Calgary Flames
Hockey Insider Grades Both Oilers vs Flames With an “F”
Both the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames have had disappointing starts. Which team has been the most disappointing?
Both of the NHL’s Alberta teams, the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, are facing disappointing starts to the 2023-24 NHL season. Their play is so disappointing that hockey insider Frank Seravalli’s recent report card failed both teams. Solid “F(s)” was his grade.
In the post below, I’ll share what he says about the teams and why he believes they both fail for their seasons – at least so far.
Team One: The Edmonton Oilers Failed Season’s Expectations
The Oilers entered the season with high expectations. In fact, “smart” betting money believed they were one of the NHL’s top Stanley Cup contenders. In Edmonton, the phrase was “Cup or bust” – they were seen as that good of a team. However, their performance has been far from satisfactory.
Seravalli believes that some of the Oilers’ struggles can be attributed to bad luck. Their expected goals-for at five-on-five play is ranked first in the league. That indicates that they’ve been creating scoring opportunities. Surprisingly, they cannot convert them.

On the flip side, their 31st-place ranking in save percentage indicates that their goaltenders are not been performing up to par. It’s simple, the team needs better goaltending to win. If you can’t score the puck, you better keep it out of your own net.
Overall, the Oilers have underperformed. For their fans (as well as for their top-flight stars), the season has to be a huge disappointment given all the preseason hype.
Related: Oilers Get Season’s 2nd Win: Does This Make Things Okay?
Team Two: The Calgary Flames Were So Upbeat to Begin the Season
Considering that the Calgary Flames were so upbeat to start their season, now that (ironically) no-nonsense coach Darryl Sutter is back on his Alberta farm, the Flames just didn’t translate these good feelings into reality on the ice. They have also had a subpar start to the season, and their poor performances have been perplexing.
Sadly, while Jacob Markstrom has stood out as their best player in the early going, the team has little to show for his solid play. The Flames’ top stars have struggled to deliver consistent production. The team just doesn’t score.

The common ground between the Oilers and Flames has been their lack of effort. Why do both teams seem to be dialing it in? Their level of “compete” hasn’t been up to regular standards. That fact, in itself, is a cause for concern.
The Flames particularly have faced challenges in finding their stride and have performed below expectations.
The Flames and the Oilers Have Disappointed in Different Ways
Comparing the two teams, Seravalli believes that both the Oilers and the Flames have disappointed in different ways. The Oilers were expected to compete for the Stanley Cup but have been hindered by goaltending issues. The Flames, on the other hand, have failed to capitalize on strong performances by players like Markstrom.
According to Seravalli, it’s challenging to definitively say which team is more disappointing. Right now, as both teams enter their second set of ten games, both have fallen short of expectations.
Related: Flames Fans Await Huberdeau’s Return to Peak Performance
