"It's exciting": Conroy breaks down trade that sent Lindholm from Flames to Canucks

Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy is feeling quite good about yesterday’s trade that sent Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks.

Lindholm, who is set to become a UFA this offseason, was expected to be moved given the position the Flames find themselves in. That deal finally came to fruition last night, as the Flames moved him to the Canucks in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a first-round selection in 2024, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024.

Given that Lindholm has had a down season by his standards with nine goals and 32 points, Flames fans are ecstatic about the deal. Safe to say, Conroy is feeling the exact same way.

“It’s exciting for our organization, it’s exciting for their organization,” Conroy said to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg on Flames Talk yesterday. “I’m a little tired right now, to be honest. I didn’t wake up this morning thinking there’d be a trade done, but I definitely felt like the last four days that teams had been pushing, and Vancouver especially. They really wanted to get ahead of this.”

This marks the second deal the Flames have made with the Canucks this season, as Conroy shipped out defenceman Nikita Zadorov in early December in exchange for two picks. Making deals with divisional opponents isn’t typically common, but is something the Flames GM felt comfortable with given the return.

“You’d probably like to do it somewhere else, but in the end, you have to do the best deal for the team,” Conroy explained. “I feel like we were looking for three or four assets, and to be able to get five out of it was special.”

🔥 The #Flames first domino has fallen…

🗣 #Flames GM Craig Conroy joined @Fan960Steinberg and @Fan960Logan to chat about the process that sent Elias Lindholm to the #Canucks

🎧⤵https://t.co/YEEeG5QphH pic.twitter.com/sBXBlNfqzG

— Sportsnet 960 (@Sportsnet960) February 1, 2024

With one move out of the way, the shift for the Flames now turns to Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin, who are also set to become UFAs this offseason. There are reportedly over 10 teams showing interest in Tanev, indicating that the Flames will have little problem adding even more assets to what is suddenly becoming a very bright future.

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