The best possible scenario for the Flames in 2024-25

[dino7c]

Cup this season obviously

[Reggie Dunlop]

No jerseys tossed on the ice.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Hagens and McKenna.

We need a #1C

Sam Bennett was handled poorly here. He just won a cup.

Larkin is what happens if we do what you just outlined.

Sam Bennett has never had the potential nor will he ever be a #1C. If we are hoping for a Dylan Larkin like C to be our first line center we may as well not rebuild because he’s a titanic boatload of meh and his accomplishments in Detroit speak to his averageness.

[gvitaly]

The absolute best case scenario would be for Huberdeau to score 100+ points while the Flames finish in the bottom 5 of the league. I think this would make his contract movable, which would be a huge win for the organization.

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A more realistic scenario is probably having Zary, Pospisil, and Coronato keep progressing, cementing their spots in the top 9. If we get 1-2 top 4D developed this season along with a 1G it would be great, but I think it will be a tough season, both for our goalies and our defense. Everyone is playing higher in the lineup than they should be this year, which is fun, but can also be very frustrating for the players.

I think we'll actually have a pretty good PP this year, but we'll take a big step back on the PK without Tanev and Hanifin.

[Flamesfan05]

Finish bottom 3 and win the lottery
NJ is a lottery pick
Don’t care about the Florida pick if it goes to Montreal. It doesn’t effect the Flames other than showing how stupid Treliving was.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Sam Bennett has never had the potential nor will he ever be a #1C. If we are hoping for a Dylan Larkin like C to be our first line center we may as well not rebuild because he’s a titanic boatload of meh and his accomplishments in Detroit speak to his averageness.

Bennett is a damn good character top6 center that is a playoff beast every year

Any team would be lucky to draft one even in the top 5.

Bennett won the cup before Draistl

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Hagens and McKenna.

We need a #1C

Sam Bennett was handled poorly here. He just won a cup.

Larkin is what happens if we do what you just outlined.

Bennett was a great depth piece, but far from Florida's #1 centre. He was, no where close. The Panthers had an insanely deep centre group, where they rotated in various centres into the #2 and #3 spot. In terms of actual time playing centre, Bennett was behind Barkov, Lundell, and Reinhardt. By the end of the playoffs, Bennett was largely playing wing to Rodrigues.

The Flames definitely F-ed up, as Bennett/Tkachuk is a legit combo. The Flames had both and didn't significantly play them together. Bennett was and never will be a legit #1 centre though.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

The absolute best case scenario would be for Huberdeau to score 100+ points while the Flames finish in the bottom 5 of the league. I think this would make his contract movable, which would be a huge win for the organization.

---

A more realistic scenario is probably having Zary, Pospisil, and Coronato keep progressing, cementing their spots in the top 9. If we get 1-2 top 4D developed this season along with a 1G it would be great, but I think it will be a tough season, both for our goalies and our defense. Everyone is playing higher in the lineup than they should be this year, which is fun, but can also be very frustrating for the players.

I think we'll actually have a pretty good PP this year, but we'll take a big step back on the PK without Tanev and Hanifin.

Best case scenario would be for the Flames to actually accomplish their goal of a quick 2 year "retool".

They finish bottom five this year, draft a franchise centre in 2025. Meanwhile, the team's prospects continue to progress. Huberdeau starts playing better and returns to form by 2026, when the Flames are now ready to compete with 2024-2026 high draft picks all ready to form a new core. Wolf is a legit starter. Pelletier, Coronato, Zary, Pospisil, etc..all form a very good group of depth skaters. Huberdeau (80+ points), Kadri (60+ points), Weegar, and Andersson are solid vets.

That is pretty unlikely though. That does appear to be the organization's "plan", at least the one that was sold to the owners.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by blankall

Bennett was a great depth piece, but far from Florida's #1 centre. He was, no where close. The Panthers had an insanely deep centre group, where they rotated in various centres into the #2 and #3 spot. In terms of actual time playing centre, Bennett was behind Barkov, Lundell, and Reinhardt. By the end of the playoffs, Bennett was largely playing wing to Rodrigues.

The Flames definitely F-ed up, as Bennett/Tkachuk is a legit combo. The Flames had both and didn't significantly play them together. Bennett was and never will be a legit #1 centre though.

I think you may need to rewatch the playoffs and interviews

Bennett was playing C but Rodrigues was taking draws due to injury

I can’t think of too many C’s who would displace Barkov, nothing wrong with being a 2C on a Cup winner

[delayedreflex]

Originally Posted by CSharp

And win the draft lottery!

I don’t think it’s possible for us to do both in one year, but I think this is possible on paper:

1) Flames win the cup , send 32nd pick in 2025 to Montreal
2) Florida bombs out to a lottery pick, sends unprotected 2026 first to Calgary
3) NJ bombs out, sends unprotected 2026 first to Calgary
4) Ditto Vegas
5) Calgary gets 3-4 McKenna tickets in 2026, and all the aforementioned teams suck hard in 2026

Not a particularly likely outcome but one could argue it’s the best possible scenario

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by blankall

Bennett was a great depth piece, but far from Florida's #1 centre. He was, no where close. The Panthers had an insanely deep centre group, where they rotated in various centres into the #2 and #3 spot. In terms of actual time playing centre, Bennett was behind Barkov, Lundell, and Reinhardt. By the end of the playoffs, Bennett was largely playing wing to Rodrigues.

As Deluxe mentioned, this isn’t exactly true.

Reinhart never played centre, he was with Barkov for all but 60/500+ or so minutes of play through the entire playoffs and when he wasn’t he was being centred by Bennett or Lundell (and more rarely Stenlund).

Lundell was the #3 centre for all but 2 of the last 10 games (and traded off with Bennett centring the second PP), and Rodriguez lined up as centre on the Bennett line for 3/7 games in the finals but still only took less than half the faceoffs Bennett did.

Bennett wasn’t #1 but he was very decidedly their #2. Lundell is great, though, and will probably be their #2 very soon and for much of the future.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by delayedreflex

I don’t think it’s possible for us to do both in one year, but I think this is possible on paper:

1) Flames win the cup , send 32nd pick in 2025 to Montreal
2) Florida bombs out to a lottery pick, sends unprotected 2026 first to Calgary
3) NJ bombs out, sends unprotected 2026 first to Calgary
4) Ditto Vegas
5) Calgary gets 3-4 McKenna tickets in 2026, and all the aforementioned teams suck hard in 2026

Not a particularly likely outcome but one could argue it’s the best possible scenario

I like this. We win the cup plus get picks #1,2,3,4 in 2026. I agree this is the best possible scenario. Although admittedly "possible" is doing some heavy lifting there.

[Philly06Cup]

Hot take.

The 2nd best scenario (after winning the cup) is making it to the final and losing in 7 games.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I think you may need to rewatch the playoffs and interviews

Bennett was playing C but Rodrigues was taking draws due to injury

I can’t think of too many C’s who would displace Barkov, nothing wrong with being a 2C on a Cup winner

Really dependent on what your definition of a centre is I guess. Yes, Bennett carried the puck in more often, but I wouldn't call that determinative of being a centre. For example, Gaudreau was the puck carrier for the Flames but far from a centre.

One of the factors that made the Panthers so effective was that many of their forwards were totally capable centres. You never knew who was going to actually be playing in the centre of the ice, which made defending against them more challenging. They would switch up who was taking faceoffs, covering the other team's centres (Barkov excluded), playing in the middle of the ice, covering the points, etc..Even Tkachuk, who was clearly a winger, was doing lots of playmaking and playing in the centre of the ice on the offensive zone.

[DJones]

Sure, call Bennett a 2C, even a good one.

That would still be a decent result for completely tanking for a year or two. Byfield would be a more recent example. Those types of players are solid gets for a tanking team. A Hughes/McDavid type player is super rare. You can't count on that.

And hell, say they fully commit and absolutely tank as hard as they can for McKenna. How many prospect progressions would you lose by intentionally making the team bad for a 10-15% chance of getting him. Wolfs confidence shot. Coronato/Zary/Honzek all getting worked over in a top 6 role. Backlund/Andersson leave. Waste Weegar and Kadri's productive years.

Main goal should be prospect development and that includes not being a terrible team imo

[#-3]

Best Case Scenario would be that The Flames somehow finish ahead of the Panthers, so that the Habs don't get our better pick.

We get some good player development, but Conroy stays the course, and sells off a couple of guys who become sellable for something that is worth more in 2027.

Then we see a 2026 miracle playoff run, on the back of a surging Wolf. While Vegas fights tooth and nail to avoid last overall but wins the lottery anyways.

[Goriders]

Beat Edm every time we play them.

Lose every other game

[Jore]

Originally Posted by DJones

Sure, call Bennett a 2C, even a good one.

That would still be a decent result for completely tanking for a year or two. Byfield would be a more recent example. Those types of players are solid gets for a tanking team. A Hughes/McDavid type player is super rare. You can't count on that.

And hell, say they fully commit and absolutely tank as hard as they can for McKenna. How many prospect progressions would you lose by intentionally making the team bad for a 10-15% chance of getting him. Wolfs confidence shot. Coronato/Zary/Honzek all getting worked over in a top 6 role. Backlund/Andersson leave. Waste Weegar and Kadri's productive years.

Main goal should be prospect development and that includes not being a terrible team imo

Coronato/Zary/Honzek likely end up as good complementary pieces on a cup contender. Calgary needs (at least) one top of the lineup and even league player, ideally center, to compete for the cup. Acquiring this piece has to be the main organizational goal. A 15% shot at acquiring this piece through the draft is a sounder plan than any other way, especially for this market.

Refusing to bottom out to get these elite pieces in the hopes of helping our current prospects become solid top or middle 6 players is missing the forest for the trees and a fast-track to going right back to the mediocrity spin-cycle.

[blankall]

Nm

[getbak]

Originally Posted by blankall

Nm

Nathan MacKinnon? I don't think that's realistic.