The Calgary Flames currently rank second-last in the NHL, as the team has a real chance of acquiring a high draft pick in 2026. With that being said, when it comes to the Flames, there’s always a fear among the fanbase that the team ends up overperforming just to barely miss the playoffs, or in other words, ending up in the dreaded mushy middle.

That’s exactly what happened last season. While last year’s team certainly overachieved, they couldn’t cross the finish line and ended up missing the playoffs by a smidge. A major part of their success last season was Dustin Wolf, as he was undoubtedly the reason why they were even in the playoff conversation

This season, it’s been another story. Wolf has not been able to lead the team to wins nearly as much, resulting in the Flames’ poor start. However, as of recently, Wolf has begun to find his stride again. If that continues to happen, what could that mean for the Flames for the rest of this season?

Wolf has begun to find his game again

It was a miserable start to the season for Wolf. He lost five out of his first six starts, averaging a 0.856 save percentage. While the team in general was awful, Wolf was not keeping pucks out of the net in order to carry the team to wins.

However, recently, it’s been a different story. Wolf has won his last four starts, as he’s been looking more like himself from last season, averaging a 0.945 save percentage. While it’s nice to see Wolf get back on his feet, questions arise whether his strong play will determine the rest of the Flames’ season and the trajectory they’re headed towards.

Flames are still at the bottom of the league

Despite Wolf’s recent play, the Flames remain in the basement of the league. However, with how tight the standings are, a couple of wins strung together could very well change that. Is that in the best interest of the Flames, though?

It’s no secret that the tank has been embraced heavily by the fanbase over these past few seasons. With the poor start the Flames have had, fans saw it as the perfect opportunity for the team to get the chance to draft a potentially generational player.

There is a real possibility that the Flames indeed get a high pick, but anything can happen. Given the history of this team, a couple of hot streaks and the team will find themselves within arm’s reach of a playoff spot. Ups and downs have been the story of the Flames ever since their existence, which leads to the dreaded result: mediocrity.

Do the Flames risk experiencing mediocrity once again?

A common comparison I’ve seen regarding the Flames is the Carey Price era Montreal Canadiens, a team that had a star goalie but a mediocre team in front of him. I personally find that comparison quite accurate if the Flames don’t draft a gamebreaker within the next two drafts.

The franchise has always embraced mediocrity, and fans are sick of it. Fan apathy among the fanbase is increasing, and if the Flames continue their mediocre ways, they’ll lose fans fast. Luckily, when it comes to this season, the Flames are still one of the worst teams in the NHL despite having a few good recent stretches. Wolf frankly hasn’t been able to drag the team as much as he did last season (although there is quite a bit of season left).

The worst thing the Flames can do this season is to just ride things out and not be active on the trade front. The team should have the goal of continuing to sell off veteran players for future assets to embrace the tank. If they ride things out like they did last year, mediocrity very well could be in the cards, and I don’t know how many more fans will tolerate another season getting a mid-round draft pick.

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