Are tanking and blowing it up worthwhile?

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Lindholm as our best player is not good enough. He’s not elite. If that’s the top-end of our roster, then all you have is a 15th-25th placed team, which is all we are now. It’s about getting to the top 1/3rd of the league consistently, and this team is nowhere near that with a roster constructed the way you have it put together. Those players aren’t good enough.

Obviously there are some pieces that would be acquired for the various players they could look to trade plus they would have a decent pick this year.

I am still of the belief we are getting these results because we have a bargain bin coach. I know you think these players are not good enough but I just think it is a good team that is playing poorly and is also poorly lead. I have lost faith in Ward as a coach and Gio as a captain.

Before I blew it up and took the risk that this team could enter a decade of darkness I would cut bait with Ward and make Tkachuk the captain and try and move this team into a new era without trying to completely tank. I would make hockey trades for Gaudreau and Monahan and eat some cap and try and get a reasonable return for Gio.

Instead of blowing it up I fire the coach (maybe the GM) and move Giordano, Monahan and Gaudreau who have largely been the faces of this version of the team.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Obviously there are some pieces that would be acquired for the various players they could look to trade plus they would have a decent pick this year.

I am still of the belief we are getting these results because we have a bargain bin coach. I know you think these players are not good enough but I just think it is a good team that is playing poorly and is also poorly lead. I have lost faith in Ward as a coach and Gio as a captain.

Before I blew it up and took the risk that this team could enter a decade of darkness I would cut bait with Ward and make Tkachuk the captain and try and move this team into a new era without trying to completely tank. I would make hockey trades for Gaudreau and Monahan and eat some cap and try and get a reasonable return for Gio.

Instead of blowing it up I fire the coach (maybe the GM) and move Giordano, Monahan and Gaudreau who have largely been the faces of this version of the team.

That is essentially blowing it up.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

That is essentially blowing it up.

My bad I said blowing it up but I meant sell off for a tank. I think you can make hockey trades with those players, get a better coach and compete next season and not trade those 3 players and try and tank for high picks

[Mathgod]

Looking at the last 10 Stanley Cup champions, there are some notable constants throughout.

First, solid goaltending is an absolute must. Every Cup champ has had solid goaltending throughout their cup run. The Flames check that box currently.

The other requirement seems to be one of two things (or both)... either:

1) A fear-of-God top line comprised of elite players (Tampa, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, LA, Boston), or

2) A superstar elite defenseman who generates offense from the blue line, in addition to good scoring depth (St. Louis, LA, Chicago, Pittsburgh)

And that's the box the Flames currently don't check. No elite top line, no elite superstar on the blue line, and not a whole lot of scoring depth. Unfortunately, getting those is infinitely easier said than done. Blowing it up could be one way of getting elite players via the draft, but this year's draft is a giant poop show.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by CSharp

The path that the Oilers and Sabres took was a huge gamble to try to mimic the success of the Pens when they had Mario and Jagr and then followed up by them getting Fleury, Malkin, Crosby, and Staal. That tanking was worth 5 Cups altogether and also many successful years even without Cup wins without those players. Let's say if the Oilers picked Seguin instead of Hall and then 2 years later selected Filip Forsberg instead of Yakopov, then Bo Horvat instead of Nurse, and finally Tkachuk instead of Puljujarvi - that team would've looked a heck of a lot different. It's all about luck and how deep that draft pool is as well. The Oilers, Sabres, Pens, and other teams took full advantage of the NHL lottery draft process before the McJesus lottery draft changed the following year. So, doing a tank doesn't guarantee you the first overall pick or a locked position within the top six or so. Flames had their chance but they blew it. It's too bad since a full rebuild takes a decade or more before things start to turn around and it doesn't even guarantee a championship if you don't have at least 2 generational franchise players in your lineup, it seems.

If the Oilers finally win a Cup with McJesus and Draisaitl, it'll all be worth it. However, if they don't and basically lose both of those players because they've run out of time, it'll all be for nothing. However, the ownership would've made a heck of a lot of money based on those two players alone just because they had the balls to tank the way they did and lived to tell show them off. It's all a gamble and you can win big or go home sulking for years or you can also get lucky and get the right people through incredible trades like what the Flames did in the mid to late 80's.

Damn you, Blasphemer. Damn you to HELL!!!

[FanIn80]

Stolen from Twitter

https://twitter.com/user/status/1365463710802661381