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

[MM917]

Connor zary has 39 points in 68 NHL games and has shown very little in his game at any level to get excited about and people are talking about 6 x 6? That is nuts.

Don't you need at least one decent season in the NHL or even AHL to get overpaid anymore?

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Your name means nothing. Perfect for a role where you offer the opposition NOTHING!



What about a 6x6? Balance the risk vs reward.

Nah get him locked up before his value goes up any higher.

Connor zary has 39 points in 68 NHL games and has shown very little in his game at any level to get excited about and people are talking about 6 x 6? That is nuts.

Don't you need at least one decent season in the NHL or even AHL to get overpaid anymore?

75 IQ take

 

[MM917]

Nah get him locked up before his value goes up any higher.

By that logic lets just overpay anyone we have, LOL

75 IQ take

No its the truth, nothing in my post is a "take" just facts.

 

[Some Other Flame]

What about a 6x6? Balance the risk vs reward.

That'd be the absolute worst choice they could make. Makes him an UFA at 29 right in the midst of the Flames (expected) resurgence. Now they're forced to either re-sign him longterm for maximum dollars to cover the declining years of his career or lose him for nothing in free agency. It's literally what they did with Gaudreau and look how that burnt them.

A 2 or 3 year bridge followed by an 8 year deal is better because at least you've got the potential to keep a key piece for the entirety of their prime. But it's also assiduously poor cap management, which is why it's what the Flames will most likely do. Never seen an organization more resistant to understanding the very basics of cap management than this one.

Smartest thing is just to literally follow the rest of the league and lock up your talent to 8 year deals as soon as possible. Might be a slight overpayment in the first couple of years but it's evened out by having a bargain when it matters the most, i.e., as the Flames are trying to win the cup.

Of course, there's no rush at the moment. Wait and see how the year goes. If he puts up 60+ points, it should be an absolute no brainer to lock him for the full 8 years because even if he doesn't keep getting better, 7-8M is still fair value.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

By that logic lets just overpay anyone we have, LOL



No its the truth, nothing in my post is a "take" just facts.

I'm sure Utah is really regretting that Guenther contract

 

[MM917]

I'm sure Utah is really regretting that Guenther contract

Guenther was a top 10 pick, top level junior player and looked much better in the NHL while being 2 years younger. They probably aren't regretting it at all but it has nothing to do with Zary.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

The wins have been fun & the team looks good, but I fully do not expect to make the playoffs.
This is what I have been worried about since XMas last year. We're going to finish around 12th and end up giving a great pick away. A pick which would have been a great chance to get our biggest need for the longest time. Even more so if we just embraced the tank.
The only add I want to see is a cap dump and pick added.

I just wish we could have used Lindholm, Hanifin & Tanev to have landed a young C
Lundell would have been a great target - look how he's doing with his chance.

We were never getting a young top-6C in the making like Lundell for a rental. That was just a pipe dream.

And I don’t get how people think we didn’t embrace the rebuild. We sold 6 established vets over the past 10ish months and accumulated tons of picks and prospects and completely restocked our cupboard. That is the definition of a rebuild. Sure it’s not a scorched earth tank, but it’s actually pretty close. I can’t even think of another team who sold off 3 top-4 dmen, two top-6 forwards, and a good starting goalie in one calendar year.

We just need to put our assets towards finding one or two top-6 C’s now. But we need to be realistic and understand that legit guys like Lundell aren’t available for rentals. We also can’t play to lose, and we don’t have many more pieces to sell. We just have to be patient now and continue to accumulate picks and prospects, and then eventually use those many picks and prospects as ammo to find those C’s over the next few years. That’s the right way to build a contender imo, and Conroy gets it.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

We were never getting a young top-6C in the making like Lundell for a rental. That was just a pipe dream.

And I don’t get how people think we didn’t embrace the rebuild. We sold 6 established vets over the past 10ish months and accumulated tons of picks and prospects and completely restocked our cupboard. That is the definition of a rebuild. Sure it’s not a scorched earth tank, but it’s actually pretty close. I can’t even think of another team who sold off 3 top-4 dmen, two top-6 forwards, and a good starting goalie in one calendar year.

We just need to put our assets towards finding one or two top-6 C’s now. But we need to be realistic and understand that legit guys like Lundell aren’t available for rentals. We also can’t play to lose, and we don’t have many more pieces to sell. We just have to be patient now and continue to accumulate picks and prospects, and then eventually use those many picks and prospects as ammo to find those C’s over the next few years. That’s the right way to build a contender imo, and Conroy gets it.

So you want to find non legit top 6 centers? Lundell did not have a great year lastyear, and was firmly on the 3rd line. We had all the assets in the world, we could have put a package togther to a team that was up against the cap.
We have to make a deal for a legit future 2nd C at least. Even if it means moving a player, top pick & prospect. Loading up on late 1sts & 2nds is a sure way to continue what we have over the past 20 years.
For once, I'd like to see us send the quantity and get the quality.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I'd like to take a reclamation project on Dylan Cozens ngl.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Connor zary has 39 points in 68 NHL games and has shown very little in his game at any level to get excited about and people are talking about 6 x 6? That is nuts.

Don't you need at least one decent season in the NHL or even AHL to get overpaid anymore?

Look at what 6 million gets you these days. It's not the same NHL anymore, and the cap is only going up more.

Debrusk is an interesting comparable potentially, and he got 5.5. Generally you pay an upside tax, plus calculations for potential cap increase.

 

[Body Checker]

100% healthy this team now has a real shot at the playoffs. Hold the rebuild drama talk please, this comment is just about the current season. Once Shaeangovich back the top 9 is deep minus any superstars. Keep the five guys around for 4th line - Rooney, Kirkland, Coronato, Lomberg, Klapka.

The other move I would like to see is Bean out of the starting lineup. Not really impressed by him. I would like a banger 3rd pairing in Pachal-Grushnikov. Also try Soloylov, Kuznetsov and Poirier. Barrie as the 7th guy in press box.

Then I think we’re rolling.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Time to change up the lines

Coleman-Backlund-Coronato
Huberdeau-Zary-Pospisil
Mantha-Kadri-Kuzmenko

Bahl-Andersson
X-Weegar
X-Pachal

The other two D positions should be open competition between Solo, Poirier, Kuz and Miro. Basically what many of us were saying heading into the season

 

[DomBarr]

This team seems to be doing a ground hog day moment but without the surprise playoff trip.
2015 They traded for Hamilton at the 2015 draft to shore up an identified weakness in their rebuilding/tooling roster.
2024 looking to trade for a young skilled middle 6 right shot center to shore up an identified weakness in their rebuilding/tooling roster.

In both cases the timing is/was premature. To get said center they are going to have to give up high picks and/or top prospects which is the last thing they should be doing for a middle 6 center. This is based on Conroy keeping the best 5 vets (Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Andersson, and Weegar) to build a good environment
If it was like the Eichal trade where it involves a true elite to borderline elite #1 center that fits and Kadri and Backlund are pushed down the depth chart sure.

 

[Kranix]

So you want to find non legit top 6 centers? Lundell did not have a great year lastyear, and was firmly on the 3rd line. We had all the assets in the world, we could have put a package togther to a team that was up against the cap.
We have to make a deal for a legit future 2nd C at least. Even if it means moving a player, top pick & prospect. Loading up on late 1sts & 2nds is a sure way to continue what we have over the past 20 years.
For once, I'd like to see us send the quantity and get the quality.

On a cup winner with Barkov-Bennett down the middle Lundell was 3C. Also finished 4th on the team in playoff scoring. With Barkov out he's a ppg playing 19 mins a night. He's not flashy but he can be a top 6 center. Not that Florida would be trading him.

 

[Figgy44]

This team seems to be doing a ground hog day moment but without the surprise playoff trip.
2015 They traded for Hamilton at the 2015 draft to shore up an identified weakness in their rebuilding/tooling roster.
2024 looking to trade for a young skilled middle 6 right shot center to shore up an identified weakness in their rebuilding/tooling roster.

In both cases the timing is/was premature. To get said center they are going to have to give up high picks and/or top prospects which is the last thing they should be doing for a middle 6 center. This is based on Conroy keeping the best 5 vets (Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Andersson, and Weegar) to build a good environment
If it was like the Eichal trade where it involves a true elite to borderline elite #1 center that fits and Kadri and Backlund are pushed down the depth chart sure.

What were we supposed to do, draft Chabot, then continue looking for a RHS RD?

I don't think Hamilton was totally off the tracks for a rebuild. It's insulating and adding the multi year contract vets to the bottom 6, Bollig, Neal, Lucic etc. Our RW and RD options were brutally bad. We badly needed a top 4 RD after Wideman, so the Hamilton move made sense. Hamilton didn't stop us from drafting in the top 10.

Adding a top 6 C right now isn't detrimental to the team, especially if they are requested to find ways to win even with insurmountable differences in skill and experience. Conroy has said he wants to do a Dallas formula. Such a move would be on par with the Vegas, Boston and Dallas formulas.