November 8, 2024

Through tumultuous season, Flames GM Craig Conroy has stuck to plan

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Conroy was as clear as a GM is ever going to be about his approach: He wanted to get guys re-signed, but if they weren’t signed by the trade deadline, they’d be moved

Published Mar 06, 2024  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  4 minute read

Craig ConroyCalgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy speaks at a press conference in Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Photo by Azin Ghaffari /PostmediaArticle content

In a lot of ways, the last nine-and-a-half months have all been leading to these next two days.

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    When Craig Conroy was hired as the Calgary Flames’ general manager back on May 23, 2023, he spoke candidly about the challenges facing the organization and how he intended to tackle them.

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    In his introductory press conference, he acknowledged that having seven key players potentially become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2024 was untenable and that decisions would have to be made both by the players and the team about how to move forward.

    But he also made clear that he’d learned from the way former GM Brad Treliving had lost Johnny Gaudreau for nothing. Conroy had no intention of letting something similar happen again.

    With Wednesday night’s trade of Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights, it’s clear the Conroy meant what he said.

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    “As far as Johnny leaving, I think it was a little bit of a learning thing for me,” Conroy acknowledged. “I was hoping Johnny was going to come back. I thought Johnny was going to come back, but I don’t think I would allow that to happen again.

    “You think, ‘Uh-oh, you just lost an asset and one of your best players of all time and you didn’t get anything for him.’ “

    And with that, the stage was set for nearly 10 months of rumour and speculation surrounding the team. Conroy was as clear as a GM is ever going to be about his approach: He wanted to get guys re-signed, but if they weren’t signed by the trade deadline, they’d be moved.

    Now, the trade deadline is Friday at 1 p.m.

    And nobody can say Conroy hasn’t been good to his word.

    Mikael Backlund re-signed and was named captain and five of the seven prominent soon-to-be unrestricted free agents are already gone.

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    Only Oliver Kylington remains un-signed, and that seems like something everyone is confident about getting done when the time is right.

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  • Calgary Flames defenceman Noah Hanifin during warmups before taking on the Seattle Kraken in NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Monday, March 4, 2024.

    Flames trade Noah Hanifin to Vegas Golden Knights

  • Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom is scored on by Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann.

    Margins getting thinner for Flames as NHL trade deadline looms

  • Tyler Toffoli was flipped before last year’s draft, with the Flames getting Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick from the New Jersey Devils.

    After Nikita Zadorov’s agent went public with a trade request, Conroy shipped the big defenceman to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round draft pick and a third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

    Elias Lindholm wasn’t re-signing, so he joined Zadorov in Vancouver, with the Canucks giving up winger Andrei Kuzmenko, defensive prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick and a conditional fourth-rounder in this summer’s draft.

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    Chris Tanev wanted the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup and didn’t think that was going to happen in Calgary. Conroy traded him to the Dallas Stars last week, getting defensive prospect Artem Grushnikov, the Stars’ second-round pick in 2024 and a conditional third-rounder in 2026.

    Then, on Wednesday night, it was Hanifin who was moved to the Golden Knights for defenceman Daniil Miromanov, a first-round pick and a third-rounder that becomes a second if Vegas wins a playoff round.

    Calgary Flames Noah Hanifin Calgary Flames Noah Hanifin during warmups before taking on the Seattle Kraken at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Monday, March 4, 2024. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

    Now, Conroy’s transformation of the Flames is largely complete. There are still going to be lingering questions about the future of Jacob Markstrom and maybe even Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri, two guys in their 30s who might very well prefer to spend the next few years playing for a real contender.

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    But the big questions on Day 1 of Conroy’s tenure as GM were about a few things, primarily. He needed to hire a head coach, and the Flames promoted Ryan Huska, who has done a nice job managing a team that could have easily been derailed by all the off-ice distractions.

    Conroy was asked about the free agents, as well, and he’s stayed true to his promise to either get guys re-signed or move them in trades regardless of whether the Flames were contending for a playoff spot like they are today.

    And Conroy made another promise, too.

    “We’re going to change the core a little bit, not the core pieces, but I think we’re going to add some youth into the lineup,” Conroy said. “My big thing has been drafting, watching players, and what I’ve watched and learned is you need young players in the team. You need excitement and what they bring day in and day out.”

    Younger? Yeah, the Flames have definitely gotten younger. Conroy’s traded for young players and draft assets while the coaching staff has given the likes of Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil lots of opportunities in important situations.

    Connor Zary Connor Zary #47 of the Calgary Flames celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period of an NHL game at the Scotiabank Saddledome on December 16, 2023 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Derek Leung/Getty Images

    Has it all gone perfectly? No, of course not. Things never go perfectly.

    But if anyone wants proof that Conroy’s stuck to a plan they only need to go back and look at the press conference on the day he was hired.

    He’s done exactly what he said he was going to do.

    daustin@postmedia.com

    X: @DannyAustin_9

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