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Richard Davis's avatar

Calgary could tank like Edmonton did but learn from their greed and not do it for ten years. Keep it to 3-4 years and then bring in the vets to create the winning culture. I get sick and tired of the anti tankers who always used Edmonton as a reason not to do it and also that we have to create this new style of play NOW! It’s f we can create this culture this year why can’t we in 5 years from now? I’m sick of cheering for a mediocre team. I was raised in the 80’s a rabid Flames fan and never would have guessed the Gilmore trade would send us into a 34 year slump.

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Scott Lemieux's avatar

The weird thing about Flames history is that in the Fletcher and Treliving regimes they made some incredible value picks -- with the former, MacInnis, Nieuwendyk, Fleury, Hull, Suter, Roberts, Makarov is an amazing haul outside the top 10 and mostly outside the first round -- but depending on how much blame you put on the organization for Bennett Tkachuk is the only top 10 pick who isn't somewhere on the on the disappointment-to-disaster spectrum.

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Kent Wilson's avatar

One of the major issues for CGY is just a general lack of top-10 picks throughout the org's history. Off the top of my head:

Tkachuk, Monahan, Bennett, Tkaczuk, Fata, Phaneuf, Krahn, Nystrom, Stillman.

I think that's it? Only Bennett inside the top-4. Some big misses there for sure, but it just so few at-bats.

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Scott Lemieux's avatar

Yes, that's definitely the other part of it. Too many bad but not bad enough teams.

I would love to see someone do a deep dive into the late 90s/early aughts, which were a crucial missed opportunity two ways. Brian Sutter wasn't a bad coach per se but he was a terrible fit in that 1)he got enough out of a poor roster to keep from finishing in the bottom 5 while 2)being impatient with talented young players like Nylander. The organization then kind of got a reprieve when the former 11th overall pick they got for Nieuwendyk turned into a genuine franchise player, only they made two dreadful coaching hires which among other things resulted in the best playmaking C to come into the organization since Gilmour to be traded for a $5 Popeye's gift card. They came close to a championship by hiring Darryl once but that era could have easily been a lot more successful with some better choices the previous decade.

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