Management got on TV and rather than GM Craig Conroy, it was President, Don Maloney. Don Maloney full of baloney. yada yada.
Some internet pundits lost their minds with the interview(s). I saw the first one live, it wasn’t bad. It was what a team exec would say.
The rationale behind the uproar by some fans is THIS should be the year to tank into oblivion and try to get a top 3 pick in a deep draft. That’s a solid option, but what can the club do to speed that up? Do fans really think trading away every asset to sink into 32nd comfortably is the answer? After all, with the Flames’ luck we know that even if they finished in the bottom 3 there’s a chance they’d still pick outside of it due to lottery conditions.
The real issue at hand is the willingness of the organization to stick with some key vets, and in my opinion that’s totally necessary. Nobody will be picking up the likes of Kadri or Huberdeau without serious retention, which at the end of the day is pointless for the club. With the likelihood of Andersson getting traded soon, that leaves few vets in the lineup, and very few up front to help navigate the team and also build culture internally for younger players.
The course of action for the Flames’ is on par, and you don’t want to breed a loser culture like Buffalo or years in Edmonton. If the Flames lose because they suck, you can sell more pieces come deadline. It seems the club is positioned towards this likely scenario. But to say anything other than ‘we’re going to be competitive every night’ is ridiculous. You don’t breed loser culture, and you don’t talk about a full on rebuild down to the studs, at least not publicly. THhre’s a way to go about tanking and the Flames are on the right track.