The Calgary Flames’ sudden four-game winning streak has thrown a wrench into the usual tanking conversation, and that may not be such a bad thing.
At the start of the season, the bad vibes around Calgary made it look like the team had wandered into perfect draft-position territory. But when you zoom out a bit, the argument for chasing losses gets complicated fast.
The Flames are rebuilding, which means adding and developing talent matters just as much as draft order, if not more. Landing the first pick is the dream, sure, but it’s not the only path to building something useful.
Landon DuPont is the name sitting at the top of the upcoming draft chatter, and the profile is easy to understand: an elite offensive defenceman with Quinn Hughes- or Cale Makar-type upside. That sounds appealing in any market.
Still, Calgary may not be staring at its biggest need. The Flames already have Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec and Hunter Brzustewicz in the AHL, and all three fit that same style of player.
What Calgary really appears to need is a top centre. And with the draft expected to offer a strong crop of centres, the Flames might not even need to land at the very top to get one.
That’s why the recent run of success deserves a fresh look. This isn’t being sold as a playoff team, but the way they’ve played during the streak has been hard to ignore.
The power play has looked dangerous, the penalty kill has been dependable, the five-on-five play has had real bite, and Devin Cooley has been in another world right now. If that level of play sticks, spring hockey might not be as far-fetched as it once seemed.
The Western Conference, after all, does not look like some impossible mountain to climb.
Even if Calgary settles into a more ordinary finish, there’s still a case for finding value in these wins. The biggest reason is the young core.
Losing every night is brutal, and it’s hard to argue that constant beatdowns do much for development. If Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin aren’t producing or playing well, the discussion at season’s end changes completely.
Instead of talking about them as part of the future, people start wondering whether they should be moved or whether they have a real NHL future at all.
That’s the rub with tanking: if your young players are the ones driving the wins, that’s not a problem. That’s progress.
And if progress comes with victories attached, even better. Winning builds confidence, sharpens that competitive edge and gives everyone involved a clearer picture of what this team might become down the road.
It also makes the building more enjoyable for the people watching it.
So yes, Team Tank has plenty of believers. But this stretch has also reminded everyone how much better good hockey feels.
Trading a shot at a guaranteed top draft pick for the growth of players already in the system may end up being worth it. At the very least, losing night after night isn’t helping anybody.
The next month should tell us more about whether this is real or just a hot spell against teams expecting an easy night. For now, though, the Flames are fun to watch again, and that’s not nothing.
In Other News...
Flames Suddenly Have A Crease Problem Dustin Wolf Must Solve
Devin Cooleys sudden absence leaves Calgary with a much different look in goal, and the timing is hardly ideal. The Flames placed the goaltender on injured reserve after he was injured in a game, and Dustin Wolf now steps into the starters role as the club tries to steady itself through an unexpected shakeup in the crease.
To help cover the roster, Calgary also recalled Arseni Sergeev and William Stromgren from the Wranglers, with Stromgren coming up to fill the spot left by injured forward Brennan Othmann, who is day-to-day. The moves give the Flames some short-term depth, but the bigger question is how long they can manage without Cooley and how Wolf handles the added load in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Just Created An Oilers Decision Flames Fans Will Notice
Mike Babcocks return to the spotlight has already produced a familiar kind of debate around how he handles players, with former NHLer Corrado pointing to the contrast between Babcocks deep systems knowledge and Craig St. Louis more individualized approach. For teams around the league, and especially for rival fans watching Edmonton closely, it is the kind of coaching choice that can say as much about the room as it does about the lineup card.
Jake Walmans situation only sharpened that conversation. The defenseman was scratched in a recent game despite the size of his commitment and the fact that he has already dealt with an upper-body injury this season, a move that underscores how quickly Babcock is willing to make hard calls. For Calgary fans, it is another reminder that Edmontons internal decisions can ripple beyond one night on the schedule, especially when a coach with Babcocks reputation starts drawing a line between trust, usage and accountability. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Crease And Lineup Problem Before Back To Back
The Flames had to adjust on the fly after a bruising night against Edmonton left their roster thinner at two important spots, and the timing is far from ideal with back-to-back games against Western Conference opponents coming up. Calgary turned to the Wranglers for help, bringing up forward William Strmgren and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev as it tries to stabilize both the lineup and the crease.
For now, the goaltending picture points toward Dustin Wolf carrying the load with Sergeev behind him, while the forward group will have to manage without Brennan Othmann. It is the kind of short-term disruption that can ripple through a schedule quickly, especially when the games keep coming and the Flames do not have much time to sort out the next move. [Read more 🡒]