Wednesday marks opening night of the 2024–25 NHL season for the Calgary Flames. With a crop of new draft picks and prospects, a significantly younger lineup, and a new arena under construction, it seems the organization is more committed to rebuilding than ever before.
After a strong preseason and a chip on their shoulders, the Flames seem ready to be the underdogs of the 2024–25 season. With that being said, we wanted to know if fans want the team to look to the future or try and win it all this season.
We asked, you answered.
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Responses from readers
We presented the below poll to our readers.
Team Go For It
Team Go for It finished in this week’s poll, collecting 16% of the vote. Do the Flames have a realistic shot of raising a banner this season? No. But the team is not going to throw games, obviously, and I don’t think fans necessarily want that, either.
The leadership group on this team is strong, and there is some talent left in the lineup and some potential. Emphasis on potential; it could play out, or it could totally flop.
The reality is the team is going to scratch and claw to win games because that’s the culture of the Calgary Flames every year. Rebuilding doesn’t necessarily mean losing a competitive culture or edge. It just means making smart business decisions, knowing that they might not pay off right away. It’s a process, and scratching and clawing to win every game this season may still result in high draft lottery odds.
Team Wait and See
25% of respondents want to wait and see how the team does before making any rash decisions. If the Flames come out of the gates hot and are top three in the division going into American Thanksgiving or Christmas time, why would you want to give up a rag-tag bunch going on a playoff run?
This hypothetical deadline to make a decision is one that management will have to make as well. That’s when we will truly know where Craig Conroy stands. Obviously, time will tell how the team plays, but I think I resonate the most with this faction of fans and think it’s the most realistic route management will take.
If the Flames miraculously run away with the division then so be it, we’ve still got a stock pile of draft picks and a revamped prospect pool. Plus, if they do have success, that will mean some key players on this team have to emerge, and no one’s complaining if that happens. But it’s not likely the team will be competitive in the standings, and I think the real difference now is that the organization has clearly moved into a new era. If the team is on the outside looking in, there’s no point in wasting your future. That’s the bottom line.
Team Tank
Team Tank ran away with it this week, collecting 59% of the vote. It’s been a good year for team tank. Conroy has got a solid return for all of his assets, and the Jacob Markstrom saga finally came to an end prior to the draft.
The defence was stripped down and rebuilt, and the offensive group has been a headache the last two seasons with a real chemistry issue. Meanwhile, you have three goalies vying for a job that will see them face 40+ shots on a nightly basis. It doesn’t look good, and team tank loves it.
It’s the most likely outcome, and the organization could use it. Fans know it, and it seems Murray Edwards finally does too.
Time will tell
One thing is for certain: hockey is back, and that’s always a great thing. It’s likely going to be another frustrating season in Calgary, but maybe the silver lining will be a little better come May.
The year 2027 is marked on the calendar for when the Calgary Flames have to be competitive again. Conroy has been open about wanting to turn this thing around the right way and in an efficient manner. With the way the teams collected draft capital and scouted over the last year, it’s not like they need a top-three pick. But no one would complain if we had one.
All in all, I think Flames fans just want to see the light at the end of the tunnel grow more so than they want to see wins in the standings. The frustration over not giving in to an overdue reality has finally come to an end, and it’s a weight off the team’s shoulders. They can look ahead, and so can Flames fans, too. It’s a new era in Calgary, and it all starts on Wednesday.
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