Alternate Title: “What’s a Rebuild? or How to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the 2024-25 Calgary Flames Season”
Before the 2024-25 season, odds-makers projected that the Calgary Flames would finish well outside of the playoff picture, giving them the sixth-worst odds to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. 21 games into the season, though, the Flames have thumbed their collective noses at those predictions, as they sit a point out of first place in the Pacific Division.
Ryan delves into what’s working for the Flames through the first quarter and what things might (and might not) keep going their way for the rest of the season.
Featuring graphics from NHL.com and JFreshHockey!
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23 Comments
Nice video pike! Keep them coming
You hit the nail on the head at the end. I basically just assumed they wouldn't have that pick anyway. It's fun hockey to watch, and if the special teams get rolling a bit they could maintain. I suspect they'll sneak into playoffs this year and I think that's huge for development on players like Coronato, Zary, and Wolf especially.
Excellent work Ryan!
I do think a lot of the Flames success this season has been opposing teams not taking them seriously. I can't remember if it was you who said it or someone else at Flames Nation, but it's true. You can beat the Flames with talent and hard work but you're not going to beat them with just talent. I think a lot of teams have come at the Flames expecting an easy win and have been unpleasantly surprised when the Flames don't just gift wrap them 2 points. It will be interesting to see what happens when teams finally make the adjustment of expecting the Flames to come at them hard and responding in kind.
you look way better with facial hair, buddy!
I cannot wait for some comments disparaging the current whipping boys: Anderson and Kadri. Even though they play with this over acheiving group and are among the team leaders in points. Gouge away. All flames players , coaches and management do not care what you think
Ryan, would you say realistic the ceiling for this group this season would be maybe third in the Pacific, if they start scoring a little more and stay relatively healthy?
Not sure when but the flames will have a big drop off sometime in the next few years imo. This will happen when Kadri and Backlund really regress along with an aging Weegar, Huby, etc and while I don’t mean to be rude I want this team to suck so terribly. We have 2 future studs in the system imo (Wolf and Parekh) but still need to find a future 1&2 C, LD and 1-2 great wingers and when you see guys like Misa and McQueen it annoys me not gonna lie but I can’t hate on the boys working hard. Just my opinion but we know this team isn’t a contender so why are we throwing away our top 10 pick?
Thanks pike, I always love when there's a good pike vid in my feed. Keep em coming!
If Wolf is what he is showing, and what we hope he is, their is a definite floor to how bad this team can get. He is the superstar. If he plays like this he can singlehandedly drag a team to the playoffs.
I think a top 5 pick in the next few years is a stretch. Best case is we have retooked on the fly and can fold bryztewich and Parekh into the group over the next 2 years while supplementing the forward group and building a team that is greater than the sum of its parts Ala st.louis, Carolina etc.
Happened to pick up one of the best coaches. That actually thinks.
I don’t get why the goal is to always make the playoffs but not to win the cup? Especially when we have the excuse of tanking because of the Montreal draft pick scenario looming. What is the point of knowing you won’t win the cup and the draft year after year after year. And because we have just enough young talents with Zary, Wolf, and Parehk we will continue this mediocrity. I just HOPE Conroy and brass don’t get high hopes with this fool’s gold that is the current roster. I am not saying we don’t have a chance for the playoffs but let’s be honest we are not winning the cup. Why should we all want this projected situation yet again is beyond me. Another decade of focusing on the playoffs while other teams get their rings and others their exciting young COMPLETE roster.
Last I checked it is impossible to win the championship if you don't make the playoff's
They got rid of room poison and contractual baggage. Lindy ate up a lot of ice time and clearly his heart wasn't in it. No team will excel when the ice-time-eaters aren't committed. Connie created room for the youngsters they've been cultivating into NHLers. The total team game is a formula for success no matter the team. Having superstars helps but is no guarantee if there's no team game around them (see Oilers). Four, trustworthy lines following the coaching and the coaches giving some confidence in so many players in all situations.
And just to think it was you were the one that was so critical of the Flames over the past years😂
I just enjoy wins no matter what, although going into the season, I was more hoping for a high draft pick. No matter what you root for, it has no effect on anything. It's not like rooting for wins has some magic effect. We're all just along for the ride, so let the chips fall where they may. It would kind of suck to end up just outside of the top 10 and have to give that pick to Montreal, but like I said, nothing we root or hope for changes that. Might as well just enjoy the journey in the meantime.
Pike Bomb!
Great insight Ryan! Keep the videos coming!
I do believe that the flames got rid of all their bad actors. Other than tkachuk, the rest of the players just didn't give a dam. Talent but no desire. They didn't want the scrutiny of playing in canada and they were more interested in themselves than the team. I am glad Backlund stayed. He is a true captain.
Geez did you have to film this while your Mom was cooking dinner in the background?
As a fan, a full rebuild gets you top talent but it can kill your culture. Watch Habs, Wings, Sabers, Sens and see how difficult it is to build a winning culture. The team should always try to win and getting into the playoffs. These experiences are valuable to the young players on your team.
By protecting your draft capital until you are a strong contender can build a team that has a good culture that brings in young players to learn and succeed in the NHL. Full rebuilds are often very difficult to come out of. I love what the Flames are doing… keep it up Conroy!
This group seems to draft well no matter the round, and I’m not overly hyped about this draft class anyways, so I’d rather see this team use the young talent they have to play meaningful games for 82 games+playoffs if possible. I think that will go farther than selling everyone off at the deadline and raising a white flag with a month and a half of the season to play. I’m thinking Kuzmenko and Vladar may be the only moves we see this year, and there will be some more assets to play with there as well.
Hi Ryan really like your view of things, balanced, honest, right on. As to what I enjoy most it has to be the trades. But what I don’t like is trade BS that no one would ever really consider. The fantasy hockey garbage. Here’s the thing with 32 teams there are 128 centers in the show; 128 centers in the A, and maybe one or two out there in the world not connected to the NHL that could play at the level well enough to be interesting? I don’t know who you could go after if any of them? With 32 teams there are 64 net minders, and as many again in the A. What is a Dan Vladar worth right now? I hear talk, and in that talk a second rounder? Is that really enough at this point where teams need a guy or right off the year; and if not DV, who else might they trade for?
Basically, the belly of the beast, that’s what I don’t know and would like to understand more about. We are in a rebuild, re-tool, or trying to win a round; I don’t really know at this point? But that’s what I want to know about. Who’s out there we could deal with, for what, to get what? Is there any chance of a first, or second line center? I think no way, only by the draft, and if it is the draft, who and what pick? Why in hell did we trade Monahan instead of putting him on long term disability? Stuff like that? Man we’re still paying for that trade/total rip off.