Flames need to face reality and start an aggressive rebuild right away
Times are tough for the Calgary Flames.
For the second straight offseason, the organization could be looking at a rebuild. Last year, former general manager Brad Treliving had an opportunity to go that route after losing Johnny Gaudreau and having Matthew Tkachuk make it clear he wanted to go elsewhere. Instead, he retooled, bringing in players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar.
The changes to the roster didn’t go as planned, as the Flames missed the playoffs. Now, the Stanley Cup window they were believed to have may be closed entirely, as several players on the roster are reportedly not interested in signing extensions.
Noah Hanifin has informed management he is looking for a change, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. A day after Friedman’s report, it came out that both Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund are leaning towards not re-signing.
In the most recent blow to the Flames, it sounds as though Tyler Toffoli is also not planning on signing an extension, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported on Thursday afternoon.
With Craig Conroy having recently taken over as GM, he has a chance to do what the Flames organization has never done: rebuild. It has gotten to the point that even a large chunk of the fan base wants it to happen, as they are tired of the mediocre results this team has put forward for decades.
If Conroy were to elect for a rebuild, he would be in an excellent starting position to do so. Hanifin, Lindholm, Backlund, and Toffoli would bring in significant returns, and they aren’t the only ones who could be on the block. Four other players are on this roster heading into the final year of their deals: Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Dennis Gilbert, and Oliver Kylington. Dillon Dube is also up at season’s end, although he will be a restricted free agent.
Many of the names listed above would garner serious interest on the open market, and Conroy needs to pull the trigger. It will result in a few long seasons for the Flames, but the long-term rewards outweigh the short-term pain. Pair some of the young prospects and/or picks you would back in trades with guys like Jakob Pelletier, Connor Zary, Matthew Coronato, and Dustin Wolf, and you are already headed in a very promising direction.
The issue with going the rebuild route is that ownership doesn’t seem open to the idea. Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation’s president John Bean gave a presser at the end of this season, claiming he’s not even allowed to use the word “rebuild.” The reason is simple: making the playoffs, or being in the race to the end, sells tickets. Being out by a wide margin does not.
On top of ticket sales, ownership would have a hard time signing off on a rebuild when they have some serious money committed to Huberdeau, Kadri, and Weegar for several years. That said, Conroy should be doing everything in his power to convince them otherwise, as it is hard to imagine this team ever turning into anything other than mediocre at best if they stay status quo. In fact, without the likes of Hanifin, Lindholm, Backlund, and Toffoli, they will be very hard-pressed to even fight for a playoff berth.
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