It's obvious now, the Flames should be in rebuild mode. And the model to go off of is one that's already proving to be working. It's also from the same city that is the inspiration of the brand new Scotia Place, that's of course from Montreal.
The Canadiens rebuild has occurred over the course of several years, but the years of torment are at an end in Montreal, and the Flames need to embrace the pain for the gain of having a team that can contend for years.
There's some comparisons between the two young cores, with Matthew Coronato, Connor Zary, Zayne Parekh, and Matvei Gridin in the same places as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Huston a few years ago. The missing piece is a centre, and unfortunately the number one prospect happens to be a winger.
While the prospect of getting a potential generational talent in Gavin McKenna is tempting beyond belief, it's not what the Flames really need. That is unless the first round pick in 2025, Cole Reschny, proves to be a first line centre capable of scoring close to 90 points a season consistently.
The Canadiens way
The way the Canadiens created their good fortune was by playing their young players as early as possible, with the right coach, and just letting them play their game and letting them grow together in the insanity that is the National Hockey League. Now the Canadiens are in position to make the playoffs and possibly contend for the Stanley Cup for years to come.
For some, the thought of playing young future stars at the NHL level has the potential to destroy their confidence. If you have the right coach, and the message to the fans is one of, yes there will be pain but, give us a few years and we'll show you what we can be, then the effects of playing in a Canadian market that has been waiting for another championship for almost 37 years, would be mitigated.
At some point the direction needs to change, it's time to wave the white flag on this dismal season so far, and try and get a pick that is worthy of this insane fanbase that loves this team. It's time for the rebuild, it's time for a top three pick, it's time for something to change. The way to build a champion in this age of the NHL is through the draft. Now is the time for ownership to accept fate, and build a contender, just like the Canadiens.