Last night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres was the third in a row for the Calgary Flames. After a significant roster makeover this season in which the Flames lost six regular roster players from last season, and brought in 13 new bodies either via trade, callup, or waiver claim, this roster is frankly a mess.
Despite hanging in the playoff wild card race for most of the season, the Flames finally fell apart after the trade deadline moves involving Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.
Now, the Flames are a bottom-10 team in the NHL.
Flames record after the trade deadline
Since the trade deadline, the Flames have spiralled down the standings. In eight games, they have a 2–6–0 record. Meanwhile, the teams they were chasing in the standings, have been on a tear:
- Nashville Predators: 6–0–1
- St. Louis Blues: 6–2–0
- Minnesota Wild: 4–1–3
- Vegas Golden Knights: 5–2–0
As a result, the Flames have fallen to an overall record of 33–32–5, a points percentage of .507, a goal differential of -12, and an inverse standings position of 10th.
The rest of the season and beyond
At this point, the hope of playoffs is dead. The Flames will not be competing in the postseason this year, and will shift their focus to the offseason.
Even the players know it at this point:
There are 12 games remaining, and unfortunately for the Flames they will be facing many bottom-feeding teams. Six games are against teams below them in the standings (bottom 10 teams) and six are against the rest.
Wins against these teams could skewer their draft position, and it’s very likely that the Flames will pile up some wins over the next few weeks.
It is what it is.
