs don't guarantee an elite team in 3-5 years. And there are more cases where it hasn't panned out that way than panned out that way.

You can be semi-competitive while restocking your talent pool and continually trade aged out players for younger ones or draft assets.

The Flames are operating in a much better and future-conscious way of late and I think they're moving in the right direction.

They'd have a first round pick every other year before, and now they're drafting multiple each year and 5-6 in the first three rounds.

IMO it's a recipe for success. And eventually it will bear fruit.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Probably because tear downs don't guarantee an elite team in 3-5 years. And there are more cases where it hasn't panned out that way than panned out that way.

You can be semi-competitive while restocking your talent pool and continually trade aged out players for younger ones or draft assets.

The Flames are operating in a much better and future-conscious way of late and I think they're moving in the right direction.

They'd have a first round pick every other year before, and now they're drafting multiple each year and 5-6 in the first three rounds.

IMO it's a recipe for success. And eventually it will bear fruit.

But I feel the most recent regime is turning the corner every time and it turns out that I’m wrong. Every year we are positive about our new prospect pool and it rarely ever actually pans out. We get a lot of good farabees, frosts, cornotos, mangiapanes and not enough draisatls macdavids eichels makars Gaudreau tkachuks. Oh wait we did have those last two. Our owner needs to have his eventual heart attack. Sorry I am bitter.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by fotze2

But I feel the most recent regime is turning the corner every time and it turns out that I’m wrong. Every year we are positive about our new prospect pool and it rarely ever actually pans out. We get a lot of good farabees, frosts, cornotos, mangiapanes and not enough draisatls macdavids eichels makars Gaudreau tkachuks. Oh wait we did have those last two. Our owner needs to have his eventual heart attack. Sorry I am bitter.

I am still waiting on those elite teams in Buffalo, Ariz/Utah, Anaheim, SJ, Tor, Mont, Ott to make it all the way to a conference final too. All those teams with top picks for years that are building something special. Hell Edm even had 4 1st OA picks, the greatest player ever and a goal scorer better than Ovy and they haven't won stuff either.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Flames all-time win % is 8th in the history of the NHL (I think), and I believe it was top-5 at one point (I could be wrong, but it’s up there). That’s both a good thing and a bad thing, but it could be worse, I guess.

As a franchise, the Flames regular season success has been just fine. It’s the playoff performance that has been hardest on fans. The streak from 1989 to 2004 was basically a generation of fans who didn’t see the team win a playoff series. 4 deep runs in 45 years.

The luck should turn at some point.

[Britflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

As a franchise, the Flames regular season success has been just fine. It’s the playoff performance that has been hardest on fans. The streak from 1989 to 2004 was basically a generation of fans who didn’t see the team win a playoff series. 4 deep runs in 45 years.

The luck should turn at some point.

Luck will not be enough. There is no promotion or relegation in the NHL or other cups to be won. Therefore the whole teams focus should be winning the Stanley Cup, there is nothing else. Work out the best way to get there and then implement the plan. Will it work, maybe but there are a series of team who are always there or there about. Calgary's management is terrible, hence the appalling stats at the top of the article.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Bubba17

I am still waiting on those elite teams in Buffalo, Ariz/Utah, Anaheim, SJ, Tor, Mont, Ott to make it all the way to a conference final too. All those teams with top picks for years that are building something special. Hell Edm even had 4 1st OA picks, the greatest player ever and a goal scorer better than Ovy and they haven't won stuff either.

Most of the those teams still have a lot of runway to take a run at the Cup.

Are never-tanking teams like the Flames, Islanders, and Wild any closer to the Cup?

[Scroopy Noopers]

So randomly I was reading about Paul Reinhart and that trade today (don’t know where else to post this as it’s history dwelling nonsense)… but we really traded him for a 3rd rounder where we took a Finnish defenseman 4 spots before Nik Lidstrom!?!?!? Holy #### that’s brand new draft failure info for me.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Groot

Could not care less. According to the article, Flames made the playoffs 11 out of 20 seasons, and we all know a few they fought to the bitter end of the season a few times just to miss by an inch. So say about 75% of the last 20 seasons have produced quality entertainment. For me personally, that's fantastic.

To each their own, but I watch hockey for entertainment and to me there's nothing entertaining about watching a garbage team scrape together 20 wins in a season so they can draft a stud and then hopefully not suck in a few years.

If the Flames never win a Cup or even make a Cup finals again in my lifetime, I'm not going to be looking back on my life with any sort of regret. I pity anyone that does. Go Flames Go, thanks for the ride.

Lol at least you own this ridiculous lunacy.

[Monahammer]

We are building for disappointment in approximately 6 years at this pace. It's horrific and disappointing again. Can't wait until someone with a functioning brain cell takes over ownership of this team. Even Katz can get this #### done seemingly, and he's a huge world class moron.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Everyone seems to have a spreadsheet or a database to compare everything these days. People can decide what they think on their own. As an example the flames missed the playoffs this season but it was one of the more entertaining seasons I have witnessed

Data isn’t the be all end all.

Which is interesting because I can't think of a recent season where I cared less. Knowing they were likely going to miss playoffs AND lose their 1st made it feel like a very wasted season. A few bright spots with some prospects but without a true supporting cast does it really matter? It's hard to get excited about Wolf when there are zero elite forward prospects on the team, in the system, or likely to be drafted this year.

[indes]

Definitely checks out. The Flames lack of star power through the middle has been a tragedy for the last 30 years. How is it even possible we haven't had a star center since Niuewendyk?

https://thehockeywriters.com/flames-...chise-history/

I'll always cheer for the Flames but for the love of God can we get a franchise C?

[icarus]

Is the author of this article V1nnytheFlame3Fan or whatever his name is?

I get that people are dismayed about the Oilers in the SCF again but what's with all this self-loathing. Yeah life as a Flames fan is not a cakewalk. In other news water is wet.

[Bingo]

I think a 45 year summary is interesting to compare franchises and success rates. You can't ignore it.

But when it gets applied to the current team I always roll my eyes.

What are they doing now? Is it different than what we've done in the past? Do we like the current GM? Are they doing anything right?

The team moved on from UFAs, moved a starting goaltender, didn't spend a huge amount of idle cap space, and completely nailed the 2024 draft.

Hopefully those are steps towards changing the next few years when compared to the last 45.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Yeah the Flames are mid, but they're our mid and I will always love them

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Which is interesting because I can't think of a recent season where I cared less. Knowing they were likely going to miss playoffs AND lose their 1st made it feel like a very wasted season. A few bright spots with some prospects but without a true supporting cast does it really matter? It's hard to get excited about Wolf when there are zero elite forward prospects on the team, in the system, or likely to be drafted this year.

Guessing you might have to not care this year too