Worst team in the league - Are we "OK" with it?

[blankall]

Absolutely okay.

The Flames actually have a really great trio of prospects in Wolf, Parekh, and Reschny. They clearly need more high end offensive prospects though. The Flames aren't competing this year, so a high draft pick is the best outcome.

[SutterBrother]

Conroy did his part to build a loser. I fully support it.

I’ve waited 30 years for this team to be good again. If they are dogshirt for the next 5 I’m FINE with it no matter what happens.

The strategy of “just get in” has lead to zero for decades, so try something new. It won’t be worse.

[Flashpoint]

I used to be able to buy $5 upper deck tickets to Flames games back in the 90’s with a coupon that you would cut off a 12 pack of Coke.

Why?

Because with no salary cap it was 100% hopeless. The Rangers spent 60 million (American) dollars more on their roster than we did.

Nothing could be worse than that. So if even if we’re a bottom feeder team for a few years… we still know there is hope.

Let’s get that hatch open on the tank!

Just beat the Oilers, Leafs, and Knights while playing the kids.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Agreed I doubt they’ll ever admit it, which seems pointless and petty. All it does in my view is make the management and ownership look incompetent. Either they are in a rebuild and this is an expected result, or it isn’t a rebuild and they are bad at their jobs. Multiple decades of playoff disappointments lead me to believe ownership is incompetent at building a winning club. Yet some continue to wave their pom poms (not you, just a general statement).

I can't see them looking incompetent because they won't say the 'R' word. It isn't like they're doing something foreign in the league. Other teams have refused to call their situation rebuilds.

The way I see it, rebuild means "We're trying to lose as much as possible". What the Flames seem to be doing is saying we're trying to build a winning atmosphere. While they're doing that they are also looking at their team and making decisions to move on from players who want to win now because their window is near it's end. Instead they're trying to find players who want to win now and have plenty of potential and room to grow in hopes that they can setup a team that can contend in a few years and more than just pretend to contend one year but miss the playoffs the next, but maybe next year we can contend again.

They want to contend every year and they're focusing on stocking the cupboards with players who can help build that. Right now they won't contend but they can be hard to play against while they work towards the end goal.

I hope that Conroy puts together a team that can be a contender on any given year to go into the 3rf or 4th round for more than 3 or 4 years at a time. Lately it seems like we may be a team that can make it past the 1st round every now and then (and still rarely did it).

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Saying you’re in a rebuild doesn’t have to mean “giving up”, that’s an unnecessary and simple (binary) point of view. You could simply say “hey we’re rebuilding, times might get tough for a while but we’re going to make sure there’s an entertaining product on the ice and a cup contender when we’re done”. I think everyone understands the flames are in a rebuild, but the question is why. Is it from poor ownership / management? I believe it is. The double speak in the media doesn’t help change that opinion.

Nor does using the word or the quotes change anything if they're doing the rebuilding things anyway.

They are clearly worried that some fans will stay away if they are too deliberate in their speak. Are they right? I honestly don't know.

But that doesn't change the actions which are the only important thing.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Is that true though? If our “80% rebuild” is as obvious to see as Bingo claims it is, I’m sure agents and other teams would see it too.

I could have sworn Chicago and Montreal announced they were rebuilding (Chicago in the last few years, Montreal more recently) but I can’t find an article talking about it.

If it is obvious enough that they should just admit it, then why isn't obvious enough for you to just be happy they're doing it?

[White Out 403]

I don't think the Flames are doing it on purpose, so I don't have a problem with them bottoming out and getting McKenna if that's what it comes to. I hated it when Buffalo and Edmonton did it because it seemed like they were doing it on purpose, or they were so terrible that they didn't deserve a first overall pick. Of all the teams in the league that haven't picked at the top, I think the Flames probably deserve a first overall pick because they've never purposely bottomed out and have always either nearly made it in or got in and got bounced in the first round. I hate that absolute mediocrity is rewarded.

With all of that said, it's risky business bottoming out because sometimes you'll find yourself stuck in the mud for entire decades. There are a lot more Sabres examples out there.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I don't think the Flames are doing it on purpose, so I don't have a problem with them bottoming out and getting McKenna if that's what it comes to. I hated it when Buffalo and Edmonton did it because it seemed like they were doing it on purpose, or they were so terrible that they didn't deserve a first overall pick. Of all the teams in the league that haven't picked at the top, I think the Flames probably deserve a first overall pick because they've never purposely bottomed out and have always either nearly made it in or got in and got bounced in the first round. I hate that absolute mediocrity is rewarded.

With all of that said, it's risky business bottoming out because sometimes you'll find yourself stuck in the mud for entire decades. There are a lot more Sabres examples out there.

The way the Flames are bottoming out sets them up with a lot of depth to hit the ground running when they get those big prospects though.

They'll have #1 goalie and an excellent set of young defenders too.

They shouldn't totally tear it down, but I wouldn't mind seeing a few more vets traded and guys like Zary and Coronato in a bigger role.

[868904]

All this talk about being the worst team, it will never happen. Flames will go on a meaningless winning streak at some point and end up drafting in the 10 to 15 range.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Bingo

If it is obvious enough that they should just admit it, then why isn't obvious enough for you to just be happy they're doing it?

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Worst team in the league is fine, it would be nice to have some confirmation from the team that it’s rebuild mode now. Who really knows what the expectation from ownership is though, we heard in the summer it was to exceed last years results. Well, that’s definitely possible, but 1-4 doesnt inspire much confidence.

I’ve said as much already, you may have missed it. The flames have a long and storied history of futility, so it shouldn’t be surprising if fans are skeptical of ownership and management being capable of executing a rebuild. The last supposed rebuild this team did was considered rushed after an unexpected trip to the playoffs (2014). History hasn’t reflected well on the brass of this team.

[dino7c]

With such a small sample size its a fine line...if they won those two home games they could and probably should have they would be 2nd in the division

They lose them and last place. If it continues to break that way over the next 20 or so we can have this convo more seriously.

[Itse]

I'm not "okay", I'm excited. This is the best start for a season in a good while.

The current roster is not even mediocre, even when healthy, and our prospects are not going to change that. We don't have the picks to outcompete other teams. Calgary can't compete by signing UFA's, especially when the team is is already bad. The organization is at a dead end, Treliving completely destroyed it before he was gone, and we've never recovered.

There is exactly one realistic way to get this team up the standings, and that's drafting some genuine superstars, and the only realistic way to do that is to tank real hard.

I've been afraid that the organization wouldn't want to tank due to the new arena, but I now have hope that this team is bad enough to fall to the bottom with very little help from the management.

In other news: the draft as is is extremely stupid and should be fixed so fans never need to cheer for losses. But it is broken, and so I'm absolutely cheering for losses in every non-BoA.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I don't think the Flames are doing it on purpose, so I don't have a problem with them bottoming out and getting McKenna if that's what it comes to. I hated it when Buffalo and Edmonton did it because it seemed like they were doing it on purpose, or they were so terrible that they didn't deserve a first overall pick. Of all the teams in the league that haven't picked at the top, I think the Flames probably deserve a first overall pick because they've never purposely bottomed out and have always either nearly made it in or got in and got bounced in the first round. I hate that absolute mediocrity is rewarded.

With all of that said, it's risky business bottoming out because sometimes you'll find yourself stuck in the mud for entire decades. There are a lot more Sabres examples out there.

I think becoming the Sabres (inept for 15+ years) takes real talent, in the bad sense.

I think the Flames have a fundamentally different DNA make up in their organization, as shown by how they've extracted good seasons out of subpar rosters and never outright bottomed out.

The hope would be that this year is a one off that lands them a great talent, and they bounce back next season to being a team in the playoff hunt with the added talent.

And even if you dont have faith in the team, its hard to pretend that Wolf through his prime won't give them a chance most nights.

[Jason14h]

What about that winning culture we were building that was so important last season and in the offseason !!!

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Or ...

It's just not good business to publically give up?

Pay more attention to what they are doing and not what they are saying and you see a 80% rebuild taking place right before your eyes.

Personally I do not see what the 20% non rebuild is. The Flames have torn it down to the studs more than any team in league history. I guess if keeping 3 or 4 veterans is the 20% I can see it but they are pretty much in a full blown rebuild.

[#-3]

Not OK with it, but somewhat at peace with it.

I wouldn't mind seeing Anderson and Coleman finding new homes. I wouldn't mind seeing more kids getting more time.

I really won't mind if somehow it was Vegas that was the worst and not us, but that's not the great world we live in.

I really don't want see people blaming Huska, Huberdeau, Kadri, Weegar... for this, and I want to see a team with higher expectations next year. But knowing that 3 years of trading away good players for futures, and not spending cap space has left the team in this position, and consistency in leadership can help to turn the ship around.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Is that true though? If our “80% rebuild” is as obvious to see as Bingo claims it is, I’m sure agents and other teams would see it too.

I could have sworn Chicago and Montreal announced they were rebuilding (Chicago in the last few years, Montreal more recently) but I can’t find an article talking about it.

NYR is the only one to announce it. Other teams just did it (not always on purpose). People just watched other teams and came to conclusion. Like they might be with Calgary now.

[CaptainYooh]

How could one be OK with their team sucking so bad? No, I am not OK with it at all! Every game is a torture to watch. (Yeah, I know, I can stop watching, thank you). This roster sucks. Those hoping for the first overall pick are day-dreaming. Even if you're lucky to win the lottery, one first overall is not a guarantee of anything. Ask Buffalo. A team hoping for a rebuilt through drafting from the top needs to suck bad for a few years to get a few of those top picks and become a contender.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

I’ve said as much already, you may have missed it. The flames have a long and storied history of futility, so it shouldn’t be surprising if fans are skeptical of ownership and management being capable of executing a rebuild. The last supposed rebuild this team did was considered rushed after an unexpected trip to the playoffs (2014). History hasn’t reflected well on the brass of this team.

Sure if you think the same decision makes from 2014 are in place.

They're not.

I think you'd have to look back at years missing the playoffs, and look for cap space, and then look for trade additions at the deadline. Any years with additions and little cap space is a completely different world from what they're doing now.

[dino7c]

hey, win tonight and they are one point back of the cup favourites