Making sense of the Calgary Flames’ superb first quarter of the 2024-25 season

Alternate Title: “What’s a Rebuild? or How to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the 2024-25 Calgary Flames Season”

Before the 2024-25 season, odds-makers projected that the Calgary Flames would finish well outside of the playoff picture, giving them the sixth-worst odds to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. 21 games into the season, though, the Flames have thumbed their collective noses at those predictions, as they sit a point out of first place in the Pacific Division.

Ryan delves into what’s working for the Flames through the first quarter and what things might (and might not) keep going their way for the rest of the season.

Featuring graphics from NHL.com and JFreshHockey!

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15 comments

  2. You hit the nail on the head at the end. I basically just assumed they wouldn't have that pick anyway. It's fun hockey to watch, and if the special teams get rolling a bit they could maintain. I suspect they'll sneak into playoffs this year and I think that's huge for development on players like Coronato, Zary, and Wolf especially.

  4. I do think a lot of the Flames success this season has been opposing teams not taking them seriously. I can't remember if it was you who said it or someone else at Flames Nation, but it's true. You can beat the Flames with talent and hard work but you're not going to beat them with just talent. I think a lot of teams have come at the Flames expecting an easy win and have been unpleasantly surprised when the Flames don't just hand them an easy 2 points. It will be interesting to see what happens when teams finally make the adjustment of expecting the Flames to come at them hard and responding in kind.

  6. I cannot wait for some comments disparaging the current whipping boys: Anderson and Kadri. Even though they play with this over acheiving group and are among the team leaders in points. Gouge away. All flames players , coaches and management do not care what you think

  7. Ryan, would you say realistic the ceiling for this group this season would be maybe third in the Pacific, if they start scoring a little more and stay relatively healthy?

  8. Not sure when but the flames will have a big drop off sometime in the next few years imo. This will happen when Kadri and Backlund really regress along with an aging Weegar, Huby, etc and while I don’t mean to be rude I want this team to suck so terribly. We have 2 future studs in the system imo (Wolf and Parekh) but still need to find a future 1&2 C, LD and 1-2 great wingers and when you see guys like Misa and McQueen it annoys me not gonna lie but I can’t hate on the boys working hard. Just my opinion but we know this team isn’t a contender so why are we throwing away our top 10 pick?

  10. If Wolf is what he is showing, and what we hope he is, their is a definite floor to how bad this team can get. He is the superstar. If he plays like this he can singlehandedly drag a team to the playoffs.

    I think a top 5 pick in the next few years is a stretch. Best case is we have retooked on the fly and can fold bryztewich and Parekh into the group over the next 2 years while supplementing the forward group and building a team that is greater than the sum of its parts Ala st.louis, Carolina etc.

  12. I don’t get why the goal is to always make the playoffs but not to win the cup? Especially when we have the excuse of tanking because of the Montreal draft pick scenario looming. What is the point of knowing you won’t win the cup and the draft year after year after year. And because we have just enough young talents with Zary, Wolf, and Parehk we will continue this mediocrity. I just HOPE Conroy and brass don’t get high hopes with this fool’s gold that is the current roster. I am not saying we don’t have a chance for the playoffs but let’s be honest we are not winning the cup. Why should we all want this projected situation yet again is beyond me. Another decade of focusing on the playoffs while other teams get their rings and others their exciting young COMPLETE roster.

  14. They got rid of room poison and contractual baggage. Lindy ate up a lot of ice time and clearly his heart wasn't in it. No team will excel when the ice-time-eaters aren't committed. Connie created room for the youngsters they've been cultivating into NHLers. The total team game is a formula for success no matter the team. Having superstars helps but is no guarantee if there's no team game around them (see Oilers). Four, trustworthy lines following the coaching and the coaches giving some confidence in so many players in all situations.

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