Why Owners Choose Retools Over Rebuilds (And What It Means for the Flames)

I do not understand the dislike of Don Maloney. In the real world, most people are subject to their employers. If we do not do what the boss tells us, we are fired.

We may not like Don’s refusal to let the Calgary Flames do a full rebuild, but teams no longer do total rebuilds. The magic word is retool. Owners do not want to go into five-year rebuilds. What they see as a five-year rebuild is five years with no money. The owners are into this money-making thing.

The way they make money is to win; you don’t win much during a rebuild.

Although I do not like what I’m hearing, I completely understand where the Calgary Flames owners are coming from. Their business is to build a winning team as quickly as possible.  

Okay, let’s move on.

Dustin Wolf

In no way am I saying it is completely Dustin’s fault that the team is struggling this season. The defence in front of him has been faulty. Yes, he has struggled and not been quite himself, but the Calgary defence in front of him has not helped. I am forecasting that Dustin won’t get as many starts this year as he did last. The Calgary Flames will have to be patient with him until he can work this out. The defence has to improve—giving up two, three, or four goals every game does not cut it.

Devin Cooley

Devin is quite the story this season! Devin has been absolutely outstanding in every category. He has not had a bad start this season. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Calgary Flames use him for the rest of the year. Good on you, Devin. What I love about him is that he is positionally sound, follows the puck, and has terrific vision.

Defence

Let’s talk about the defense a little bit. Yes, they have struggled this year.

MacKenzie Weegar

MacKenzie this year is not the same as the MacKenzie of the past. He has struggled to say the least. Whether it is because of Huska or MacKenzie, he has struggled with the Calgary Flames’ system this year. I’m beginning to wonder if MacKenzie isn’t completely healthy, or maybe he is second-guessing whether he wants to be here. Hopefully, he’ll work it out this year.

Yan Kuznetsov

Yan has been the biggest surprise this season. He has done everything that he has been asked for as a third-pairing defenseman. I love his maturity, and he hasn’t panicked much this season. He may be nothing flashy, but he doesn’t have to be. What I like most about him is that he’s defensively responsible and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He has been the perfect fit for the Calgary Flames.

Final Word

I may be shot for this, but I’m one of the few people who would love to see Rasmus Andersson resign. Of course, that is not going to happen. He’s going to be traded sooner or later. The good news is that he has upped his trade value this season. The bad news is that it may be nearly the deadline before that deal happens. The Calgary Flames have not received any offers that come close to what they want for him.

The news that interests me the most is the amount of interest in Blake Coleman. I am watching to see whether the Calgary Flames keep or trade him. Blake is a very useful player and could get a pretty good package.

Kadri sounds like he’s staying, but things could change by the end of the year.

From Bench Depth to Trade Buzz — Kadri Talk Heats Up Amid Canadiens Injuries

With the Montréal Canadiens’ injuries piling up, I suspect they will inquire about the services of Kadri from the Calgary Flames. As of this writing, Kadri has not yet been made available on the market. Now, as you know, things could change overnight. Trust me, with the Calgary Flames, things can change on a thin dime. It’s happened before.

The Calgary Flames have shown improvement in the last two games. They totally shut down the San Jose Sharks, and it might have been one of the easiest shutouts Wolf has ever had. I would go so far as to say it might have been the team’s most complete game of the year. The key point of the game was that the forwards came down to help the defence, and everybody worked as a unit to succeed. Offensively, they still cannot score, but at least defensively, they covered up and never allowed the Sharks to do much.

In the Winnipeg Jets game, the Flames were not very good defensively. They went back to silly mistakes, mental breakdowns, and then leaving Dustin Wolf to the dogs. (See what I did there?) The positive side is that each time the Winnipeg Jets took a lead, the Calgary Flames fought back to tie the game. That is a huge improvement compared to previous games, when they just gave up and went through the motions. In this game, the Calgary Flames never gave up. This is all positive, offering the coach and staff areas for improvement.

Yan Kuznetsov

Yan has really fit in nicely. He has done everything he has been asked to do. Dare I suggest the Calgary Flames have finally found a third-pairing defenceman who can actually play defence?

Emil Heineman

I got a call from my source asking me if I remembered who the throw-in piece was in the Sam Bennett trade. It seems like we’ve heard his name before. Yeah, I’m being facetious. Emil Heineman has been blowing up the Islanders with nine goals and six assists in 21 games. Calgary basically let him go for nothing in the Tyler Toffoli trade. This goes to show how important the scouts are to the organization. You never know when a prospect might change from a piece of coal to a diamond. Emil has scored more goals than most Calgary Flames have had all season. Imagine if we had his offensive prowess on this team.

Randy 

Flames' Dilemma: Is It Time to Cash In on Kadri?

Everywhere I turn. I see rumours of Kadri going everywhere. Rumblings of possible trades to Toronto, Montreal, Florida, and most of all, Denver.

Kadri continues telling everybody that he has no intention of leaving, that he loves the city, and that he loves the fans. I’m sure he is well aware of how badly the team is playing, and it’s come to a point where the club has to do what’s best for the club.

I am sure, based on what everybody is telling me, that it’s only a matter of time before Calgary considers taking one of the offers we have had for him. At least eight teams have inquired about him so far. Here is a list of my top three destinations for Kadri, in no particular order.

Montreal Canadiens

It has been mentioned all season that the Montreal Canadiens’ greatest weakness is their second-line Centre. Nazim fits the role perfectly. He would fit nicely under Nick Suzuki. I have my doubts that this will be his destination, mostly because of his age. The Canadians are such a young team; he might not fit into the plans.

Florida Panthers

I think the Florida Panthers might be interested, depending on what they are gonna do with Barkov. What they do with Barkov’s cap depends on whether he can play this season. If it’s determined that he’s gone for the whole season, the Panthers will have a whole bunch of money to add to the roster. The Panthers getting a new second-line centre would be vital to the team’s success in the playoffs.  

Vancouver Canucks

I really don’t want this to be Kadri’s destination. I don’t like the idea of the Flames trading him within the division. But if the Vancouver Canucks offer us the best package, so be it. With Filip Chytil’s recent injury, I have no doubt they will inquire about Kadri.

Final Word

Honourable mentions have to be the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams could be interested in Kadri’s services. One more key factor in negotiations, of course, will be how much of the salary the Flames will be willing to eat. It will be interesting to see where he goes.