Where do the Flames go from here?

Five questions that require answers as Calgary looks to move forward

Now that the Calgary Flames have essentially completed their season of misery and disappointment, save for Wednesday’s clash with the San Jose Sharks, welcome to a second consecutive summer of intrigue.

How this team became the poster child for under-achieving with its so-close-but-no-cigar ability will be fodder for the organization to digest and address before long.

As the curtain lowers on the campaign, the Flames have all kinds of questions regarding where they go next, both in the short-term and the long-term.

Some will be answered very soon. Some may come into focus by mid-July. Some may not be solved for another year or more.

Here are five questions that intrigue as the Flames head into a true tipping point in their organization.

What happens with the management and coaches?

General manager Brad Treliving is without a contract past this summer. If he is to remain in that role, the time has come to make it known. If he is not, make a switch. This team definitely needs changes, and it makes no sense to keep Treliving in the chair for the draft and free-agency if he won’t be around after.

That decision also impact assistant general manager Craig Conroy, whose deal also ends. Conroy could be a logical replacement or find a role elsewhere. He’s been a candidate for other GM jobs in the past.

While head coach Darryl Sutter has a two-year contract that has not even kicked in, certainly the questions must be asked whether he is indeed the man to guide this team next season. All signs point to a disconnect between Sutter and Treliving, on top of a lacking cohesiveness between him and the players.

How does the team get more from Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau? 

The replacements — at least in name — for Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk both fell well short of expectations in their first season in Calgary.

Huberdeau will finish with less than half of the points the points he netted last season with Florida, but that’s only part of the problem. The ill-fated passes and lack of power-play success were costly.

Kadri certainly could not have been expected to replicate the 87 points he posted last season, and he has scored 24 goals, but the atrocious defensive play is most disappointing. Maybe his thumb injury has truly not healed or there was a fatigue factor from last season’s championship run, but Kadri is a far better all-around player than he showed this season.

Can Jacob Markstrom bounce back?

Calgary’s number-one goalie turned 33 in January, so Father Time should not be a big factor … yet. Whether it was a confidence issue from last year’s playoff debacle against the Edmonton Oilers, the impact of becoming a father or something else, Markstrom was not the top-tier goalie he’s been in the past.

It would be unfair to expect Markstrom to replicate his 2021-22 season (2.22 goals-against average and .922 save percentage) but the club has no hope if he’s again a 2.92 and .892 goalie.

What will happen with the UFAs of 2024?

Among the potential unrestricted free agents for this summer, defenseman Troy Stecher may be the best choice to retain. Otherwise, the Flames could let Milan Lucic, Nick Ritchie, Trevor Lewis and Michael Stone walk and not an eyebrow would be raised.

However, the group of pending UFAs in 2024 is notable: Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov and Oliver Kylington.

Not a chance all of those players remain with the Flames after next season. So, will the Flames try to milk one last playoff run out of their core — which has all too often been the plan in past years — or do they have the courage to tear it down? Imagine the return via trade for even a few of those veterans and how that could kickstart a true rebuild.

When is more youth implemented? 

The days of keeping youngsters in the minors to the point of over-seasoning has passed for this organization. The time has come to put some young players on the roster and give them a legitimate opportunity. Calgary has a few strong prospects in the likes of Jakob Pelletier, Matthew Coronato, Connor Zary, Yan Kuznetsov, Jeremie Poirier and Dustin Wolf.

By no means is it necessary to simply hand them NHL jobs, but give them a chance. Even rotating players through short stints if necessary while they don’t require waivers would add some enthusiasm to the room.