Why bringing Mark Giordano back to the Calgary Flames might not be the best decision.
When Francis questioned Winter about Giordano and the Flames, this is what she had to say: “Look, I really believe the Calgary Flames started to fall apart when Brad Treliving refused to protect his captain,” was my pitch to them. And that, in my opinion, was important because, when you spoke with the players, the room changed.
Gio didn’t go out for his pre-game skate, so nobody went. Everyone didn’t appear to be as focused as they were when Gio was around. Being somewhat romantic, I reasoned that there might be a perfect chance for them to bring the three captains Conny, Jarome, and Gio back together in a management team if Gio returned, mentored the kids, and got to know them well from within the locker room before possibly making the move into management with a thorough understanding of these players’ strengths and weaknesses.
That would indicate something about Calgary, which is exciting. You would go to that team and anticipate being dealt by the trade deadline. We didn’t really press it very hard, and Craig Conroy didn’t seem to be very interested in it either.
It’s important to remember that the Flames had the option to protect three defensemen before the Seattle expansion draft, and they chose to select Giordano over Rasmus Andersson, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin. Giordano was eventually claimed by Seattle, where he captained the team for a while until being dealt to Toronto.
Before selecting Mikael Backlund as their new captain ahead of the 2023–24 season, the Flames went two seasons without having a captain in place other than Giordano.
Giordano played in just 46 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs the previous season, mostly because of injuries, but he finished with nine points in those games. He didn’t wear playoff gear. He played a small role, but according to Evolving-Hockey, he was good on both the offensive and defensive ends of the rink in terms of Goals Above Replacement.
Being in the black on both sides of the rink for a player who turned 40 before the season started is very good, but his 3.9 GAR is the lowest he’s had since 2008–09, according to the first year data that is available. Still, if Giordano caught on, where would he theoretically slot in with the Flames?
At his age, you definitely can’t rely on Giordano as much as you can on MacKenzie Weegar or Rasmus Andersson. We don’t mean to pick on anyone for sticking in the NHL for as long as he has. Giordano, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, Kevin Bahl, Brayden Pachal, Ilya Solovyov, and (assuming his PTO becomes official) Tyson Barrie would therefore probably be included in that secondary mix. This puts seven guys in a group I’m going to refer to as “Where does this guy fit into our plans?”
In his interview, Winter stated unequivocally that the Flames have little chance of qualifying for the postseason this year. This season’s decisions must be made with the goal of elevating the team to a contender status in a few years, Given that they are in the midst of a rebuild, call it what you will. They must be taking a long-term approach. In one month, Giordano will turn forty-one. The other six participants in the “Where does this guy fit into our plans” group range in age from 24 to 33.
Even though Giordano may assist them on the ice, they should be prioritizing providing younger guys with ice time if they’re thinking long term.
Giordano can be a great player mentor for younger players, I’m sure of it. A number of young players from the Flames’ previous period expressed gratitude to Giordano for his guidance and leadership. Nonetheless, continuity would remain our primary priority.
Winter’s assertion that the Flames were a little off after Giordano left and there was no captain seems credible. If it’s not clear who is taking the lead, losing your uncontested leader can leave a void. It was undoubtedly a little odd in the locker room during the two seasons the Flames played in that condition.
However, now that Backlund has been given captaincy, there appears to be no doubt about his leadership. Would it be possible—even unintentionally—for Giordano, one of the franchise’s longest-tenured leaders, to cloud the team’s leadership identity?
That Giordano is a poor player or that he would storm the room and declare himself the new captain is not what we’re saying. However, players with the gravitas of Giordano—longtime captains and Norris winners—that garner attention both on and off the ice, and considering the Flames’ current developmental stage, backing Backlund in leading the way and fostering the development of emerging leaders like Weegar and Andersson might have a greater long-term impact than having Giordano return for two-thirds of a season.
For now, the Flames need to focus only on the big picture. And from a long-term planning standpoint, Giordano’s return doesn’t seem appropriate.