CALGARY – It’s not a figment of anyone’s imagination to suggest the Calgary Flames have forever been stuck in the mushy middle.
Over the last 30 years, the Flames have compiled a 1,096-949-111-197 record that does, in fact, rank them 17th.
In a 32-team league in which 16 teams have long made the playoffs, such a standing is a powerful reminder that they’ve forever fallen just short of being good enough to make the playoffs, but not bad enough to collect on top draft picks.
And while the team’s dramatic exit from the playoff race in Game 81 Tuesday might suggest it’s the same old same old in Calgary, what unfolded at the Saddledome this season is much different.
This was an extremely successful season.
Given how many core pieces Craig Conroy had to part with one year earlier, Season 1 of the team’s hybrid rebuild (aka the hybuild) was meant to be measured in growth, not points.
The fact that the team showed tremendous unity, resolve and resilience to fall one game short of the playoffs was a bonus, winning over a city that fell in love with the team’s work ethic, goalie and no-quit attitude.
In terms of growth, the Flames organization did well to demonstrate that after years of stagnancy, things are moving in a very positive direction, thanks to a culture conducive to helping youngsters grow.
Let’s start with the emergence of Dustin Wolf, whose play provided the backbone of the team’s unlikely playoff push. He broke the team record for rookie starts, and posted a 29-16-8 record and .910 save percentage that will have him right in the thick of the Calder Trophy vote.
Given the poise he demonstrated throughout a pressure-packed backstretch, there’s every reason to believe he can be the franchise goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was. Pre-season talk about his size has been silenced.
Matt Coronato went from playing two games in the minors last fall to scoring 24 goals in his first full season. Asked to work on his skating, his board battles and his defensive play last season, the first-rounder with the world-class shot has evolved into a gifted scorer who has also been tapped to protect leads late in close games.
In the last month of the season, six-foot-eight revelation Adam Klapka scored a handful of huge goals, hit everything that moved and demonstrated why the coach has made comparisons between him and 30-goal big man Aliaksei Protas. The Wranglers’ all-time leading scorer provides a versatility that has seen him fit in so well on the top line of late that the 24-year-old is almost certain to be an opening night fixture on the right wing, where the Flames needed help.
Kevin Bahl far exceeded expectations after the big defenceman was acquired in the Jacob Markstrom trade last summer. A staple on the top pairing alongside Rasmus Andersson, the 24-year-old was a cornerstone on the back end who the team can build around for years.
Before his season was cut short by major knee surgery, center Justin Kirkland was a journeyman revelation who made such an impact that the pending UFA is sure to be re-signed in Calgary this summer.
A pair of knee injuries hampered Connor Zary’s ability to build off his stellar rookie showing a year earlier, but his skill and smarts stood out early on as a player who will also be a massive part of the team for many years to come.
None of this is to mention the historic season first-rounder Zayne Parekh had in Saginaw, where his second-consecutive 33-goal season put him in a two-man club with Bobby Orr. Bound to be named CHL defenceman of the year for the second straight season, the gifted skater and playmaker has the potential to be a generational talent.
He’ll make his debut Thursday in Los Angeles alongside collegiate hotshot Aydar Suniev, whose 215-pound frame and knack for scoring goals could also make him a candidate to challenge for a roster spot next fall.
Wranglers rookies Hunter Brzustewicz and Sam Morton have also been summoned from the farm to make their NHL debuts against the Kings.
First-rounder Matvei Gridin had a stellar season, making the jump to Shawinigan, and sits amongst league leaders in playoff scoring.
Third-rounder Henry Mews finished third amongst OHL defencemen with 82 points, and is off to Michigan next year.
Then there’s the lad who stole all the headlines in camp to earn an opening night job, Sam Honzek – a first-rounder with upside as well.
The organization is still in search of a dominant young centre to build around, and has close to $20 million in cap space that could help address that, if or when the opportunity arises. In the meantime, the acquisition of Morgan Frost and the NHL debut of Rory Kerins provided some much-needed depth.
A big decision will have to be made on Rasmus Andersson’s future, and whether he signs an extension or is traded, he’s a significant asset either way.
Nazem Kadri was the team’s offensive leader, setting a career-high in goals, while Jonathan Huberdeau bounced back to be a difference-maker for the first time as a Flame.
MacKenzie Weegar demonstrated why he’s future captain material, as part of a leadership group that helped the youngsters become comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
When the games mattered most down the stretch, the Flames went 10-2-3, only to be victimized by a surging Blues team and plenty of bad breaks, including the last-minute goal in Minnesota that ended their playoff quest.
The team has an identity as a workmanlike crew that is a tough out every night, playing to its strength as a relentless squad that forechecks like mad and defends en masse.
The tight-knit group has bought into what the coach is preaching, the players want to be here, and there’s an overwhelming belief that something special is building as the team counts down to the opening of its new rink in 2027.
The GM has done well to stockpile draft picks and cap space, stay true to the blueprint he drew up and made good on his promise to continue giving youngsters opportunities to steal jobs.
Yes, they missed the playoffs and cost themselves a juicier first-round draft pick.
But how they grew this season sets them up for continued progression that can’t be denied.
They’re building in a way in which very few incarnations of this team have done in almost three decades.
www.sportsnet.ca (Article Sourced Website)
#Flames #mushymiddle #finish #feels #season