Conroy’s first two trades as Flames GM have been underwhelming
While it is far too early into his GM tenure to begin worrying, Craig Conroy’s first two trades for the Calgary Flames have been disappointing.
Yesterday, Conroy chose to trade defenceman Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks. The decision to do so was more than reasonable, as the 28-year-old is a pending UFA and recently requested to be moved. The issue that many have with it, however, is the underwhelming return.
Coming back for Zadorov is a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2026. With all the interest that was said to be there from several teams regarding the 6-foot-6 defenceman, most expected the return to be far more valuable.
To Conroy’s credit, he moved Zadorov without retaining any salary, which he mentioned was a big part of why he agreed to the trade. Cap space is extremely important in today’s NHL, and may help explain why the return seemed so minimal. That said, this is the second deal Conroy has made during his short time as GM that has felt underwhelming.
The first came this offseason, when he chose to trade Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils. Toffoli, who led the Flames in scoring last season with 73 points, was dealt in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick, with which the Flames selected Aydar Suniev.
With the Devils, Sharangovich was looked at as a skilled but inconsistent winger, one who could go stretches without making much of an impact. The change in scenery has done little to change that, as he has just five goals and 10 points through 23 games. Meanwhile, Toffoli has a team-leading 12 goals for the Devils and sits third in points with 21.
In Conroy’s defence, he entered a very difficult position when taking over as the Flames GM. After a disappointing 2022-23 season, the team morale was down drastically, with several players reportedly wanting out. Things have improved from that perspective, though Conroy is expected to still have to make some moves in the coming months with his other pending UFAs. Whether fair or not, critics will be out in full force if his next move is one that the mass once again sees as underwhelming.
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