The Calgary Flames are currently sitting three points behind the wild card spot and are looking to be in an interesting spot. Public opinion on what the team should do has never seemed more split. A very common opinion online right now is that the Flames should sell at the NHL’s trade deadline and see if it isn’t too late to try and potentially fall their way back into a lottery spot. Many fans have been asking the team to do that all season long.
The other option is the team continues down the path that Craig Conroy has already set in motion by acquiring Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. This would mean they would look for more pieces at the trade deadline to help them sneak into the playoffs. The future may seem unclear but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a shot at predicting a few potential outcomes.
What does it look like the Flames will do?
Will the #Flames make the playoffs?
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) February 8, 2025
A majority of fans online apparently doubt that the Flames have what it takes to make the playoffs. We’ll start off with what General Manager Craig Conroy and the Flames will seemingly be trying to do. On February 4, 2025, on Sportsnet, Conroy would say this about how active the Flames plan to be at the deadline:
“For me right now, it’s about the short term not the long term. Maybe at the deadline, depending on where we are [in the standings], than maybe it does make sense to add another piece. I am always looking for ways to make this team better.” – Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy
If the Flames add another piece, it would more than likely be a skilled younger forward. Not dissimilar to the trade that brought in Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Conroy has emphasized in the past that while there is a time and a place for bringing in veterans on rental-type deals, the Flames aren’t quite at that point yet.
So, it would look like the Flames would probably pick up a young forward who still has untouched potential but also has a high enough floor that they would help the team in its current state. That is if they go for anyone at the trade deadline at all.
Option 1: The Calgary Flames sneak into the playoffs
As the last wild card team, they would face off against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets in the first round. For many reasons, this matchup wouldn’t be favourable for the Flames.
Calgary’s biggest strength has been their goaltending—Dustin Wolf has turned into a superstar for the Flames—but the Jets are one of the few teams that have them beat pretty handily in between the pipes. Connor Hellebuyck is having a career year for Winnipeg this season, posting a 34–7–2 with a 0.925 save percentage and a 2.07 goals against average. It would frankly be a preposterous upset if the Flames were able to beat the Jets.
Even if the Flames do fall in the first round, an argument could be made that at least this team was given a shot. Anyone who has watched the team this year could tell you that there is clearly a culture developing in the room. Conroy said himself that the main reason he felt it was the right time to bring in Frost and Farabee was because he wanted to reward his team for their play so far. How would it affect the room if they suddenly pulled the plug barely a month later?
Option 2: The Calgary Flames miss the playoffs
If the season ended today, the Calgary Flames’ first-round pick would be 16th. This most likely will not matter because the Montreal Canadiens own the conditional rights to that pick. The Flames also own two other first-round picks: the Florida Panthers’ pick and the New Jersey Devils’ pick, which are currently set at 22nd and 27th, respectively.
The Flames may not have a hard time falling through the standings, though. While they are 23 points above the last-ranked San Jose Sharks and certainly aren’t catching them, they are only five points above the 26th-ranked Philadelphia Flyers.
Oddly enough, there are only about 10 points separating the middle of the pack from the basement of the league. It wouldn’t be impossible for the Flames to fall into a decent spot in the draft lottery. If they do manage to fall into the top 10, they would retain their first-round pick from Montreal and lose the Panthers pick instead.
Option 3: The Calgary Flames tank the rest of the year
It isn’t hard to see why many fans want the Flames to sell at the deadline. It might be a bit optimistic to assume selling would get them a good pick. While the Flames have not been world-beaters this year, that does not mean that they are as bad as many of the teams near the bottom of the league. That 10-point drop-off may be a steeper cliff than you might think.
Although, if they can find a way to do it, there may be an interesting opportunity awaiting the team. If you asked most fans who the most interesting prospect in the organization is, it’s almost a guarantee they would tell you that it’s Zayne Parekh. The recent first-round pick has been lighting up the OHL in historic ways as a defenceman. His best teammate down there also just happens to be coming up in the draft.
Michael Misa is a centre for the Saginaw Spirit and is currently leading the OHL in points. He already has another connection within the organization, with his brother, Luke, being drafted by the Flames last year. Misa would give the Flames that elite centre that they have been waiting decades for.
While the odds are long with Michael Misa currently being projected as the third overall pick, it is an interesting thought. The Flames would need to fall very far in the standings to make it happen.
There are still plenty of other prospects in the early parts of this draft that could help the Flames. Seven out of the 10 players projected in the top 10 of the draft by the Daily Faceoff are forwards, with four of them being centres. Just about any of them could potentially be a potentially big addition for the Flames in the future.
Plenty of options, but not much time
It would appear that as we sit at the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Calgary Flames have quite a few options to choose from. With the trade deadline taking place on March 7, 2025, Conroy may be running out of time to choose.
The future is bright in Calgary, with many prospects coming up the ranks and Dustin Wolf looking like a superstar. The only question left is whether it’s worth potentially dulling the future for a chance at glory now.
Photo by Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP
