After their 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, the Calgary Flames have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. It is a fate that this fan base has come to accept in recent weeks, but it stings nonetheless now that it is mathematically official. Even if they are to win the final seven games remaining on their schedule, they would end the season with just 87 points, two shy of the LA Kings, who currently sit in the final wild-card position with 91.
Related: Flames Rapidly Losing Trade Value in Markstrom
As all NHL teams do when in a similar position to the Flames at this time of the year, they will tell the media they have pride to play for. While admirable, they won’t say how hard it is to get up for games that truly have no meaning in the grand scheme. The same can be said for coaches. While that is likely what they will do, they would be best off going in a completely different direction in order to help benefit the future of the organization.
Flames Best to Lose Remaining Games
Flames fans will now set their sights on the 2024 draft, one that the Flames have two first-round selections. They still possess their pick, and a second one, which will come late in the round, was received from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Elias Lindholm. While they are sure to get a talented prospect with that pick, the far more exciting selection is their own, which will likely come in the top 10.
The Flames are positioned to pick eighth overall, with the draft lottery odds giving them a 54.4% chance to do so. Some great talent will be available at that selection, but, as is obvious, even better prospects will be up for grabs in the higher slots. There is still a chance that the Flames could get higher, as they have a realistic opportunity to drop as low as 27th in the standings, which would put them in position to pick sixth overall.
The Montreal Canadiens currently sit 27th in the standings, with just three points separating them from the Flames. Sandwiched in between are the Ottawa Senators, who are tied with the Canadiens for points but have four more wins. All three teams have seven games remaining in the season.
Finishing lower in the standings would also increase the Flames’ chances of a top-three pick. They currently have a 6% chance of selecting first overall, a 6.2% chance of picking second, and a 0.2% chance of landing the third pick. Meanwhile, the Canadiens currently have a 7.5% chance at first, a 7.7% chance at second, and a 0.2% chance at third.
Those percentages don’t increase much, but they are slightly higher. The Flames’ goal should be to improve their chances of landing the first overall pick and selecting Macklin Celebrini, as the 17-year-old centreman is a franchise-altering player.
To give them the best odds at doing so, the Flames would be wise to sit or limit their top players’ minutes. That would include the likes of Nazem Kadri, Jacob Markstrom, MacKenzie Weegar, Blake Coleman, and even Yegor Sharangovich, who have all been the team’s best players throughout the season. They won’t be happy about it, but if management and coaching staff can get them to buy into how important it is for the team’s future, it may be enough to get them on board.
It will also be interesting to see if Huska elects to give some of his younger players more minutes to help improve their confidence moving forward. Connor Zary sat the last game as a healthy scratch but is expected to draw back in. Giving more minutes to players like him, Matt Coronato and Dustin Wolf should be strongly considered to close the season.
