The Calgary Flames surprised many in the hockey world by putting up 96 points. Many thought they would be a bottom-10 team in the league, but the team found a way to fight for a playoff spot all the way until game 81 of the year. There’s no doubt that the Flames found unexpected success this year, but this success should not stop them from following through on the long-term goal of building a sustainable contending roster. The team still has many holes, and the biggest mistake the franchise can make is trying to fast-track its rebuild. Below are the three things the team needs to focus on if they want to see themselves making deep runs in the NHL playoffs in the future. Number one centre Practically every Stanley Cup-contending team has these three players: An elite number one centre. An elite defenceman. An elite goaltender. This is the big three for every NHL team that has aspirations for a Stanley Cup. This is foundational, and the rest of the team is built around these three pieces. The Flames have their elite goaltender in Dustin Wolf, and they probably have their elite defenceman in Zayne Parekh once he develops. The question for the Flames is: who will be their number one centre? This is their major missing piece, and it contributes to the two other areas I mention later on in this post. The easiest way to obtain this centre is through the draft. In a perfect scenario, the Flames somehow end up with the number one pick in next year’s draft and select Gavin McKenna, and Flames fans are dancing in the streets. However, in a more realistic scenario, if the Flames can get themselves a top 10 pick, they have a good chance of finding their next elite centre. Other ways to acquire a top centre However, knowing the Flames, a top 10 pick may be out of the question. Therefore, the Flames will either need to: Find amazing value in the draft and find their number one centre with a later pick. Trade for a number one centre. Offer sheet for a number one centre. The Flames had a great draft in 2024, and if they keep that up in future years, this rebuild will be a lot shorter than expected. However, even with great drafting, finding a number one centre is incredibly hard. It’s not impossible, but it is also not likely. Can the Flames trade for a number one centre? Technically yes. There are rumours that Elias Pettersson in Vancouver is available. If the Flames believe that Petterson can find his game again and that they have the assets, they should absolutely pursue this trade. Though I find it unlikely that the Vancouver Canucks will trade him to the Flames as they are in the same division. If they do, Calgary will have to pay a premium. = Marco Rossi is also an intriguing option for the Flames if they can secure him in a trade. He is a player who has the ability to develop into a number one centre. Conroy should be working the phones with Minnesota to gauge the price for his services. However, in the end, it is a rare occurrence in the league for a number one centre to be available through a trade. Offer sheeting is also an option, though it is very costly. Firstly, depending on the contract offered, it would likely cost the Flames multiple first-round picks. Secondly, the player’s original team would likely match the offer sheet, as number one centres are hard to come by. Long story short, a number one centre is a difficult find, but the Flames need to find a way to secure their future number one centre if they want a chance at a Stanley Cup. Who are your future core pieces? The Flames also need to decide who the team’s untouchable core players are. Dustin Wolf is a lock, Zayne Parekh is also likely a lock, but after that, it gets a little cloudy. Do Coronato and Zary make the cut? As of right now, I would say yes. But again, if the Flames find their elite number one centre, one of those two likely moves from untouchable to players that they would move for a great price. It is also possible that one of their 2024 draft picks moves their way up to a core piece. Could it be one of Henry Mews, Jacob Battaglia, Matvei Gridin, or Andrew Basha? Although they all project to be great players, none of them projects to be elite. Of course, time will truly tell if one of them becomes elite, but the most likely scenario is that they just become good complementary pieces. If the Flames find themselves a number one centre, they just found their third core piece. What type of team do the Flames want to be? The Flames also need to decide what type of team they want to identify as. Will they be like the Carolina Hurricanes, where they prioritize defensive excellence and use that to generate their offensive chances? Or do they want to be more of an offensive powerhouse like the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs and rely on capitalizing on elite offensive talent on their roster? Of course, the play style of the team’s top players, specifically their core pieces, will factor into this decision. The other area that will factor into this is the coach the team chooses. I’m not sure what type of team the Flames want to be like if they become Stanley Cup contenders, but with Zayne Parekh in your lineup, it’s hard to think that the Flames wouldn’t want to be more offensive than defensive. Either way, once the Flames decide what they want their play style to be like and what would suit their players best, they would need to decide which coach fits that style best. Will it still be Ryan Huska? Or will it be someone else down the line? Unanswered questions These are all unaddressed areas for the Flames, and these questions don’t get answered in the short term. It will take some time for the Flames to figure out all these areas, but the main point is that they need to have a plan to address them. The worst thing they could do is think they are closer to contention than they actually are because of their unexpected success this season. Don’t get me wrong, celebrate the fact that the team fought through adversity and proved doubters wrong. But the best way to reward the roster for this performance is to invest in a plan that helps the franchise become a Stanley Cup contender for many years.