The Calgary Flames’ start to the season has been tough to watch. The on-ice product has fallen short of even the lowest expectations. Even if you’re someone who wants the Flames to tank for a draft pick, you were probably hoping the games would at least be somewhat competitive — or that there’d be something interesting worth following.

Luckily, if you’re a baseball fan or a bandwagoner, you’ve had some entertainment to distract from the lacklustre Flames games. The Blue Jays could even claim they’ve earned the loudest cheers inside the Saddledome so far. But that, unfortunately, won’t last much longer. Baseball will be over by the end of next weekend, and all the focus of Calgary sports fans will swing right back to the Flames.

This would be easier to write if it were about a top team in the league and we were simply nitpicking minor details that could be improved. In this case, it’s the exact opposite. We have to dig deep, try to stay positive and wonder: has anything gone well for the Flames to start this season?

Let’s begin by giving a shout-out to the most clutch player to suit up in a Flames game this year: none other than Stuart Skinner. He alone has provided more offence for Calgary in half a game than the Flames’ roster has mustered in several. He’s the only reason the Flames even have a win. It’s a shame he couldn’t be inserted at the other end of the ice for a few more contests. The season might have a very different look — the Flames might never lose again.

Speaking of offence, well, there isn’t much to talk about. The goals just haven’t been there. If anything, you could say the chances are starting to come, especially for players like Joel Farabee and even Rasmus Andersson. Farabee, in particular, has looked pretty good up to this point. There’s even an argument he’s been one of the Flames’ best players so far.

The prospects have probably been the most enjoyable thing to watch. While Zayne Parekh hasn’t fully found his offensive stride yet, it still feels like something could happen every time he’s on the ice. He likely just needs a better opportunity — like being on the first power-play unit — to really break out. But clearly, there’s still a lot of growth needed in his game. Sam Honzek has been playing fairly well, and we’re all waiting for him to find the back of the net for the first time. It feels reasonable to think that once that first one goes in, more will follow. Then there’s Matvei Gridin, who was such a bright spot for the Flames. It makes sense that he was given the opportunity to go to the AHL and light it up, but it would be a welcome sight to see a young player in this organization get a proper chance in the NHL.

Now, if you’re someone who’s tired of seeing the Flames finish in the mushy middle, this might be the perfect scenario. Being near the bottom almost feels like a relief — a welcome change of scenery, even. Perhaps this is exactly what the organization needs. The roster has been exposed as having holes and lacking top-end talent capable of winning games and championships.

This could force management to take action, dangle some of their older veterans on the trade market and finally move Rasmus Andersson. It just feels like that’s the main domino that needs to fall for the organization to move forward and take the next step. It may not sound like good news to some, but from a certain perspective, this might be the best thing to come from the slow start.

Did you think this was going to be longer? We all wish it was. But there really hasn’t been much to get excited about up to this point. The lights not working at the Saddledome was one of the most interesting things to happen this season, but even the lights fixed themselves before the Flames have fixed themselves.

It’s a long season. Maybe that’s not the most comforting news right now. But the Flames will win again. Every team loses seven games in a season — in fact, most teams lose many more than that. Sure, they don’t normally drop them all right at the beginning, but the losses do come.

The Flames can salvage a rough start. That might not mean clawing their way back into the mushy middle or into a playoff spot, but it can mean doing the little things right, putting in a better effort on the ice and being tougher to play against. There’s something to be gained from a difficult season, even if it’s just individual victories. It’s time to start making good things happen.