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

[Volica]

Greetings from the Leafs' board, if Calgary finds themselves selling this deadline, would a package of Cowan, 1st '26 and some cap (most likely Kämpf and/or Timmins) for Andersson and Backlund work for the Flames

We sort of know the deal between Toronto and Calgary. It’d cost a lot more.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Ya, I think I'd be pretty disappointed in that return.

Looking more & more like we're not finishing bottom 10, and our 2 1st rnders will be late. Just better not be Poirier & Klimchuk again. Really not too excited about the draft anymore.

 

[crackdown44]

I don’t really want to trade Backlund unless he really wants to chase a cup, I’d love to see him retire a Flame

If he does really want to chase a cup it would be kind of mean to send him to the Leafs

 

[Volica]

With all this noise out of Vancouver... if Petersson shakes loose here, have to assume this team'll be all over that, right?

Like the fact we skipped out on Kakko is one thing, but Calgary as @FLAMESFAN mentioned, aren't going to have their first rounder and then are going to be sitting on picks in the late 20's. Have to find some gold here through trade to help get younger and more talented.

 

[crackdown44]

With all this noise out of Vancouver... if Petersson shakes loose here, have to assume this team'll be all over that, right?

Like the fact we skipped out on Kakko is one thing, but Calgary as @FLAMESFAN mentioned, aren't going to have their first rounder and then are going to be sitting on picks in the late 20's. Have to find some gold here through trade to help get younger and more talented.

Gotta feel if it’s one or the other they move on from Miller though right? They’d get way more for EP but I don’t even know what a package from the Flames would look like. Probably Andersson and a forward that can slot into their top 9

I’m also not completely sold on EP. The whole woe is me attitude kind of irks me the wrong way. Depending on the ask from Van they should definitely be sniffing around but he’s not a guy I’d sell the farm for

 

[Lunatik]

Greetings from the Leafs' board, if Calgary finds themselves selling this deadline, would a package of Cowan, 1st '26 and some cap (most likely Kämpf and/or Timmins) for Andersson and Backlund work for the Flames?

It's irrelevant, there is no way that works cap wise. Leafs are already in LTIR, they need to send a dollar out for every dollar they bring in... and you have them adding 9 million and sending out 3.5

 

[Lunatik]

Ya, I think I'd be pretty disappointed in that return.

Looking more & more like we're not finishing bottom 10, and our 2 1st rnders will be late. Just better not be Poirier & Klimchuk again. Really not too excited about the draft anymore.

I dunno, I see it differently, we're still being propped up by that hot start. As time passes, we're getting closer to the pack behind us. We're no longer in a playoff spot, and while we're 16th in the overall standings, There is only 10 points between us and Nashville, who are 4th last. And in the last month 7 teams behind us have out performed us, with 4 of the 7 playing .600 or better hockey in that time, coincidentally of thse 7 teams, 6 also have weaker remaining schedules than us.

We are also starting to see more cracks on our blueline as the workload is already catching u to Ras and Bahl especially.

We've also been very lucky with injuries thus far, with just 2 guys missing significant time in Mantha and Costco, and as much as we love Costco, his loss isn't going to have much of an impact, if any. I'm not sure Mantha's loss hurt us either if we're honest.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

For sure, I don't see us in a playoff spot. But I think it'll take a pretty good collapse to drop back to bottom 10. It's possible ofcourse, but it's just depressing to think we'll end up 11th.

 

[Mobiandi]

Knowing Vancouver, they’ll end up trading both Miller and EP40 within 6 months of the other going.

I think Vancouver and Buffalo shake things up together. We don’t have the pieces for Pettersson

Would probably look something like Kadri, Wolf, and one of our 1sts and 2nds

 

[Lunatik]

Knowing Vancouver, they’ll end up trading both Miller and EP40 within 6 months of the other going.

I think Vancouver and Buffalo shake things up together. We don’t have the pieces for Pettersson

Would probably look something like Kadri, Wolf, and one of our 1sts and 2nds

they could do what we did when Weimer and Val Bure had beef... trade them both to the same team in a single trade.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

With all this noise out of Vancouver... if Petersson shakes loose here, have to assume this team'll be all over that, right?

I would hope so, and the relationship has been built already with the Zadorov & Lindholm trades.

This is a guy you should overpay for if you have to.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I would hope so, and the relationship has been built already with the Zadorov & Lindholm trades.

This is a guy you should overpay for if you have to.

Hell no, situation is all wrong.
I wouldn't want to give any substantial asset for EP

 

[Bounces R Way]

Never been a big fan of Pettersson. Talented hockey player definitely but don't like his attitude. He is being paid like an elite 1C in the NHL and he is still built like a bubble tea tween. Gets knocked over by a strong gust of wind. Pretty good defensively but lacks the speed to be able to create those great scoring opportunities consistently. You got to have the right kind of motor to play dominant at the center position and I don't think Petey possesses it.

That contract to me has a lot of potential to go badly, and really a much more narrow window to go well. Would not touch with a 12ft pole. And not only because it probably results in him on his ass along the boards like usual.

 

[Lunatik]

Its all moot, with him sig-term, the odds of him being traded to a Western team, let alone a Pacific one, are slim at best.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Kind of surprising Conroy didn't go after Juuso Parssinen. Wasn't exactly a hard price to beat if he had really wanted him.

Maybe it means the organization is finally accepting Zary is the chosen one. Plus Kerins

 

[Volica]

Kind of surprising Conroy didn't go after Juuso Parssinen. Wasn't exactly a hard price to beat if he had really wanted him.

Maybe it means the organization is finally accepting Zary is the chosen one. Plus Kerins

Not sure what the Flames are doing right now to be honest.

They’re middling, which is exactly what we didn’t want. They’re not going after these young guys who are going for scraps. Like what’s the plan here? Write-off season?

Finish 18th in the league? Hand over our pick? Use the Devils and Panthers pick and calling it a day at the end of the draft?

Ah life as a Flames fan.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Not sure what the Flames are doing right now to be honest.

They’re middling, which is exactly what we didn’t want. They’re not going after these young guys who are going for scraps. Like what’s the plan here? Write-off season?

Finish 18th in the league? Hand over our pick? Use the Devils and Panthers pick and calling it a day at the end of the draft?

Ah life as a Flames fan.

This is what I've been waiving my hands in the air about for a year now....
Feels like so many past seasons of just missing out.

 

[Lunatik]

Parssinen is at best going to be a 3rd liner why would we give up assets for something we have in spades? I get questioning why we didn't match Seattle on Kakko, but "missing out" on Parssinen?

 

[MakeCgyGreatAgain]

Not sure what the Flames are doing right now to be honest.

They’re middling, which is exactly what we didn’t want. They’re not going after these young guys who are going for scraps. Like what’s the plan here? Write-off season?

Finish 18th in the league? Hand over our pick? Use the Devils and Panthers pick and calling it a day at the end of the draft?

Ah life as a Flames fan.

Yup. It’s a tough life being a Flames fan. We need Kadri out of here to suck bad enough to get into top 10. Hey maybe we get an injury that just gets us into top 10. Treliving is only beaten by Feaster for worst GM of the Flames.

 

[Lunatik]

Treliving is only beaten by Feaster for worst GM of the Flames.

 

[Volica]

This is what I've been waiving my hands in the air about for a year now....
Feels like so many past seasons of just missing out.

I felt like there was a plan last year, and there was a plan this offseason. I’m just not sure what the plan is right now

Like, be better than the bottom dwellers, play everyone in the 10-25 range really tight, get the doors blown off against the good teams.

 

[crackdown44]

I could see LA or Van maybe stumbling and Minnesota coming back down to earth is inevitable but the problem is that we’d have to sustain our level of play to take those wild card spots and I think the Flames have been punching a bit above their weight so far so it feels unlikely

With no good UFAs to sell it’ll probably be an uneventful deadline where nothing happens unless a team like Dallas or Buffalo or something blows Conroys socks off with an offer for Ras or Kadri

Could lowkey see Kadri as a good fit in Dallas with Seguin on LTIR until the playoffs, that’s why it would be kinda nice to pickup the Parssinen types when they’re that cheap because our center depth will be gutted if we move Naz. Worst case you have a cheap young bottom 6 C

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I wasn't buying the thought that we were automatically a bottom 5 team just because of what we did post deadline lastyear. That team basically gave up. That is unlikely to be replicated this year.
What sucks is aquiring guys like Kuz & Mantha with the plan of later moving them for assests, but now likely getting little to nothing for either. We needed to move Kuz during the summer, even if it meant eating some salary.

 

[DomBarr]

I felt like there was a plan last year, and there was a plan this offseason. I’m just not sure what the plan is right now

Like, be better than the bottom dwellers, play everyone in the 10-25 range really tight, get the doors blown off against the good teams.

They are following the extend Andersson plan. He likely told them that he will not extend with a rebuilding team and will only consider extending if they keep trying to compete for the playoffs. It was shortly after the YE interviews that the Team messaging changed from retool with an eye to compete in 3 yrs to this hybrid model of providing status quo cause youth don't know how to "compete" and they need to be sheltered from getting used to losing SO they are going to surround them with a bunch of vets who'll be retired by the time this team will actually be ready to compete