The list of general managers who have tried to expedite a rebuild is long. The list of GMs who lasted to see the finished product however, is much shorter (see: Brian Burke, Toronto).
So you’ll have to forgive Brad Treliving if he hammers home the patience angle, as his Calgary Flames move from an improbable playoff run to a place he knows so well, the National Hockey League draft.
“Where a lot of my calories are spent is long-term,” Treliving said in a pre-draft press conference Thursday. “How do we get better for now? But are there fits that can help us beyond the next 82 games? And it’s in all positions.”
The problem is, in the cap system there are precious few significant moves that can be for today — say, acquire a top six winger with size — that isn’t going to cost Treliving some tomorrow, in the form of a prospect plus one of his six picks among the top 83 choices in the upcoming draft. The dual move — helping today, and tomorrow — barely exists anymore, does it?
And you know that Treliving will err on the side of tomorrow, which brings us to the intrigue surrounding an organization that punched far above its weight in 2014-15: With the unforeseen success that Calgary had last season, how difficult must it be for Treliving to stick with his organizational projections?
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Other general managers have deviated from their patient plans after far less success than the two playoff rounds Calgary enjoyed this spring and now Treliving heads to Las Vegas, where the NHL’s awards night will feature four Flames candidates in Bob Hartley (Jack Adams), Mark Giordano (NHL Foundation), Johnny Gaudreau (Calder) and Jiri Hudler (Lady Byng).
“For the first time in a long time here, we have some depth, youth, and some stability down the middle,” Treliving said “The [Sean] Monahans, the [Michael] Backlunds, the [Sam] Bennetts, the [Drew] Shores, the [Matt] Stajans. … There’s depth there [at centre].
“Our defence … it’s an area we still have to improve upon. And then in goal. We’ve got three goaltenders under contract. There are decisions to be made there.
“How do we get better? It never stops.”
Treliving would never say it, but he’s trying to move Jonas Hiller, who lost the starting job to Karri Ramo during the Anaheim series.
It’s time to bring Joni Ortio on to the team full-time — he becomes waivers eligible this season — and the Flames need to pair him with the right veteran. A goalie who can both play 40 games if Ortio needs someone to split the duties with, but also a supportive backup in case Ortio takes the job and runs with it.
As an unrestricted free agent, Ramo is too expensive for that role. Hiller doesn’t fit the job description, we are led to believe, but still has a year left on his contract. So Treliving could flip Hiller to the St. Louis Blues for a Brian Elliott, or should the Minnesota Wild sign Devan Dubnyk, perhaps acquire a Darcy Kuemper-type partner for Ortio.
There has been a string of success with top draft picks in Calgary, with Monahan, then Gaudreau, then Bennett stepping right into the lineup and having an impact. Treliving is smart enough to know those occurrences are a bonus, but not part of any master plan.
“We’ve seen some rapid progression,” he said. “That’s not the norm. When you start trying to align your immediate needs up with an 18-year-old, you can make mistakes.
“I want to keep expectations realistic,” he added. “Odds are we’re going to pick a player who will need some time. At [pick] 15, we’re going to get a good player.”
We’d fall over if Treliving didn’t use that 15th-overall selection on a skater on June 26, but the next day he’ll have three second-rounders — Nos. 45, 52 and 53 — which could be a place to do some dealing. Again, any moves may stem from his need in goal, along with the ability to move Hiller.
The New York Rangers’ Cam Talbot is a target, but chances are the team 300 km to the north will be ready to pay more to New York than will Calgary. The Edmonton Oilers need the goalie more than the Flames do, and has a defenceman in Martin Marincin and a higher second-round pick (No. 33) to make the deal happen.
Of course, the Oilers may settle on Hiller for the final year of his deal, and push their goaltending search back 12 months. That would be a deal that helped both Alberta teams, wouldn’t it?
However the cards fall, the Flames are in an excellent position heading into the 2015 draft. They’ve got a nice young corps plus six picks in the Top 83 in a strong draft to add some more. Treliving is a smart talent evaluator and could well land three NHL players in this draft, plus deal a pick or two for another.
There’s no hurry in Calgary, and with a patient, smart GM in charge life’s good in Southern Alberta, and is only going to get better.
Move along people, there’s no car wreck to see here.