The Calgary Flames could have been the San Jose Sharks – The Win Column

Tuesday night’s loss to the San Jose Sharks was almost poetic for the Calgary Flames.

Weeks after the team’s President of Hockey Operations, Don Maloney, claimed that drafting first overall was akin to fantasy hockey, as well as taking multiple beatings from the Connor Bedard-led Chicago Blackhawks, the Flames were once again at the mercy of a former number one overall pick in Macklin Celebrini.

With two goals and two assists, as well as a highlight-reel goal posted all over social media, the Flames were once again outclassed by a top talent in the NHL.

But that’s not the only storyline that emerged last night; in fact, it’s not even the largest.

The main storyline should be how the Sharks are now the perfect example of what the Flames need to do immediately to be the next up-and-coming team to push into the postseason.

How did San Jose get here?

The Sharks are the perfect example of a team that has extended its playoff run for years, far beyond the starting job it should have. The team made some big mistakes, like trading for Erik Karlsson in a now-lopsided deal that cost them Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle, but they were simply trying to increase their chances of winning a Cup for as long as possible.

They made a good effort and even made it to the Conference Finals in 2019, but after that they consistently found themselves at the bottom of their division. It didn’t work, and that’s hockey, but they kept trying to turn it around with a very similar roster until 2022 when they began their sellout.

The team pivoted for a rebuild with the trades of Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl and the second Karlsson trade. It was painful and some seasons were almost unbearable for the organization and its fanbases, but this season is already showing that memories are short as the Sharks’ future is here and will immediately challenge for a playoff spot.

As they committed to rebuilding and fueling hard, the team was rewarded with Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa via their own first-round picks. By trading Hertl, the team ultimately used these assets to acquire Yaroslav Askaraov. By trading Karlsson, the team acquired an additional first-rounder that ultimately led to Sam Dickinson.

Add in the several other trades they made during that span, and you’re looking at even more talent and young first-round prospects who now look like an embarrassment of riches.

The team went from 2019 conference finalists, only to rebuild, to a potential playoff team in less than seven years.

The flames? Not so much.

A missed opportunity for the Flames

During that same seven-year period, the Flames did not reach the Conference Finals nor did they draft any top first-round talent like the Sharks. They simply treaded water trying to slide out their window.

Since the Sharks really started trading away their core veterans and committing to rebuilding, the Flames have yet to make the postseason and often end up just short of it. If they had been as committed to a fresh start after the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, the team could have dipped its toes into the Sharks’ riches.

That’s not to downplay the value of Zayne Parekh or Cole Reschny, but the difference maker that is now Celebrini would have been worth the risk.

The Sharks have technically had more playoff success and a successful rebuild in the same time that the Flames have done virtually nothing in the Jonathan Huberdeau/Nazem Kadri era.

Where do the flames go from here?

What’s crucial is that the Flames face a major decision point for the future of the franchise. They have valuable veterans like Rasmus Andersson and Kadri who could command big money. They are extremely valuable players for the franchise, but would be more valuable moving forward. Combine that with the team inching closer to a top pick in a generational lineup, and now is the time to finally commit.

If the team can only commit to one path, it could be a quick turnaround. There is always a risk of walking the Buffalo trail, but there are too many examples of good practice to ignore.

If not, the team can continue to expect future blowouts by the Sharks.

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