On cusp of lost season, time for Flames to embrace Montreal-style rebuild

CALGARY — Calgary Flames are on the verge of what almost certainly looks like a lost season.

And the last team that helped them get there is a perfect example of how the Flames should do things next.

A 2-1 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday extended the Flames' losing streak to seven, giving them just three points through their first eight games.

Only 10 teams in the last 40 years have had such a bad start and made it to the playoffs.

It's time to think about what proper redevelopment could look like, and there's no better example than Montreal.

The difference in Wednesday's highly entertaining match was the world-class performance of Ivan Demidov, who decided the winner from Mike Matheson.

Two days earlier, another brutal Flames performance was snuffed out by a Mark Scheifele goal that served as a reminder of the difference between the Flames and playoff contenders: supreme skill.

The Flames don't have players like that.

“I mean, I can't create offense,” said Wolf, the Flames' franchise player, frustrated by his club's inability to convert more than one of the 37 shots aimed at Jakub Dobes.

“I do my job, try to keep the puck out of our net and hope our guys can create a couple. I'm glad we have it. We have a point, but we need to keep working to find more offense.”

They couldn't find him last season, and there's no reason to believe they'll find him in time to save him this season.

A loss to Montreal, in which the Flames' only scorer was fourth-place Adam Klapka, further sealed that point.

This is the fourth year of the new-look Habs, who are off to a 6-2 start, good for first place in the NHL standings.

Look down and you'll see the Flames with just 12 goals, a minus-16 differential and a team shooting percentage that looks closer to GST than league norm.

That puts them on track to be a top lottery draft contender for first overall pick Gavin McKenna, a rallying cry that has already been embraced by Flames fans frustrated by three decades of mid-round draft picks.

It's time to get serious about hitting rock bottom like the Habs did in 2022, just a year after their surprise run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals.

It was the year Juraj Slafkowski was drafted first overall and Lane Hutson was drafted in the second round, part of two consecutive seasons of pain, patience and pruning.

And now? Despite being the youngest team in the league, they are on the cusp of something real. Something sustainable. Something the Flames desperately need to emulate.

Montreal's rebuild began in earnest in 2022, with Kent Hughes taking over as general manager and Martin St. Louis taking over the bench. What followed was a masterclass in modern roster building: a combination of savvy drafting, bold trades and strategic free agent signings that, in a relatively short period of time, transformed the Habs from a floundering team into one of the most promising young players in the league's core.

Let's start with a draft.

Juraj Slafkowski's development curve has been gradual, but he now holds the top line along with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, two players who represent the heart of Montreal's rebuild. Both forced Wolf to make several big stops to keep the game within reach early Wednesday morning.

22-year-old second-rounder Oliver Kapanen sits at No. 2 with 19-year-old Demidov, who appears destined to be a star after being taken fifth overall in 2024.

Suzuki was acquired in the Max Pacioretty trade back in 2018, and Caufield was a rookie in 2019. Together they grew into offensive leaders and stars.

On the blue line, Montreal has amassed talent through the draft and trades. Hutson, a Calder winner last year, leads a blue line bolstered in large part by the acquisition of Noah Dobson this offseason. He added a proven top-four defenseman, signaling the Canadiens are ready to move from rebuilding to competing.

Those close to the team say the key to the team's linear ascent has been the culture nurtured by veterans such as Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Mike Matheson and Sean Monahan, on whom the team has made its money.

The Flames have built an equally impressive culture, but they lack the people who can make a difference.

Montreal made the playoffs last season for the first time in four years, and although they had an early exit, the experience was invaluable.

The Flames have long been stuck in hockey purgatory—not bad enough to hit rock bottom, not good enough to contend.

It's time to put an end to this, which means this early faceplant could be a blessing.

It's time for Calgary to stop chasing the final playoff spot and start building something meaningful. This means surviving a missed season or two before moving to a new building.

The drawing is right here in Montreal. Design well. Develop patiently. Make smart trades. Don't be afraid to lose in the short term.

The Canadiens didn't panic when the losses started piling up and stayed the course. And now they are reaping the benefits.

Calgary has several pieces to build around, such as Wolf, Zain ParekhMatvey Gridin and Cole Reshny.

But they need more, so using a fruitful project as a springboard is key.

This is a league that is driven by stars, and those teams that don't have them are left behind, as Flames fans know all too well.