Why the Calgary Flames Must Stay the Course-and Avoid the Rangers’ Mistakes
Back in 2019, the New York Rangers were deep in the middle of a rebuild. It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t fast. But it was honest.
No player was scoring at a point-per-game pace, and their fifth-highest scorer finished the year with just 37 points. They were collecting young talent, building from the ground up-until July hit.
That’s when Artemi Panarin signed on the dotted line, and everything changed.
Panarin’s arrival was a game-changer, no question. But it also flipped the script too soon.
The Rangers went from rebuild to “win-now” mode overnight. And instead of letting their young core marinate, they hit fast-forward.
That decision might’ve looked exciting on paper, but now? They’re sitting 27th in the league, dead last in the Eastern Conference, and serving as a cautionary tale for any team trying to shortcut the climb back to contention.
Which brings us to the Calgary Flames.
Calgary’s “Rebiggle” Needs Patience, Not Panic
The Flames are in the middle of what team president Don Maloney has called a “rebiggle”-not a full-blown teardown, but a hybrid retool. And under GM Craig Conroy, they’ve been playing the long game. You saw it in the recent trade that sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights: a move that brought back a haul of draft picks and signaled a commitment to building through youth.
And it’s not just about accumulating picks-it’s about hitting on them. So far, Calgary’s done just that.
Names like Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, Andrew Basha, Jacob Battaglia, Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, and potentially Ethan Wyttenbach are all part of a growing, promising pipeline. That’s the kind of foundation you need to build something sustainable.
But here’s the key: success can’t be rushed. Not in hockey. Not in anything.
Last Season Wasn’t the Blueprint-It Was the Outlier
The Flames overachieved last season. There’s no sugarcoating it.
That performance may have sparked some premature playoff dreams, but the reality has come back around this year. They’re near the bottom of the standings, and that’s okay.
That’s where they’re supposed to be in this process.
Look around the division. The San Jose Sharks have been through the pain-and now they’re starting to see the payoff.
That’s how a rebuild works. It’s not linear.
It’s not always pretty. But it’s necessary.
The worst thing Calgary can do right now is try to skip steps. Because when you do that, you end up where the Rangers are: taking 10-2 beatings from the Bruins, giving up eight goals to the Senators, and getting booed off your own ice. That’s not just a bad night-it’s a sign of a broken process.
There’s a reason Stanley Cup winners are built around homegrown stars. Think Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado.
Think Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad in Florida. You draft them, you develop them, and you build around them.
That’s the formula.
The Flames Have the Pieces-Now They Need the Patience
To be clear, the Flames are on the right track. The past two drafts have been massive wins, and they’ve injected real talent into a prospect pool that was running dry.
Think of where the Rangers were in 2019 when they had Adam Fox, Pavel Buchnevich, and a few other key pieces in place. Calgary’s in a similar spot now.
But here’s the difference: the Flames aren’t chasing the big fish in free agency. They’re not looking to fast-track their rebuild with a splashy signing.
Instead, they’re doubling down on development. That’s the smart play.
Look at the Montreal Canadiens-third in the Atlantic and doing it with one of the youngest rosters in the league. That’s a blueprint worth following.
What Calgary can’t afford is to repeat the Rangers’ mistakes with players like Zayne Parekh or any of their other top prospects. Rushing development, mismanaging roles, or throwing kids into the fire too early?
That’s how you end up with stalled careers and wasted potential.
So, When Will Calgary Be Ready?
If everything stays on track, we’re probably not looking at a serious playoff push until after the new arena, Scotia Place, opens its doors. And that’s okay. That’s the timeline that makes sense.
But there’s an asterisk here-and it’s a big one. Ownership has already made it clear they’re not thrilled about waiting that long.
And that’s the danger zone. That’s how rebuilds get derailed.
That’s how you end up chasing short-term fixes instead of long-term success.
It’s not easy. Fans want wins.
Players want results. Owners want revenue.
But if the Flames stay the course, build from within, and resist the urge to cut corners, they’ll come out the other side with a team that’s built to last.
The Rangers tried to speed through the rebuild. They’re still paying for it.
Calgary doesn’t have to make the same mistake. The foundation is there.
Now it’s about trusting the process.