Where do you see the Flames rebuild at now?

[Roof-Daddy]

3 years done.

I expect this team to complete for a playoff spot in year 4
I expect this team to contend for a Stanley Cup in year 5 and beyond

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Crawl

Walk <--- right here

Run

Sprint

Coast

[calgarywinning]

Would guess there needs to be the skillful elimination of some players that no longer fit the team model. Probably another skilled DMan and RW and hopefully some prospects that have some leaps and bounds forward.

I still see a lot of development space in a lot of our younger players, like Monahan, Bennett, Gaudreau and Hamilton.

[RoughRiderRowdy]

Whoever thinks the rebuild is over is completely delusional

[RyZ]

If they get at least league average goaltending they should be able to at least make the playoffs more often than not over the course of Johnny and Monys soon to be signed contracts.

[Five-hole]

If Gulutzan clicks with these players we should make the playoffs. It will be a disappointment if we don't, particularly if we miss by more than 2-5 points. The best teams in our division have peaked or are regressing and there's no excuse not to be one of the Pacific's 3 best teams next year.

Probably 3-4 years from legitimately contending for the cup, and to contend the following is going to have to happen:

1) Some of our top 10 prospects are going to have to turn into impact players on their ELCs
2) Hamilton will need to establish himself as a top-pairing d-man
3) Gio will have to stay at around the same level and not regress
4) Bennett and Tkachuk will have to be top 3-4 forwards (first line or elite second line players)
5) Either Elliott or Gillies will have to be a bona fide #1 for us.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think most people agree that this team is no longer a 'lottery pick team', but not a 'perennial contender' either.

Probably a team that is fighting for the playoffs this season, transitioning into a strong playoff team the following season that is a bit of a wildcard against other teams in the west, and then perhaps - if the youth develops and Treliving makes strong moves - into a contender status echelon in the west.

Just looking for a team learning to play consistently this year with playoffs in mind. New coach, new goalies and a few new faces on the team - one has to wonder if there will be an adjustment phase for the first month or two, or if this team really takes off under Gulutzan.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by RoughRiderRowdy

Whoever thinks the rebuild is over is completely delusional

Guess it depends on a persons definitions. I don't think they're rebuilding anymore, but they're not contending either.

There's an area between, where most teams sit, and I see the Flames in there. They're still building, in the sense that the team is still moving forward and not just hovering in no mans land like Vancouver or Minnesota. But the 're' part of the build is done. The core is there, now you surround it with complimentary pieces.

[Table 5]

I think a lot of the key pieces may be in place for the Flames to be a good team, but there's still a lot of assuming and hoping going on at this state about those pieces. If all works out as planned and guys like Bennett, Tkachuk, Hamilton and Gillies truly achieve their potential, and Gaudreau, Monahan and Brodie can keep on excelling....we have ourselves a solid team. But when does a plan ever work out perfectly?

I do think this was the last draft in a while (barring lottery luck) where we pick in that Top 6 range. We'll be in a playoff chase, and chances are we'll miss, but I don't see this team battling it out in the gutter for half the year.

I still would love to see a pure sniper on this team, but I'm not as worried bout it as I was a year ago (and I think those guys can be traded for).

A guy like Jankowski or Poirer surprising would sure go along way.

[Hackey]

I think some posters are jumping the gun. The team should challenge for a playoff spot and has a good chance at landing a spot but I still think we're a ways away from being a contender. It will largely be based on how our young guys develop. Guys like Bennett and Tkachuk still have a lot to prove but I think they are likely to be top end contributors. Hamilton looks like he is on his way but he still has to step up as well. Will some of our lower level prospects surprise or will they fade out? I'll take it one season at a time and for now I think being competitive and challenging for a playoff spot is what I expect this year.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Half of the time I see it down at the Dome, but often I tend to see it on my television as they seem to be traveling the other half of the time.

[LanceUppercut]

We are done 3 years of a 5 year process. We could be challenging for a playoff spot in year 4, but I still think the roster needs some more work.

[gargamel]

When you go from being a cap team, to a team that is near the salary floor, back to being a cap team, the rebuild is over. That's not to say that we're done improving or that we should be competing for a Cup this year, but improvement will largely have to come from within over the next few years.

[Corral]

This team just finished 12th in the conference and 26th overall, and consistently loses to the better teams in the league. The rebuild is far from complete.

[gvitaly]

The way I see the power grouping in the west:

1. CHI, DAL, NSH, SJS
2. ANA, STL
3. CGY, LAK, MIN
4. COL, EDM, WPG
5. ARI, VAN

The way I see it, the Flames are between the 4th and the 3rd grouping. The big question coming out of this season is can we play defense? or more correctly how much the improved goal-tending will improve the GA.


This makes the Flames effectively a bubble team for this season. Essentially they will be at the same position as in 2014-15. I expect them to be within 3 points from eighth place at the trade deadline(could be either ahead or behind). At the same time, they will be sellers at the deadline(Wideman, Engelland, Smid(?), or maybe one of the goalies could be rentals).


As many here said, we are at stage 2 of 3 where the main goal is finding consistency and the right fit for our young players(Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Hamilton). We have a good mix of players, new coaching staff, and a lot of untapped potential knocking on the door. Now we just need to make the individuals into a team that plays like a 5 man unit. All in all, this season promises a lot more excitement than disappointment.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Corral

This team just finished 12th in the conference and 26th overall, and consistently loses to the better teams in the league. The rebuild is far from complete.

Those who are expecting a playoff team I think are in for a surprise. I'd like nothing more to be firmly entrenched in the division lead and earn a playoff spot. But the team IMO still has a ways to go. Elliot is the biggest and most important acquisition this summer and how far the team goes will depend on him and Johnson.

Last time we made the playoffs it was the perfect storm of unsustainable comebacks and the rest of the pacific sucking. I will consider the rebuild complete when we challenge for the division lead year after year and the team can take over games like the good teams in the league do.

I think the team has better pieces in place year after year with Treliving at the helm. I'm hoping for a step forward at the least. A change in play that tells me the team in on the verge of something great.

[calgarywinning]

Originally Posted by Corral

This team just finished 12th in the conference and 26th overall, and consistently loses to the better teams in the league. The rebuild is far from complete.

Would be interesting to see an analysis of the teams they lose to. The sad thing is they seem to win against the top ranked teams, muddle around with the middle and crap the bed with the bottom in the last couple years.

I hope our changes this year will give us consistency at least. No strings of home wins without road wins. Just a little more levelled out. Not asking for mediocre but balanced.

[CliffFletcher]

Most of the pieces are in place, but key pieces are very young. Gaudreau and Monahan can score, but they need to show they can score when up against the best d-pairings and checking lines in the NHL. Bennet is still only a kid. Tkachuk hasn't played a game in the NHL yet. Hamilton is still very raw - so raw he didn't make the Team North America roster for the World Cup.

To take the next step, a lot of players need to get better. And the team will need to learn how to keep the puck out of its net. I expect the Flames to struggle out of the gate with a new coach and system. I see them in the mix for a playoff spot, but not a lock by any stretch of the imagination.

[Par]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Most of the pieces are in place, but key pieces are very young. Gaudreau and Monahan can score, but they need to show they can score when up against the best d-pairings and checking lines in the NHL. Bennet is still only a kid. Tkachuk hasn't played a game in the NHL yet. Hamilton is still very raw - so raw he didn't make the Team North America roster for the World Cup.

To take the next step, a lot of players need to get better. And the team will need to learn how to keep the puck out of its net. I expect the Flames to struggle out of the gate with a new coach and system. I see them in the mix for a playoff spot, but not a lock by any stretch of the imagination.

PK Subban also did make the "the World Cup of grab money".

[Itse]

I think many fail to see the difference of a rebuild being done and a rebuild being succesful.

Most rebuilds don't turn teams into serious contenders. Some rebuilds even fail to make the team better. (See: Oilers.)

The following is to me how a rebuild goes. Note that these are overlapping processes, not a flowchart.

- Sell off everything that has value and isn't absolutely necessary to keep the team functioning during the rebuild. (Done.)

- Fill the lineup with placeholders. (Done.) It's a time to take chances on all sorts of projects, longshots and rehabilitation attempts, (Colborne, Jones, Setoguchi, Russell...), but mostly these guys need to be able to mentor the new core and keep the team functioning while the rebuild is in process. Hopefully some of these guys will stick around once the rebuild is done, but most will be expected to be gone.

- Find a new core through draft, trades and from within. (Done.)

- Give the new core time to take over the team. (Mostly done.)

- Replace the placeholder players with a new supporting cast. (Partly done, waiting for rebuild-era contracts to run out.)

The bolded parts are where we're at now. After this season all our players will be signed by Treliving, most of our rebuild-era veterans will be gone and we will be a cap team with a young core.

In short, IMO this season is without a doubt the tail end of our rebuild. The last signings of the rebuild will be done next postseason, and 2017-18 will be the first post-rebuild season.