On cusp of lost season, time for Flames to embrace Montreal-style rebuild

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames are on the cusp of what almost certainly looks like a lost season.

And the latest team to help put them there is a perfect example of how the Flames should proceed from here.

A 2-1 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday extended the Flames losing skid to seven, giving them just three points in their opening eight games.

Only 10 teams in the last 40 years have started that poorly and made the playoffs.

Itâ€s time to start looking at what a proper rebuild can look like, and thereâ€s no better example right now than Montreal.

The difference in Wednesdayâ€s highly entertaining affair was a world-class play by Ivan Demidov that set up Mike Mathesonâ€s winner.

Two nights earlier another gritty outing by the Flames was doused by a Mark Scheifele finish that served as a reminder of the difference between the Flames and playoff contenders — high-end skill.

The Flames donâ€t have those type of players.

“I mean, I can’t generate offence,†said Wolf, the Flames’ franchise player, frustrated by his clubâ€s inability to convert more than one of the 37 shots directed at Jakub Dobes.

 “I do my job, I try to keep the puck out of our net, and hope that our guys can generate a couple. I’m glad we got one there. We got a point, but weâ€ve got to keep working to find more offence.â€

They couldnâ€t find it last season, and thereâ€s no reason to believe theyâ€ll discover it in time to save this season.

The loss to Montreal, in which the only Flames scorer was fourth-liner Adam Klapka, hammered that point home once again.

This is Year 4 of the re-imagined Habs, who are off to a 6-2 start, good for a first-place tie atop the NHL standings.

Look waaaay down, and there lies the Flames with just 12 goals, a minus-16 differential and a team shooting percentage that looks closer to the GST than to the league’s norm.

It puts them on track to be the top lottery draft contenders for the first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna — a rallying cry that has already been adopted by a Flames fan base frustrated by three decades of mid-round draft picks.

Itâ€s time to get serious about bottoming out like the Habs did in 2022, just one year after a surprise run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

That was the year they drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall, followed by Lane Hutson in the second round as part of two straight seasons of pain, patience, and pruning. 

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And now? Despite being the youngest team in the league, theyâ€re on the cusp of something real. Something sustainable. Something the Flames desperately need to emulate.

Montrealâ€s rebuild began in earnest in 2022, when Kent Hughes took over as general manager and Martin St. Louis stepped behind the bench. What followed was a masterclass in modern roster construction: a blend of savvy drafting, bold trades, and strategic free-agent signings that have transformed the Habs from a floundering franchise into one of the leagueâ€s most promising young cores in relatively short order.

Letâ€s start with the draft. 

Juraj Slafkovskyâ€s development curve has been gradual, but heâ€s now anchoring the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, two players who represent the heart of Montrealâ€s rebuild. Both forced Wolf to make several huge stops to keep the game within reach early Wednesday.

Second rounder Oliver Kapanen, 22, is centring the second line alongside 19-year-old Demidov, who seems destined for stardom after being taken fifth overall in 2024. 

Suzuki was acquired in the Max Pacioretty trade back in 2018, while Caufield was a 2019 first-rounder. Together, theyâ€ve grown into leaders and offensive stars.

On the blue line, Montreal has stockpiled talent through the draft and trades. Hutson, who won the Calder last year, headlines a blue line bolstered heavily by the acquisition of Noah Dobson this off-season. It added a proven top-four defenceman, signalling the Canadiens are ready to shift from rebuilding to competing.

Those close to the team say the key to the teamâ€s linear ascension has been a culture fostered by veterans like Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Mike Matheson and Sean Monahan, who the team cashed in on.

The Flames have built a similarly impressive culture, but donâ€t have enough difference-makers in their midst. 

Montreal qualified for the playoffs last season for the first time in four years, and while they bowed out early, the experience was invaluable.

The Flames have long been stuck in hockey purgatory — not bad enough to bottom out, not good enough to contend.

It needs to end, meaning this early faceplant could be a blessing. 

Itâ€s time for Calgary to stop chasing the final playoff spot and start building something meaningful. That means embracing a lost season or two leading up to the new building.

The blueprint is right there in Montreal. Draft well. Develop patiently. Make smart trades. Donâ€t be afraid to lose in the short term.

The Canadiens didnâ€t panic when the losses piled up, they stayed the course. And now theyâ€re reaping the rewards.

Calgary has several pieces to build around, like Wolf, Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin and Cole Reschny. 

But they need more, which is why using a fruitful draft as a springboard is key.

This is a star-driven league, and those teams without them get left behind, as Flames fans know all too well.

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