The Flames are 87.5% through this 56-game schedule, which means the body of work is more than enough for our annual countdown of the team’s best value contracts. Will Andrew Mangiapane take the number one spot for a second straight season? And how many new faces find themselves on this list?
This has not been a good year for Matthew Tkachuk. He has struggled offensively and hasn’t been the regular driving force we’ve come to expect. So… is Tkachuk just having a down year? Or is this a concerning trend? Knowing he’s the team’s highest paid player and due a $9 million qualifying offer in just…
The main benefit of selling off players on expiring contacts at this year’s trade deadline is simple: additional picks and/or prospects in the system. It also allows something else to happen, which might be just as important in the immediacy for frustrated Flames fans. By moving roster players out, it clears space in the lineup…
Less than a week from the 2021 trade deadline, Calgary’s position should (hopefully) be clear. Sure, there’s a remote possibility of some miracle run, but that pipe dream can’t be enough to deter the Flames from aggressively attempting to sell off what they can. If that’s indeed what the team is thinking, I’ve split things…
The Flames have slim postseason odds with 20 games remaining. At 16-17-3, Calgary is technically two points back of Montreal for the fourth and final North Division playoff spot. A slightly closer look will reveal how difficult the team’s situation really is. We know this: the Flames need to go on a run to make…
With 22 games remaining, the Flames are already in their 2021 stretch drive, which is hard to wrap your head around. Calgary’s playoff math is ugly and they’re a long shot to make it, which will likely take away most of the buzz in final third of the season. But, for the dedicated Flames fan,…
The April 12 trade deadline is less than three weeks away and the playoff math continues to look bad for the Flames. Monday’s 2-1 loss in Ottawa was another setback on an already difficult uphill climb and didn’t inspire a ton of confidence this group is ready to go on a run. The deadline has…
The sample size is small but the difference is noticeable. Two games into Darryl Sutter’s second tenure in Calgary, the team looks bought in to how their new head coach needs them to play. In consecutive wins over Montreal, the Flames controlled possession, limited chances effectively, and played comfortably with the lead. These are encouraging…
After a frustrating 9-10-2 start, the Flames moved Elias Lindholm from centre back to the right side of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau on Saturday afternoon. Calgary’s pivot back to August’s “bubble lines” paid off quickly, too: they took a convincing 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. I have been, and remain, a staunch believer…
We all have different theories on Calgary’s frustrating start. Flawed construction. Subpar coaching. A checked-out core. Failing leadership. In reality, you probably have to scratch “all of the above” on your Scantron to fairly assess what’s going on here. The season isn’t lost, but it’s teetering, even after Monday’s 3-0 win in Toronto. If the…
“I just thought: you know what, what’s the one thing you can’t buy, you have to earn it, and you can only do if you’re in the NHL?” Ten years after first asking himself that question, Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy remains driven by the same thing he chased for more than 1,000 games…
Reaction has been mixed since Elliotte Friedman’s Saturday revelation Sam Bennett has requested a trade. Knowing how these things go, it’s fair to assume Bennett will be playing elsewhere in the not-so-distant future. That said, there are two important angles to consider here. First and foremost: when is the best time for the Flames to make…
