Can the Flames catch Vancouver?

[Drury18]

I'm the boat of rather having a better team then high draft picks.

If we make the play offs and have a good culture, players who are proven will WANT to start coming here. Instead of gambling on draft picks, who like we saw with Tim Erixon, might decide they don't want to sign with us and move along the way (and we might not be so lucky where we end up with the better return).

[puds]

I doubt there are many professional coaches or players who would be willing to intentionally lose games. Our draft position is dependent on the personnel and the coaching.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by puds

Boston is also different because they were able to sign one of the best defenseman in the NHL as a free agent. Calgary is unlikely to ever be in that position.

Isn't that similar to how we got Giordano?

[puds]

If I recall Giordano signed as an undrafted free agent not a top 3 defender in the NHL.

[trublmaker]

Originally Posted by puds

No way this team doesn't finish bottom five. As a season ticket holder, I'll be pissed if we don't get a top five pick. I could care less about the small wins over our rivals. I would way rather draft elite talent than watch a bad but hardworking team.

So at games wearing your flames jersey do you jump up and cheer when the other team scores? Just curious

[Bourque's Twin]

How about the Flames beat Vancouver tonight but also finish in a worse spot so they draft before Vancouver?

Win-win.

[puds]

Originally Posted by trublmaker

So at games wearing your flames jersey do you jump up and cheer when the other team scores? Just curious

No, but my enjoyment of hockey is in large part correlated to the on ice product which, quite frankly has been bad for the past five years.

[Matty81]

The flames on ice regardless of your view of the draft have to give 100% every night. Fact is this is a pretty poor draft with a steep drop off though. There are no Nichushkins waiting at 10 this year. There are a top 3-5 guys who are good prospects depending on your view, then a next tier of 5 or so who are ok prospects then some real projects.

Hopefully they can play hard and still somehow end up with a Reinhart or Ekblad, but I think the fanbase has to prepare for that second tier and a Nick Ritchie type who will take a couple years and has more 2nd line than 1st line upside.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

How about the Flames beat Vancouver tonight but also finish in a worse spot so they draft before Vancouver?

Win-win.

I'm going to settle this for everyone... Flames win tonight and keep winning. Finish above both the Canucks and the oilers in the draft. Hockey gods reward the hard work of the flames all season by having them win the draft lottery despite terrible odds.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I'm going to settle this for everyone... Flames win tonight and keep winning. Finish above both the Canucks and the oilers in the draft. Hockey gods reward the hard work of the flames all season by having them win the draft lottery despite terrible odds.

I like you.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by moon

Drafting 5th would be disappointing this year.

Disappointing? I would be ecstatic if they could pick at 5th or higher as it's looking like they will pick 6th or 7th at best.

[Aarongavey]

Not sure what people are worried about, this is still Feaster's team. Once Burke exerts his influence this team will be much worse. We should easily be in the running for McDavid or Eichel once we get a little more truculence.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I'm going to settle this for everyone... Flames win tonight and keep winning. Finish above both the Canucks and the oilers in the draft. Hockey gods reward the hard work of the flames all season by having them win the draft lottery despite terrible odds.

I'm not sure where you've been for the last 20 years, but if there are hockey gods, they sure as hell aren't on our side.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Not sure what people are worried about, this is still Feaster's team. Once Burke exerts his influence this team will be much worse. We should easily be in the running for McDavid or Eichel once we get a little more truculence.

The team Burke built has 76 points right now and is one of the youngest in the league

[moon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Disappointing? I would be ecstatic if they could pick at 5th or higher as it's looking like they will pick 6th or 7th at best.

In a 3 player (Ekblad, Reinhart, Bennett) draft I would be disappointed yes.

The guys from 4-10 ate not that intriguing.

Obviously 5th is better than 7th or 8th so you get your choice of the 2nd tier guys but 5th is not a great spot for us to pick at in my view.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

We should easily be in the running for McDavid or Eichel once we get a little more truculence.

That's what I'm hoping for. Leave the Burke hate for the 5 or 10 people that care. He's the best GM this team has had since Fletcher.

[BigBrodieFan]

Originally Posted by moon

From 2006-2010 the Broncos missed the play-offs. 2011 they got a lucky play-off but we far from close to winning or competing for the SB.

That is 6 of the last 8 years that they have not been contenders.

They finally returned to contention by getting a top 3 pick (Miller) and former top pick (Manning) giving them the elite talent needed to contend.

What you are not saying is that through those years they only dropped below 500 one season and were contenders to win their division every single year.

Anyway, that wasn't my point.

I don't play to lose and I prefer my teams don't either- under any circumstances. Just my opinion.

[moon]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

I don't play to lose and I prefer my teams don't either- under any circumstances. Just my opinion.

I think there is a difference between playing to lose and setting the team up for the best success in the future.

I don't think the Flames should be playing Westgarth-Byron-McGrattan 25 minutes a game and throwing Cammalieri in net, but at the same time the team is more likely to win the last 20 games if they have Galiardi in over Hanowski for example. I prefer having Hanowski in.

Street and Jones are likely better options to help the team win the last 20 games than Knight and Reinhart are but I prefer seeing the young kids. MOves like that give us a worse chance to win (despite what people will say about energy etc.) but are the smart moves.

I don't want to see the team making active moves to suck but making moves that hurt short term for long term gains makes sense.

If you truly want to see the team win then you should be pissed we didn't make moves for Vanek and Moulson. We had the cap space could have easily beat the two offers and adding those two gets us more wins down the stretch. Adding Halak as well would have got us in a better spot to win. That would be the thing to do for a team that just cares about winning and not the long term goals.

As much as I want a top 3 pick I would be pissed if the team did something really shady in order to get there like keeping healthy guys out just to lose games.

[The Swedish Flame]

Judging from their performance tonight, it seems pretty damn likely that the Canucks can go on another long stretch of games with precious few points. I don't think the Flames will be able to catch them though because they can get enough points through sheer luck. Like tonight.

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by The Swedish Flame

Judging from their performance tonight, it seems pretty damn likely that the Canucks can go on another long stretch of games with precious few points. I don't think the Flames will be able to catch them though because they can get enough points through sheer luck. Like tonight.

Depends on when the return of Hudler happens.