This offseason has been rocky for the Calgary Flames – to put it lightly. Uncertainty has surrounded the roster, particularly concerning which players want to stay in Calgary and which want out. For the second year in a row, a star forward alerted the team that he did not want to stay long-term and was traded – last year it was Matthew Tkachuk, this year it was Tyler Toffoli. Both led the team in points during their last season in Calgary. The Flames are also reportedly concerned with Elias Lindholm’s desire to stay beyond this coming season. All of this, combined with the fact that they were a middle-of-the-pack team who missed the playoffs, would lead some to argue that it is time to rebuild. The Flames, however, should not go down this route. Here’s why.
Jonathan Huberdeau
The Flames acquired Jonathan Huberdeau last offseason and promptly inked him to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $10.5 million. If they were looking to rebuild this offseason, Huberdeau is at the top of the list of players they would want to offload. His first season in Calgary was a disappointment. He had the largest decline in points season-over-season in NHL history, and never really looked like the star the Flames were hoping they’d get. With this in mind, his trade value is at an all-time low. On top of that, his long and expensive contract makes him nearly impossible to trade: even if the Flames were able to find a team willing to take him, they would not get a good return.
There are several reasons management should wait another season to assess whether or not to offload Huberdeau and go into rebuild mode. He will have a year less left on his contract next offseason, which will make him a more attractive trade candidate if the Flames have another down year this coming season. On top of that, there is reason to believe that Huberdeau will have a much better season this year than last; he felt he could not thrive under former head coach Darryl Sutter’s system.
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If you believe that Huberdeau will have a better season this year under a new head coach (which seems likely), there are two scenarios that could occur. Either the team alongside him plays well and the Flames make the playoffs, or they have another disappointing season that results in them missing the playoffs. In the first scenario, a rebuild will not be necessary. In the second, the Flames will find themselves in a much better position to rebuild next offseason than they are now. Huberdeau will be far more tradeable, as he will have a year less left on his contract and will be coming off a better season than he is currently. In either case, the Flames will benefit from waiting a year to assess whether or not they need to rebuild.
The Flames May Be Able to Avoid a Rebuild Altogether
On top of waiting a season to assess whether or not to offload Huberdeau, there is reason to believe that the Flames will have a much better season in 2023-24, and may not even need a rebuild at all. They have some young players who will look to make the next step this coming season, including Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, and Jakob Pelletier. This injection of youth into their lineup may prove to be exactly what the team needs.
Additionally, the Flames may perform better under new head coach Ryan Huska than they did under Sutter, especially considering that Nazem Kadri and Huberdeau will now have a season in Calgary under their belts. Finally, the goalie position should be much more sound this season. Jacob Markstrom will look to rebound from a down year in 2022-23 after being a Vezina nominee in 2021-22, and Wolf, who seems to have a ton of potential, will likely be his backup. There is reason to believe the Flames will be a better team in 2023-24, and if that is the case they will not need to go into an all-out rebuild.
The Flames Should Not Rebuild Right Now
Now is not the right time for the Flames to enter a rebuild. They will be in a much better position to do so if necessary next offseason, as Huberdeau will be more tradeable. On top of that, there is reason to have hope that the Flames will perform much better this season than they did this past season. Though this offseason has been hectic, management should give this team a chance, and at worst, they can enter a rebuild during the 2024 offseason.
