CALGARY — A losing season doesn’t necessarily mean a lost season.
In fact, there were plenty of positives that came out of the Flames’ 29th-place finish, including the monumental organizational shift that gives general manager Craig Conroy a chance to re-shape the team with a long-term view in mind.
Here's a look at the seven most positive developments from a 34-39-6 season, during which the Flames were the league’s lowest-scoring team:
Path chosen
Finally, the organization picked a lane.
No more mushy middle, trying to balance making the playoffs every year with building for the future. Doesn’t work. Never has, not in this town anyway.
Trading veteran pillars Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar, the latter two who had long-term deals in place, significantly shook up a roster that had proven it was no longer capable of challenging as it was structured.
It’s now about the youth movement fans have been clamouring for.
In many ways, there’s a feeling of relief.
Stockpiling picks and prospects
The aforementioned trades added significantly to the team’s coffers, giving the Flames two first-round picks in each of the next three years, as well as eight second rounders over that span.
It gives them plenty of options and ammunition moving forward in their quest to find future stars.
The team also added to their growing list of college hotshots in the system, which now includes recently-signed Jonathan Castagna and Abram Wiebe, to go with Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach, who will all make the jump to pro after another year of seasoning.
By finishing fourth-last, the team will have a 9.5 per cent chance of winning the draft lottery, and are guaranteed to pick no later than sixth overall — a spot where the Flames have previously plucked Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan.
This is an organization woefully short on difference-makers — high-end skilled players who sell tickets and build hope. Now it’s up to the scouts and management to use their picks to find the next pillars around which to build.
His emergence at age 28 is not only one of the best feel-good stories of the season, but it gives the Flames one of the better tandems in the league moving forward.
Sitting among league leaders in goals-against average and save percentage, Cooley earned a two-year extension that can do wonders to ensure Dustin Wolf isn’t overused as the organization builds.
Frostabee flourished
As part of the team’s middle-age group, which the team is counting on to grow into more prominent leadership roles, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee took significant strides this season.
Both hit the 20-goal mark and settled into new roles, with Frost elevating his game befitting a first-line centre, while Farabee has evolved into a dependable, team-first penalty killer who can get things done at both ends of the ice.
There were plenty of question marks surrounding the duo after they arrived from Philadelphia, but they have emerged as important pieces.
Culture/leadership strong
Despite the departure of letter-wearing leaders Kadri, Weegar and Andersson, the leadership group remained strong with the addition of Zach Whitecloud.
With little to play for the final few months of the season, the team still exhibited the tremendous work ethic that has been their hallmark for years. The tight-knit group fought until the end.
Credit captain Mikael Backlund, and alternate captain Blake Coleman, who spearheaded a group hellbent on ensuring the team’s identity as one of the hardest-working squads remains intact.
Despite the losing, the culture in Calgary is strong, which is partially why Conroy opted to keep Coleman past the trade deadline.
The emergence of Frost and Farabee as leaders bodes well moving forward.
Youth inserted
Matvei Gridin, Hunter Brzustewicz, Yan Kuznetsov and Zayne Parekh all demonstrated they are NHLers who will be young mainstays around which to build.
Yes, they all have plenty of room to grow, but identifying them as legit pros was significant.
Kuznetsov wasted no time after his recall proving he’s a top-four fixture, while it wasn’t clear until late in the year the other three were capable of being opening-night pieces next season.
Parekh’s season was nightmarish early on, but he persevered, and by the last three weeks was filling the net, dangling like he did in junior, and exhibiting the poise and swagger that help make him one of the most exciting prospects in the organization.
Gridin’s high-end skillset and well-rounded game have many thinking he’ll be a top-line candidate who could lead the team in scoring for years.
The organization also used the last few months taking peeks at Rory Kerins, Brennan Othmann, Aydar Suniev, William Stromgren, Tyson Gross, Sam Morton and Wiebe, giving management a better idea of their capabilities.
Team architect locked up
Conroy signed a two-year contract extension, which starts next season, keeping him under contract through the end of 2027-28.
It gives the popular GM plenty of runway to continue implementing a long-term plan that will almost certainly come with short-term pain.
Sticking with it is the key, and the well-respected Conroy is the man to see this through.
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