4 moves Conroy has made to reshape the Calgary Flames
He hasn’t even been in the role for a year, but Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy is quickly putting his fingerprint on this team.
After years of mediocrity due to management doing the same things over and over, Conroy has come in with a much different strategy. It may not be the full-blown rebuild that some fans were hoping for, but there has been a major emphasis on retooling by bringing in much younger players.
That philosophy has held true in all four of Conroy’s trades so far, as he has stockpiled young NHL players, prospects, and picks in exchange for several of his players with expiring contracts.
Through his first nine and a half months on the job, Conroy has moved out Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, and Chris Tanev. In return, he has received Yegor Sharangovich, Andrei Kuzmenko, a third-round pick in 2023, a first, second, fifth, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024, and a third and conditional third-round pick in 2026. He’s also acquired three prospects in Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, and Artem Grushnikov.
Since Craig Conroy has been named GM of the @NHLFlames in May 2023, he's been a very busy man.
He's trying to do a retool on the fly, not an easy task, and your margin of error is very small…
Good luck to him and the Flames !!! 🟥⬜️🟥⬜️ pic.twitter.com/IUHXmRJlg2
— THE CAYDEN LINDSTROM FAN CLUB (@German_Diver) February 29, 2024
So far, so good in regards to Conroy’s goal of building toward the future. He isn’t done just yet, either.
The trade deadline is less than two full days away, and the Flames are expected to get in on the fun. Noah Hanifin, who is set to become a UFA this summer, is a near guarantee to be moved and is said to have plenty of suitors. Teams including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings have all reportedly expressed interest in the 27-year-old.
Given all the interest, Conroy should be able to add even more assets, whether it be picks, prospects, or a roster player, that will further help contribute to the Flames’ future. That future could be built upon even further in the offseason, as it appears likely at this time that Jacob Markstrom will be wearing a different jersey come the 2024-25 campaign.
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