How Conroy should approach trade deadline for Calgary Flames
As the NHL trade deadline approaches, the Calgary Flames are at a crossroads—sitting on the playoff bubble and looking to make adjustments to stay in contention,
They’ve already made one big trade to date, bringing Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee in a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers that saw Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and two picks moved out.
General manager Craig Conroy has maintained that he isn’t looking to mortgage the future on this season, which suggests he won’t be going after any pricey rentals. That said, adding some players with long-term deals, or perhaps some cheap depth options that wouldn’t hurt the long-term future, isn’t out of the question.
As impressive as the Flames have been this season, there are some clear flaws on their roster that, if not addressed, could result in them missing the playoffs. Conroy certainly realizes this and may wind up pulling the trigger on a move or two to help give a boost to this group, which has battled their tails off through 53 games.
The fourth line needs to be addressed
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One of the most glaring issues with this team right now is its fourth line. They are getting dominated in terms of possession night in and night out despite being given extremely limited ice time. That in itself is a concern, as it’s forced head coach Ryan Huska to rely heavily on his top three lines.
“They were on the ice for a goal against, and I thought they were spending a little bit too much time in our own zone,” a frustrated Huska said following Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “That’s impacted their ice time.”
Connor Zary being out with an injury has hurt the Flames a tonne. Huska has tried out several players in a fourth-line role, most recently Clark Bishop and Adam Klapka. Neither has had much impact, while Kevin Rooney has struggled immensely.
Adding a fourth-line player, preferably a centreman, is a move that Conroy may look to make ahead of the deadline, given that it likely wouldn’t come at a major cost. There are plenty available who would be an upgrade over their current situation.
The other option to address this issue is internally. They’re attempting to do that again, as they called up Dryden Hunt this morning. While Hunt is a player who may help, he plays on the wing, meaning a centre could still be of use.
As for internal solutions down the middle, Sam Morton may be the best option remaining. The 25-year-old has 13 goals and 31 points in 45 games in his rookie season with the Wranglers.
Will Solovyov be the missing piece?
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The Flames blue line, one which was heavily questioned entering the season, has been exposed as of late with Kevin Bahl out of the lineup. Not only have Jake Bean and Tyson Barrie’s minutes increased dramatically, but they’ve also been forced to go with four right-handed blueliners on a nightly basis.
This injury to Bahl has made it evident that the Flames could use some depth on the back end in the form of a left-handed shot. They’re attempting to address that situation from within, as they recalled Ilya Solovyov from the AHL on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, primarily a shutdown defenceman, has six goals and 21 points in 41 games with the Calgary Wranglers this season.
If Solovyov struggles, it will be interesting to see if Conroy scans the trade market for a cheap, depth defenceman. He won’t be bringing anyone back who has a term remaining, but a pending UFA who could jump in the lineup and hold his own in case of other injuries may be worth adding.
Dustin Wolf needs a reliable backup
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While Dan Vladar was very solid on Sunday versus the Seattle Kraken, performances like that have been few and far between for the 27-year-old. Through a combined 92 games with the Flames over the past four seasons, he owns a 3.06 GAA and a .893 SV%.
After starting out the season in an evenly split tandem, rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf has taken over the number-one duties as he’s been giving this team a far better chance to win on a nightly basis. He’s lived up to the task thus far, but giving him a more reliable backup option to nab a few more starts moving forward would be beneficial.
The Flames won’t be trading for a goalie but could look to solve this problem internally.
Devin Cooley, who was signed to a two-year contract as a free agent this past offseason, has excelled in the AHL with a 2.24 GAA and a .928 SV% through 28 appearances. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them give him an opportunity as Wolf’s backup, as Vladar is a pending UFA who they are not likely to bring back.
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