Speculation: Armchair GM 2024-25 Season, Craig Conroy's Can Do Calgary Flames

[Some Other Flame]

With regards to Kakko, Chris Drury is a hilarious awful GM. Pretty obvious he didn't shop around. Much like the Buchnevich for Blais+2nd deal, Drury seems to have bad tunnel vision and was seemingly focused on either Borgen only, or for a shutdown type defenceman. For the Flames, that's either Bahl or Pachel. The former is LHS and I doubt Conroy's willing to move him while the latter doesn't have much perceived value at all.

 

[Volica]

This team needs to do everything in their power to package their two 1sts and move up in the draft this year. It looks like we're handing over our highest pick to Montreal this year

It's wild because a 3-4 game losing streak would have us using this pick, on the flip side a win streak would put us neck and neck with Colorado for the 1st wildcard spot.

It's worth remembering that around this time last year we were also sitting in the same spot (8/9 in the West).

Feels different this year though. Last year we were all expecting the rug to get pulled, because we had a bunch of guys who didn't want to play here anymore and knew we were going to drop another 3-4 players before the deadline. This year it feels like it's one of those 'it's the worst it can get', really unless Wolf hits a fatigue wall or deals with some injuries... this team is what it is. It'll win 2/3 of every Wolf start, and 1 of 3 of every Vladar start.

Calgary is 14th in the NHL on PTS%, which is something I don't think anyone could have predicted.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

This organization is backwards. If the vets want to add, then be a top ten team.
28 teams could still make the playoffs. The gulf between us and teams like Vegas, Winnipeg and LA is huge.

Signing a number 3 defencemen like Rasmus from 30-37 at 9 million a year is the kind of move that keeps you in the 10-12 place in the west year after year. He’s a valuable asset and should be cashed in.

Last year I wanted to target Kulich, who is on the verge of breaking out. This year Cal Ritchie. Those are realistic trades but we are so focused on squeaking into the playoffs and things will never change with this organization.

Time to be progressive; but we won’t be.

 

[HighLifeMan]

To be fair, I don't think Rasmus has a leg to stand on to ask for 9M a season, and if that's the number, he has zero desire to be here.

The Hanifin/Theodore contracts should be the absolute top end of what he gets based on his last two seasons.

 

[Volica]

This organization is backwards. If the vets want to add, then be a top ten team.
28 teams could still make the playoffs. The gulf between us and teams like Vegas, Winnipeg and LA is huge.

Signing a number 3 defencemen like Rasmus from 30-37 at 9 million a year is the kind of move that keeps you in the 10-12 place in the west year after year. He’s a valuable asset and should be cashed in.

Last year I wanted to target Kulich, who is on the verge of breaking out. This year Cal Ritchie. Those are realistic trades but we are so focused on squeaking into the playoffs and things will never change with this organization.

Time to be progressive; but we won’t be.

I honestly don't think, based on the moves from last season and the deals with made this summer, that Conroy or any of the management staff had any thoughts of this team being a playoff or playoff bubble team. Like, there's just no way. Down the stretch after all the trades, Calgary was pacing as a bottom 5 team, and I think most people projected us going the same route this year.

I'm also of the mindset that someone like Andersson doesn't tip us one way or another. If there are teams out there looking to do something stupid, you have to entertain it... but I mean, what is the actual likelihood that a team would drop their best prospect in an Andersson deal? I think he trends more as to the standard '1st + B-prospect + long shot/NHL guy with maybe another gear', type deal, in which case... are we really better off? I don't think we drop 10 points from not having Ras.

Like I said before, I feel this team is just in a bad spot. They're supposed to be bad. Their goaltending is making them good. We've scored the 2nd least amount of goals in the entire NHL. The good teams in the league are literally scoring a goal a game more than us They need to make future moves in season. Like, they have to be willing to trade either current roster players or prospects/picks for upside.