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

[herashak]

If we can’t get a 2nd for Vladar just keep him for our inevitable 17th place finish

 

[Volica]

Kakko went off recently in Seattle.
3 points in 5 games since his trade to the Kraken.

Still absolutely insane Calgary sat on their hands. Rooney and Kuzmenko are still playing nightly for this club, it’s not like we didn’t have space.

 

[Lunatik]

Kakko went off recently in Seattle.
3 points in 5 games since his trade to the Kraken.

Still absolutely insane Calgary sat on their hands. Rooney and Kuzmenko are still playing nightly for this club, it’s not like we didn’t have space.

in what world is a goal and 2 assists in 5 games "going off"? Hell earlier this year he had a 3 point game

Kuzmenko literally just returned after sitting for 5 games...

Your narratives on this are truly something else.

 

[Kahvi]

Like I said before, it looked like a panic move to get Kakko out of NY as soon as possible. Who knows if Calgary even had heard he was available before he was already in Seattle.

 

[Volica]

Like I said before, it looked like a panic move to get Kakko out of NY as soon as possible. Who knows if Calgary even had heard he was available before he was already in Seattle.

Considering there was buzz around him for a couple weeks, have to think everyone knew he was at least available.
Just a bad trade on New York's part, with the team we have, we have to always be in a spot to take advantage of those.

 

[DomBarr]

Kakko went off recently in Seattle.
3 points in 5 games since his trade to the Kraken.

Still absolutely insane Calgary sat on their hands. Rooney and Kuzmenko are still playing nightly for this club, it’s not like we didn’t have space.

The equivalent Calgary offer would be Pachal, a 3rd and a 6th for a RW who has struggled. Winger is not a position that the Flames should spend trade assets for.

 

[Volica]

The equivalent Calgary offer would be Pachal, a 3rd and a 6th for a RW who has struggled. Winger is not a position that the Flames should spend trade assets for.

Or just offer the extra 2nd we have and call it a day.
Likelihood is that Kakko will play more games and have a longer career than the guy we'd be picking in the 50's in 2025.

Flames should be spending assets on solid young players with good upsides, especially non-first related assets. I've mentioned it prior, we are in a middling position where there's not a lot of help coming, there's no high end draft pick coming this year, so you need as many darts you can get. That's a cost-efficient dart that could pan out well for us, especially considering someone like Kakko was coming in at 2.2M going into RFA; it means you could have really kept him for a nice stay here in town at a pretty cost effective amount.

Just don't get the direction and letting a trade like that pass by.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Looking at the schedule for Jan, I think we'll be in pretty much the exact same spot a month from now, just outside the playoffs. We'll maybe be in if we go on a bit of a heater,
2 vs Stl, Ana, LA, WPG
We need to find a way to get Kuz & Shar going.

 

[viper0220]

Looking at the schedule for Jan, I think we'll be in pretty much the exact same spot a month from now, just outside the playoffs. We'll maybe be in if we go on a bit of a heater,
2 vs Stl, Ana, LA, WPG
We need to find a way to get Kuz & Shar going.

Totally agree with this, in January the schedule is pretty much even, we have about as many good teams as bad teams. But in February it is mostly good teams and plus the break is in February. In March it is mostly against very good teams to decent teams.

January is about even.

February is all mostly good teams.

March is mostly good teams and decent teams and couple of bad teams, this is hard month looking at the schedule.

I hope Conroy sees how the teams does during January and in February make a decision there is also the break in February.

If this team is in the same spot do you sell the vets off? The team is 5 points out of the bottom 10 right now.

I really don't want to give a good pick to Montreal, if the Flames are in the same position, say 3 weeks into January, I hope the sell off route is taken.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Are Pelts, Duehr & Solo still waiver exempt?

 

[Lunatik]

Are Pelts, Duehr & Solo still waiver exempt?

Solo is exempt until he plays 10-games in the NHL or is up 30-days.

Pelts and Duehr were under the same conditions, but both have exceeded that and are at 12 games now, so they would need to be waived again to be sent to the Wranglers.

 

[crackdown44]

I’d love a claim on Kaliyev though we don’t have a ton of room on the wing right now and I doubt he reaches us anyway

Knowing Calgary if they got him they’d then waive Pelletier and lose him

 

[NinjaTurtle]

I’d love a claim on Kaliyev though we don’t have a ton of room on the wing right now and I doubt he reaches us anyway

Knowing Calgary if they got him they’d then waive Pelletier and lose him

Worth a claim. Bunch of reclamation projects the last two years.

If he did make it to us, try to peddle Kuzmenko with retention, and try Kaliyev as an 825k replacement. Lower expectations based on salary. Fresh start and in the right age group for this club.

Like how Pelletier has been playing, so yeah, they’d probably waive him instead of Rooney or Barrie.

Team needs to either upgrade positions like 4C and 4D if they want to push for the playoffs, or just keep giving younger players chances to perform.

 

[Volica]

I’m not going to lie.
Calgary should claim Kaliyev, while also paying the rumoured king’s ransom for Pettersson.

I think it’s honestly a no-brainer.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Asking price for Pettersson would be at minimum, Zary+Anderson/Parekh+. No way the Flames should or can afford to do that.

Zary frankly is, or at least should be, as untouchable as Wolf. After like a billion years, the Flames finally drafted and developed a potential top line center that's still only 23. If Conroy and the Flames management group have even a single functioning brain cell between them they'll lock him (& Wolf) up to an 8x8 type of deal this summer. And then they can relax a little knowing they have two core pieces signed for essentially their entire primes.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I’m not going to lie.
Calgary should claim Kaliyev, while also paying the rumoured king’s ransom for Pettersson.

I think it’s honestly a no-brainer.

I would claim him based on his profile picture alone. Bonus is that he's from Uzbekistan.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I’d offer Backlund or Kadri + Andersson + NJ first
For Pettersen

I’d also try and move Weegar for Cal Ritchie or one of Helenius/Kulich/Cozens

The schedule is really tough in February and March so there is still a good chance we tumble down the standings.

Guys like Barrie, Vladar etc aren’t worth more than a 6th or 7th. Maybe Kuzmenko has a strong finish and gets us a 4th. We have a lot of prospects that are solid already and there is only so many ELC contracts we can give out so it’s not that big of a deal.

Definitely claim Kaliyev.

 

[Khrox]

If we make a move for Pettersson, it's because we think we can win now (or at least within the next year or so), which means we can't really trade away Kadri or Andersson. Pettersson would make Zary expendable if they wanted him in return, but we just don't have the rest of the pieces to realistically do it if we keep Kadri/Andersson.

On the other hand, I would be intrigued with a Kaliyev pickup.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Pettersson would be a massive mistake. Would propel us firmly into the mucky middle with no real contention hope imo.

 

[Lunatik]

Pettersson would be a massive mistake. Would propel us firmly into the mucky middle with no real contention hope imo.

IMO it's also a huge red flag that his own GM says he needs to grow up

 

[Figgy44]

Kakko went off recently in Seattle.
3 points in 5 games since his trade to the Kraken.

Still absolutely insane Calgary sat on their hands. Rooney and Kuzmenko are still playing nightly for this club, it’s not like we didn’t have space.

Or there's a high chance he wants to test UFA. Even if the acquisition cost is low, spending such assets on a rental like that doesn't seem like a good idea. Especially if there's a potential (unfounded/low or negligible risk or not) that he could create locker room issues.

Pettersson would be a massive mistake. Would propel us firmly into the mucky middle with no real contention hope imo.

Yes and no. I think one of the issues Vancouver has is that they have a lot of talent, but locker room leadership has always been quietly their Achilles heel. This has been an issue going all the way back to Luongo/Schneider, Miller/Pettersen/Horvat/Hughes etc. I also have a strange feeling that the current leadership group is still somewhat influenced by the Sedins (like they use them as advisors, but perhaps rely on them a little too much in a weird way)? It also slightly seems that until recently, the Swedes on the roster have been kinda low. Hoglander, Lekkermakki and Brannstrom (plus Lindholm last year) are the Swedes on the roster (perhaps sorta like a Baertschi home sick sorta situation for a while?).

I mean, yes, you want these guys to perhaps not rely on stuff like this, but IMO it's a personal preference thing. We do have stronger support on the roster for guys like Backlund and Andersson who maybe could help him with his growth and leadership comfort. Sometimes, it's nice to get that extra tool and support for development. But also yes an org might hope they don't always need stuff like that to maximize their contributions.

Flames have the right type of group, so perhaps if Pettersen doesn't have to feel obligated to be involved in some of the leadership/rifts, it could work out? But agreed it's a heavy risk and gamble. TBH, Gaudreau (RIP) used to also say he wasn't comfortable with some of the leadership stuff, but finally began to bloom for stuff like that under Sutter. It's best not to always assume that the higher you fly, the more you should be able to "just figure it out".

I totally get the concerns by other posters... but TBH, it's not an unreasonable risk to take based on our current situation and timeline IMO. I felt the same way for someone like Laine and there's cause for excitement from Montreal right now, even if the concerns are not totally gone.

 

[Yepthatsme]

Pettersson would be a massive mistake. Would propel us firmly into the mucky middle with no real contention hope imo.

Petterson is the player that people who are hoping we are bad dream of us getting. In what world is adding a good 1C a bad thing?
He’s not personally my favorite option, but you win any trade you get him in and he solves the hardest role for us to acquire.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Maybe Kuzmenko has a strong finish and gets us a 4th.

I think Kuzmenko is closer to mutual contract termination than having any trade value at this point.

If the Flames can pull off a trade to snag Pettersson (or Zegras) without giving up Zary, I'd be fine with that.

 

[crackdown44]

Is there a way to tell who else put in a claim for kaliyev?

 

[Dack]

Petterson is the player that people who are hoping we are bad dream of us getting. In what world is adding a good 1C a bad thing?
He’s not personally my favorite option, but you win any trade you get him in and he solves the hardest role for us to acquire.

We needed a 1C when that was all that we were missing. When we had Gaudreau and Tkachuk and a strong defense we needed a 1C to put us over the top and firmly plant ourselves as one of the top contenders in the NHL.

Now we'd be spending a bunch of futures to add a 1C to a roster that has nothing on it. This team as it stands doesn't have a clear 1st line forward and has a defense comprised of spare parts. They win by outworking teams and being underestimated, and I don't think one player (unless it were McDavid or Mackinnon) significantly changes that. The Flames would just go from being the 9th or 10th best team in the West to the 7th best. We'd need to successfully build an entire foundation in short order around Pettersson to be anything more than the western conference New York Islanders.

I think the point is moot because Vancouver isnt going to trade him in division but if the Flames finally got their 1C only for him to be surrounded by a core of overpaid and aging players I might have an aneurysm.