A casino.org poll ranked Flames fans at the top of the misery scale for good reason but there is light at the end of the rebuild tunnel
It probably shouldn’t be all that surprising that the Calgary Flames fan base was ranked tops on the misery scale in a recent Casino.org poll.
They’ve been stuck in the mushy middle for a lifetime. One Stanley Cup victory so long ago that most Flames fans born in that 1989 season are already going through their mid-life crisis.
The franchise has been back to the Cup final one time since and has had a half-dozen first-round losses and three seemingly fortunate second-round appearances in the 20 years since.
So the 89.01 score on the misery scale sounds about right. The number probably doubled after the Edmonton Oilers eliminated them in the first playoff Battle of Alberta in 30 years two springs ago. Jumped another quarter seeing the Oilers get to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final this June.
However, there are reasons for Flames fans to be optimistic:
GM Craig Conroy is a progressive thinker
Since inheriting what was basically a sinking ship of a franchise when the Flames and former GM Brad Treliving parted ways, Craig Conroy has done some very good work. He may not have had much of a choice but to trade guys on expiring contracts who voiced reluctance to re-sign, but Conroy certainly stuck to an asset plan while getting rid of Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Noah Hanfin, and Chris Tanev. He proactively punted Andrew Mangiapane (pending UFA) this offseason, too, along with starting goalie Jacob Markstrom.
He didn’t bend when Oliver Kylington asked for more term and money than the Flames wanted to give, and he didn’t overspend in free agency — instead, leaving room for youngsters to make an impact on the NHL roster.
Some of the players he acquired in the evacuation of expiring assets — Yegor Sharangovich, Andrei Kuzmenko, Daniil Miromanov and Kevin Bahl — could be impact players this year. And Conroy loaded up on skill at the majority of his 11 picks in the NHL Entry draft in June. The Flames are rebuilding, and Conroy is doing things pretty well in his first year as general manager.
There are a number of talented young players to watch grow
Because of the mass exodus, there are plenty of spots for young players to win both up front and on defence. In goal, too, with Dustin Wolf watch officially underway after the Markstrom trade. Conroy had a solid draft this year, and while it’s unlikely any of those prospects get NHL experience this season, they’re names to watch.
As far as kids with opportunities on the big club, the under-25 club includes forwards Matthew Coronato (21), Connor Zary (22), Jakob Pelletier (23) and Martin Pospisil (24), who all had some success at the NHL level last year. Adam Klapka (23) and Cole Schwindt (23) could also contend for at least some spot starts.
On the back end, there are plenty of prospects with upside. It may be tough to crack one of the top seven spots out of camp, but Jeremie Poirier (22) is looking to bounce back from a tough injury. He played his best hockey in the playoffs with the Calgary Wranglers after recovering from a deep cut near his wrist.
Hunter Brzustewicz, picked up from the Vancouver Canucks in the Elias Lindholm trade, is someone with a bright future, even though he’s expected to play out his final year in junior.
Expectations and reality finally align
There have been many years in which the Calgary Flames were expected to make waves and hardly stayed afloat. But this year, the expectations are as low as they’ve been in a couple of decades. The rebuild gives them a roadmap to the future and they have lots of draft capital in the next couple of years as well. There should be some enjoyment watching them in an underdog role and seeing how the young players develop.