And just like that, another Calgary Flames season has come to an end. Despite finishing the year with 96 points, the Flames missed the playoffs, as they were tied with the St. Louis Blues but did not hold the tiebreaker against them.
Though it was a heartbreaking finish, the team performed well above expectations and showed that they can compete. Some may look at this season as successful due to their surprising performance, whereas others may have different views. This begs the question: was this season a success? We asked, you answered.
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Did the Flames succeed?
We presented the below poll to our readers:
This season was a success
One thing can’t be denied: this team far surpassed expectations. Many in the hockey world believed the Flames would be a bottom-five or bottom-10 team in the league. Looking at the lineup on paper, there seemed to be some glaring holes in the roster that many thought would contribute to a long season of losses for this team. Despite this, the Flames finished with 96 points and were in the playoff hunt right until the end.
Another thing that was made clear during the exit interviews is that the culture of the team has greatly improved. Many players stated how much they loved playing here and how they think players around the league actually want to go to Calgary and play on the team. This is quite the shift from a couple of years ago when the narrative was that nobody wanted to come, and if they were already here, nobody wanted to stay.
Just last season, we saw so much turnover on the team, whereas this year, everyone seemed to love being a part of the team. Sure, culture isn’t what wins Stanley Cups, but as stated below by one of our readers, it’s definitely a factor.
Season was not a success
There are others who believe that this should not be looked at as a successful season, as the Flames didn’t make the playoffs, and they will likely be giving the Montreal Canadiens their first-round pick. Definitely not an ideal scenario for a team that is going through a rebuild/retool. For many fans, it’s just another year of finishing in the mushy middle.
We will see if the Flames look to try to take advantage in obtaining or earning a top 10 pick in next year’s draft, as the 2026 draft is looked at as much stronger than 2025.
Here comes the offseason
Many of the fans’ questions will be answered this offseason. Conroy has not been shy in sharing that he is looking for a centre, but that player must make sense regarding age. Do the Flames look to add this player through a trade, offer sheet, or free agency? Or will Conroy look to move up in this year’s draft? Do the Flames end up trading Rasmus Andersson this summer, or will he extend?
There are many questions that the Flames will have to answer between now and next season, and these answers will tell us a lot about what the plan is.
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