Are the Flames as bad as everyone thinks?

[Tkachuk Norris]

I feel like the narrative that has existed is that this Flames team is the second coming of the Greg Nemisz and Mitch Wahl Flames. That the cupboards are bare.

I just don’t see it. I felt that way about the 2012 Flames but a decade later I see a team with many promising young players. The turnaround shouldn’t take as long as others think.

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[Lunatik]

The Mitch Wahl Flames never lost a game


Or played a game

 

[Mobiandi]

I think this is a throwaway season but that we have reason to be optimistic in 2 years

 

[Tofveve]

I guess we had just witnessed a completely gutted leadership group with a supporting cast and remaining leadership group that had been run into the ground the previous couple of years ending in a brutal playoffs (mostly the first round). Factor in 2 new stars being ripped out of their competitive teams and it was probably all a recipe for a hopeless looking/feeling future. And then for me I also think a dragging arena deal etc hasn't helped for location desirability.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that in sport things are never quite as bleak as they seem nor maybe as good either.

We've got a long way to go but we have a heartbeat now which is wonderful to see.

Also, i think seeing some youngsters looking good in Zary, Pops and Coranato gives some hope. And big props to rocks like Coleman putting in yomans efforts day in and day out, what an example.

 

[Anglesmith]

This looks suspiciously like an optimism thread.

 

[Bounces R Way]

The team is still not very well constructed but this:

the cupboards are bare.

I hope is becoming obvious to people isn't true.

The league is getting younger and the Flames are finally cluing in. Or at least they put a coach in charge that is willing to keep things fresh and change up the bottom of the lineup. Put in players hungry for a shot.

The 'turnaround' needs to include some elite talent though. Big fast skilled 200ft #1 center. Get one before you go trying to be a contender please. If we're going to be trading these UFAs(which we still should) another quality top 4 D would be helpful as well, although I have high hopes for Poirier and Kuznetsov.

 

[Iggys Dome]

I still think the team needs to bottom out for one or two seasons. Trade all UFAs this year and next, stock the cupboards and see where the team is in a couple years. The youth movement has certainly been nice, and is the reason for the turnaround in results. I say embrace it and continue to field as young and fast of a team as we can.

 

[DomBarr]

No I never really thought they were going to be bad but I thought that they had to get rid of the pending UFAs and not resign them and was ok with the step back that would occur when you get rid of 2 top 4 and 1 bottom 4 dmen and a top line center

 

[cannucky]

They really need to deal with the uncertainty , if players want out then move them out in exchange for players that truly want to just play in the NHL .There's too many guys on this team that forget they are playing in the top league in the world in the top hockey country in the world . There has been too much "I want out" talk for too long , saying that should be a one way ticket to the cheddar or Europe .

 

[Anglesmith]

It's interesting to think that the Flames have a significantly lower points percentage this year than last, but outside of the rock bottom stretch the product is so much better.

 

[BigRangy]

The team is deep but there’s no ace to build around that’s established yet. Wolf is probably the best shot.

Every cup winner has an ace (with maybe the exception of the Blues, depending on what you think of Pietrangelo) and until this team gets one there’s no reason to get that optimistic I think. If the target is playoff revenue every year then yeah the team is looking a lot more positive than it was in the summer but if the aim is higher than that the team needs to have a player either wildly outperform their projection, trade for one (hard) or get one in the draft (which will be a few years out).

 

[deleted user]

I dunno yet.

 

[Lunatik]

I dunno yet.

Love is blind.

It's cup or bust

 

[JPeeper]

I've said it multiple times, but the team has depth all around they just lack star power to carry them to the glory land. Defensively we have a very solid 6 d-men, our 4th line is perhaps the best it's been in decades and we essentially have 3 2nd lines.

You give the Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm with Tkachuk on the 2nd line era (the year we got hosed by Colorado in 5 games even though we finished top in the West) this depth and we're Cup contenders.

I still think we need to bottom out for a few years to get elite talent if we ever want to win a Cup. Without the elite starpower we'll just keep treading water. I like Zary, I like Coronato, I don't think they are the elite players we need to win a Cup, they are just excellent secondary pieces.

 

[23Monahan]

We arent bad enough to get a top draft pick, and arent good enough to win, stuck in perpetual mediocrity for the rest of existence lol

 

[TheHudlinator]

If by Greg nemisz Flames you mean the two years he actually played in the nhl 10-11 and 11-12 then I think those teams results are pretty on par with this team.

We missed the playoffs by 3 and 5 points. Both of those teams and this current one were/are very heavy on vets that hoped/hoping to make the playoffs and get hot at the right time.

We have looked better with the influx of youth the past few weeks. Time will tell if they can keep this run going and play themselves into a better situation standings wise.

A lot of the pessimism comes the fact that several of the current core are looking for new long term contracts with and we are already an older team, if we lock them up like we tried to do in the offseason we should be a cup contender and the results don't speak to that.

I think a lot of frustration actually comes from the fact we do have a few good prospects and we played an almost entire vet team to start the year that looked terrible, since bringing up some younger hungrier players we look like a team that atleast should be in the playoff race.

 

[joescores]

They are terrible- 6-3-2 in the last 11. Cheers

 

[Rubi]

The problem is they aren't as good as some believe. At best they are a wild card team most likely to get knocked out in the first or second round and destined to languish in mediocrity for years to come.

 

[MM917]

The cupboards aren't bare of ok and borderline NHLers but it is bare of anybody that is elite or even great players. It also doesn't help that there are none of those guys on the current roster and not a clear path to how we will acquire them outside of pure luck as well.

I think it will be a short turnaround to sell and return to the current level we are at but to get to actual contender level we are a long, long way from that.

 

[HighLifeMan]

It's interesting to think that the Flames have a significantly lower points percentage this year than last, but outside of the rock bottom stretch the product is so much better.

The team last year had one more win through 21 games (9-9-3 vs 8-10-3)

 

[Roadrage]

I think the cupboards are flush with potential 2nd-4th line forwards, 3rd and maybe a couple 2nd pairing defenseman. Only blue chip prospect the Flames currently have IMHO is Wolf. No one else in the system screams potential elite talent and look like they can truly drive a line themselves. I'm not saying none will end up on the 1st line\1st pairing for the Flames someday because a few will be default.

 

[Lunatik]

The team last year had one more win through 21 games (9-9-3 vs 8-10-3)

We also lost a game after he posted that

I think the cupboards are flush with potential 2nd-4th line forwards, 3rd and maybe a couple 2nd pairing defenseman. Only blue chip prospect the Flames currently have IMHO is Wolf. No one else in the system screams potential elite talent and look like they can truly drive a line themselves. I'm not saying none will end up on the 1st line\1st pairing for the Flames someday because a few will be default.

I was bullish on Poirier at first but he absolutely has the potential to be a star.

 

[super6646]

We also lost a game after he posted that


I was bullish on Poirier at first but he absolutely has the potential to be a star.

You mean bearish? Or are you super bullish now lol

 

[Anglesmith]

The team last year had one more win through 21 games (9-9-3 vs 8-10-3)

While that is true, last year's team finished 9 games over .500 and never felt fun to watch.

Still really missing the feeling of being in control of a game. It's exhausting as a fan to have every game either be misery-inducing or anxiety-inducing.

 

[Lunatik]

You mean bearish? Or are you super bullish now lol

my bad, you are correct and I have been using that wrong my entire life lol