Many teams have tried and failed when it comes to over-achieving as a bottom five team in the NHL, and the Calgary Flames seem to be the next. The coach has resorted to AI to solve his problems, the team isn't getting any younger, and the Matthew Tkachuk trade only seems to be looking worse for the Flames. Sitting at the bottom of the standings after 14 games isn't really a sign of good things to come, and it looks like the roads are all leading one way for Calgary.
The Flames are not one of the oldest average teams in the NHL by a long shot, ranked as the current 25th oldest team in the NHL, it is clear that there is a youth movement ongoing in Calgary. However, what doesn't make that fact so appealing is how poor their veterans have been. Having guys like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, and Blake Coleman, it is clear that there is a good crop of older guys who are leaders on the team, but there are a long way away from being gamechangers. Between the four, they only have a combined 29 points so far through 14 games, and haven't really had the impact they had last season, and it seems like a lot more than just slowing down.
For a team who looks pretty old on paper, the Flames actually have a very good crop of young players. Players like Matt Coronarto, Connor Zary, and Zayne Parekh are all guys whop should be the future of ther Calgary Flames, but right now, there is a massive barrier stopping them from breaking through, and it seems like the veterans are that problem. As a team with so much good, young talent, their reliance and loyalty to keeping older guys in the lineup isn't exactly helping their case, and isn't going to get them in the win column, and it is obvious what needs to change.
In Calgary's case, they look primed for a rebuild. Their so called 'elite' guys aren't performing, their guys eho make the big bucks are not playing to that level, and the youth aren't making too many great strides either. At this point in time, spirits are low, and there isn't really any sense of direction for this team, and as a team who were so promising and successful only a handful of years ago, it is time to face reality, and take a new path.
Had the team decide to enter rebuild mode, it would have to start with the owners. No team is willing to just rebuild, and no owner really wants to commit to what can be a decade long slog, however with what they are working with, the pieces just don't add up, and the value and potential return they have is more than good enough to fuel a solid rebuild. Players like Joel Farabee and Yegor Sharangovich are simply just not guys who are going to change your franchise, and as guys who aren't particularly young, and guys who aren't looking at developing any further, it is clear that it is time to move on, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.
If the team does decide to rebuild from the bottom up, it isn't a small decision, and just like the fanbases of the Sharks and the Blackhawks, fans, owners, players, and coaches will have to buy in, and belive in a new project ahead. Unlike rebuilds we have seen in the last couple of years, the Flames have plenty of really solid young prospects who are already getting NHL ice time, and some really solid development. In their case, it only makes sense to get the best trade value out of the older guys they have, and start over, but for the fans, they have to believe, and for a fanbase who have sugar coated the last couple of years, it is time to accept a new path needs to be formed, and a new avenue needs to be taken.