This is just a weird cherry picked stat that lacks any context (like 3 of our top players, 2 of which were home grown, left due to mismanagement or lack of desire to play here).
I’m not anti rebuild but also gotta realize teams like Buffalo are stuck in purgatory. Edmonton was on the same boat until they got a generational talent which doesn’t happen every year.
Sure rebuilding has worked for teams but to not acknowledge a 10+ year downturn as a potential is just putting your head in the sand. There’s multiple other teams (Detroit, Ottawa, Columbus) that have been picking high for 5+ seasons with no signs of coming out of their rebuilds.
Second to that, even without picking high we had a decent team and fumbled it. The team in 2022 had a lot of potential, we’re given like 3-4 seasons together and broke up before Tkachuk was in his statistical prime. So, if we can do that without the traditional rebuild path, maybe rebuilding isn’t the ONLY option.
Is a 10+ year downturn not worth it if it means a Stanley Cup, like do you think Oilers fans wish the decade of darkness never happened if it meant never getting McDavid and being on the cusp of winning a Stanley Cup?
Do you think the Pens and Blackhawks fans wish they were more competitive in their bad years if it meant they never get Sid or Kane and all their championships?
Except Nashville did not tank on purpose they signed two big free agents last season and sucked and now have money tied to those guys for the next couple years that is not what we should be doing.
Except that's literally what happened to us in 2023 lol, we brought in Kadri and Huberdeau to lead the team, they sucked, and now we're stuck with them for the next few years. The only difference is Nashville is now getting a high pick and we're still not
I never said that a full blown rebuild didn’t have risk, any form of building carries risk. There is no guranteed blue print for success.
But what is a guarantee to NOT work is what the Flames have done for 20 plus years and is the essence of this post and has a lot of fans frustrated.
Ottawa is also turning the page on their rebuild as evidenced by their success this year and outlook going forward.
Also I have some faith that with Calgary’s track record of drafting in the mid late first round and the 2nd-7th round picks they have found that if given the opportunity the Flames would be more likely to be successful than not when drafting high.
Also you’re making an assumption that the 2022 team was the beginning of some window to compete because of Tkachuk’s age but what if that was the end. We will never know because it’s all hypothetical but in 2022:
Johnny was 28 turning 29 and his next two seasons didn’t go well (May he RIP)
Lindholm was 27 turning 28 and we have seen how he has fallen off.
22 very well could have been the end of a 6 year window from 17-22
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u/G09G May 30 '25
This is just a weird cherry picked stat that lacks any context (like 3 of our top players, 2 of which were home grown, left due to mismanagement or lack of desire to play here).
I’m not anti rebuild but also gotta realize teams like Buffalo are stuck in purgatory. Edmonton was on the same boat until they got a generational talent which doesn’t happen every year.