Dave Lozo's Bag Skate: Saying Goodbye to the Playoff Hopes of the Calgary Flames

We are gathered here today to fondly remember the 2014-15 Calgary Flames. No, this is not a sad day, for they would want not us to cry for them. They would want us to celebrate them.

We all knew from the drop of the puck that their demise was inevitable. Doomed from the outset by a lack of talent, we knew this day would come.

But in the famous words of the computer hacker Switch in The Matrix...not like this. Not like this.

The death of Mark Giordano's season was a catastrophic blow to the Flames. He was the heart, brains, liver and every other vital organ of the team. The Flames were on life support, their pulse weakening, their life-force draining with each passing day. No one wanted to see the Flames go out so swiftly.

At least, not like this.

The passing of the Flames was not unlike what happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. Low expectations, a hot start, continued success in the face of horrendous possession numbers, success based on unsustainable numbers, the continuous dread that the rug would be pulled out at any point. Then an injury to Jonathan Bernier compounded the failures of the vital signs of the Leafs, resulting in an untimely end.

Gerry Thomas/Getty Images

Now Toronto is a hockey wasteland, the joy of those first 60-plus games of 2013-14 wiped from memory.

Is this Calgary's fate? As Giordano readies for biceps surgery, will this be the legacy of these unexpectedly delightful 60-plus games of 2014-15?

Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan alone make this a blessed season, one that should not be cried over. Then there's Sam Bennett marinating in the minors, recovering from shoulder surgery but ready to make an impact in 2015-16. T.J. Brodie, Giordano's running partner and one of the most unappreciated elite defensemen in the league, isn't going anywhere.

Joe Colborne, cast aside by the Leafs, looks like he has a future. There are enough secondary parts to build around the young core that while the first 60 games of this season were about as fluky as this Brodie goal that won a game in overtime, this is not a sad day.

Are there some questions about the defenders behind Giordano and Brodie? Oh sure. Is it worrisome that Jonas Hiller, signed for one more season, has been losing playing time to Karri Ramo? You bet.

But with around $20 million in salary-cap space for next season, general manager Brad Treliving can address those needs. This season need not have died in vain.

We'd be remiss to not mention why we are standing in front of this orange and red casket with most of Alberta weeping about a sixth consecutive postseason absence. This season would want us to be honest about that.

The Flames are 28th in unblocked shot attempt percentage (45.7), a vexing number when you consider it was two points better last season. In three seasons under coach Bob Hartley, the Flames' unblocked shot attempt percentages have gone from 47.7 to 47.5 to 46.7, a troubling trend if you believe the Flames have improved talent-wise over that time.

Hartley signed a multiyear extension in December.

The Flames will likely have less than a two percent chance of winning the draft lottery, which in a way is a shame for the franchise; if the Flames hadn't thrived on luck, comebacks and breaks, they'd have been one of the few teams that could've gone from also-rans to the playoffs in one season with Connor McDavid in the fold.

Let us not mourn too long for the Flames, for this is probably the most fun fans have had in years. 

This ending was inevitable, but the fun could've lasted a few more weeks.

Value of First-Round Picks

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Dating to the Penguins getting David Perron from the Oilers in January, seven first-round picks have changed hands this season. The value of the picks, some conditional, is impossible to pinpoint at the time of their respective deals. Some are later in the first round than others, too, making it more difficult for them to land long-term NHL talent.

We won't know for years how these picks will pan out. 

In 2006-07, 11 first-rounders were used to land the likes of Craig Conroy, Mattias Nordstrom, Ladislav Smid Dainius Zubrus and Shane O'Brien in trades. How did those picks pan out?

In 2007, those first-round picks became Alex Plante (15th), Nick Petrecki (28th), Max Pacioretty (22nd), Mikael Backlund (24th), Colton Gillies (16th), Jonathon Blum (23rd), Riley Nash (21st), Ian Cole (18th) and, coincidentally, Perron (26th).

In 2008, one more pick was used: Viktor Tikhonov went 28th. 

Pacioretty and Perron are the standout names on that list while Backlund and Cole have become quality players. That's about one out of every three first-round picks, all mid- to late picks, turning into something substantial. 

It's anecdotal, of course, as the quality of draft classes are different. It's just something to keep in mind about all the first-rounders, which will be mid- to late picks, swapped this season.

Who Is Connor McDavid-ing This Week?

Bill Wippert/Getty Images

The tank battle for Connor McDavid will be quite the scene this season as teams stumble over each other to finish last in the standings, thus guaranteeing either McDavid or future American hero Jack Eichel.

30. Buffalo Sabres (19-39-5, 43 points): Tanking is one thing; the Sabres are doing something beyond tanking now. Hyper-tanking? Super-tanking? They were expected to deal pending unrestricted free agents at the deadline, but Michal Neuvirth? A very good, young goaltender with a .918 save percentage this season? Good luck sinking below a team starting Anders Lindback and Chad Johnson the rest of the way.

29. Edmonton Oilers (18-35-10, 46 points): The Oilers aren't even tanking at this point; they are just doing what comes natural. It's hard to make a case they are unintentionally/intentionally trying to lose; it seems like they are just losing. Four of their next five games are against Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Pittsburgh, so hope is not lost for 30th place.

28. Arizona Coyotes (20-36-7, 47 points): They have lost nine straight in regulation and parted ways with Keith Yandle at the deadline, acquiring zero assets that can help between now and the end of the season. The race to last is by far the most interesting thing to happen to the NHL regular season in at least a decade.

Goal of the Week

Let's watch Jaromir Jagr score a goal for the Panthers, a team that did not exist when he made his NHL debut in 1990. 

Jagr forever.

Questions and Answers

Got a question? Tweet me @davelozo or email me at [e-mail], but please don't call before 9 a.m. I will answer any of your questions about hockey or whatever if it's a good question.

If we're being honest, this question scared me back at the beginning of the season. I thought, if I do a radio interview and someone asked me that question, I'd have no idea who to say. I'd say, "The third pick is likely to be Tarnblom Knifebottom of Saule St. La Lac," then hang up and throw my phone in the river.

I don't know a thing about any kid playing junior/college hockey other than what junior/college hockey experts say. I'm not looking to pretend I know this stuff because I don't. I could've told you Vince Young would be a bad NFL quarterback before he was drafted because I watch college football. Here, I'm not equipped.

Just about every draft board has Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin going third. It's hard to argue, but just about everyone has center Dylan Strome of the Erie Otters, Connor McDavid's team, going fourth or fifth.

I don't know how badly the Coyotes need a defenseman, as they have a lot of good young ones about to get their chance, but if Hanifin is truly the best defenseman available, I'm taking him. That's my secondarily informed guess.

Nothing. Run your team as you see fit within the rules. No matter how the league adjusts percentages, teams will weigh them the same way they are now and tanking will still be a viable option. Tanking is cool and so are you!

"

@DaveLozo Which move at the deadline impressed you the most and which left you scratching your head?

— Jason Broadwell (@JBinthe813) March 2, 2015"

Assuming this isn't a shot at my dry skin problem right now, the best move and head-scratcher was David Clarkson for Nathan Horton. Great job by Toronto. Head-scratcher for Columbus.

For Toronto, the explanation is easy: They got rid of a bad player making a lot of money for a very long time and in return got a player with a really sad medical condition that can be placed on long-term injured reserve. The Leafs are still paying around $5 million per season to a player, but they gain cap space.

For Columbus, I simply don't get the notion of "We can't afford to pay a guy not to play." But you can afford to pay Clarkson to play? He's downright not good. I question whether he's actually an NHL player at this point, never mind over the life of the contract. I feel like the Blue Jackets have lost their way in the past year or so.

"

@DaveLozo with Giordano's injury, who becomes the frontrunner in the Noris Trophy race?

— Mathieu Szabo (@matszabqc) March 2, 2015"

It was between Drew Doughty and Mark Giordano for me, so my vote is probably going to Doughty. He's lugged the Kings' depleted defense on his back all season, faces the toughest the other team has to offer on almost every shift, dominates possession, leads the league in ice time and is in the top 20 in scoring. It's not even close for me.

Some people will tell you it's Shea Weber, but they are wrong. Listen to me. I am correct.

All statistics via NHL.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com. Cap information via Spotrac.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.