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

[Darth Vladar]

Posting this so we have an easy to find visual record of exactly where the Flames are on Feb 9, the beginning of the February break.

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The fanbase was always putting them down;
pessimistic even with a new arena coming to town
They told me the Flames were bad;
I knew it was true, although it made me sad,
and that’s when they fell to the middle of the pack…
Vroom, vroom

 

[Rubi]

Utah won but the Habs lost today. Half a loaf is always better than no loaf.

 

[Lunatik]

Utah won but the Habs lost today. Half a loaf is always better than no loaf.

Wouldn't the draft thread make more sense to post this stuff

 

[Figgy44]

Cant reverse the flow of a river. There's still plenty of time for them to fall completely out of the wild card race and sell the big pieces at the deadline. Or they hang in there.

Today the internet algorithm taught me...

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Today the internet algorithm taught me...

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

Perhaps an unpopular (or “unwise”) opinion, but tomato in a fruit salad sounds like it would slap so hard lol

 

[Lunatik]

Perhaps an unpopular (or “unwise”) opinion, but tomato in a fruit salad sounds like it would slap so hard lol

I would slap someone for putting tomatoes in my salads too

 

[Khrox]

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

Knowledge is knowing that peppers are technically a fruit, and thus hot sauce is technically a juice. Charisma is convincing someone to drink straight hot sauce since it's juice.

 

[Figgy44]

Perhaps an unpopular (or “unwise”) opinion, but tomato in a fruit salad sounds like it would slap so hard lol

I'd pomodoro punch and run them through a salad spinner for someone who puts tomato into a fruit salad.



Tomato salad > fruit salad

Knowledge is knowing that peppers are technically a fruit, and thus hot sauce is technically a juice. Charisma is convincing someone to drink straight hot sauce since it's juice.

IMO habanero tastes like sweet tropical pineapple and mango... And then firey burning from the depths of scorch's ballsack.

It's delicious until it's not.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Today the internet algorithm taught me...

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

True enlightenment is knowing that salsa is a fruit salad.

This break is already too long.

 

[Figgy44]

True enlightenment is knowing that salsa is a fruit salad.

This break is already too long.

I was going to say spaghetti bolognese, but salsa is a better one. Lol

 

[viper0220]

I truly wonder if management has a clear idea of where they want to go? At this point I don’t think they know.

 

[Figgy44]

I truly wonder if management has a clear idea of where they want to go? At this point I don’t think they know.

I assume management knows where they want to go, but they're handcuffed by all the other passengers in the vehicle.

Like someone driving on a road trip and someone in the back screaming, "I have to pee!" soon after passing a rest stop or someone seeing a roadside attraction that wasn't in the itinerary and demands to go see it. You have an idea of how you want to get somewhere with the most optimized path, but everyone else keeps changing it. That's not including the person who refuses to get out of the vehicle/drags their feet because the original itinerary (in their eyes) is dumb.

 

[Volica]

I truly wonder if management has a clear idea of where they want to go? At this point I don’t think they know.

Conroy in that Frank interview put some of my nerves at ease.
Conroy talked about 3-5 year plan, mentioned that while Wolf speeds things up they're not just going all in already.

Knowing that, I think it's clear.
1) If you can win a trade and get younger, you do that.
2) You're not taking on veterans or using assets on expiring deals.
3) While the vets aren't available at this time, I think that they will be made available when they simply don't want to play here. Kadri has no reason to ride off into the sunset in Calgary. He's only at most has another 4-5 years left in the tank, why spend that on a club that'll rebuild/retool for the majority of it?
4) The bottom will fall out naturally. We're being propped up by Wolf. There's no question. If he has a cold stretch, deals with an injury, etc, we're going to be a bottom team.
5) I don't think Calgary will big-game hunt this offseason. Like, no 7x7's for 29 year old players, the team isn't close enough to compete.

How I think the rest of the year will play out:
- We'll struggle, win maybe 1 of every 3 games.
- One of the veterans will be dealt to a contender for some more assets.
- That'll essentially spread like wildfire through the rest of the vets.
- This summer/draft/offseason we'll see another 1-2 guys dealt and we'll position ourselves to really be a mediocre/bad team for the 2026 draft.

 

[Kielbasa]

Conroy in that Frank interview put some of my nerves at ease.
Conroy talked about 3-5 year plan, mentioned that while Wolf speeds things up they're not just going all in already.

Knowing that, I think it's clear.
1) If you can win a trade and get younger, you do that.
2) You're not taking on veterans or using assets on expiring deals.
3) While the vets aren't available at this time, I think that they will be made available when they simply don't want to play here. Kadri has no reason to ride off into the sunset in Calgary. He's only at most has another 4-5 years left in the tank, why spend that on a club that'll rebuild/retool for the majority of it?
4) The bottom will fall out naturally. We're being propped up by Wolf. There's no question. If he has a cold stretch, deals with an injury, etc, we're going to be a bottom team.
5) I don't think Calgary will big-game hunt this offseason. Like, no 7x7's for 29 year old players, the team isn't close enough to compete.

How I think the rest of the year will play out:
- We'll struggle, win maybe 1 of every 3 games.
- One of the veterans will be dealt to a contender for some more assets.
- That'll essentially spread like wildfire through the rest of the vets.
- This summer/draft/offseason we'll see another 1-2 guys dealt and we'll position ourselves to really be a mediocre/bad team for the 2026 draft.

Honestly this would be my preferred timeline, but I'm not sure that they will continue to move out veterans. Especially if they make the playoffs this year. Management has been clear that they do not intend to tank. Even if they did, many of them are worth little due to certain their contracts. I'd be shocked if anyone would even be interested in giving any value for Huberdeau, Sharangovich, Farabee, or Backlund. Even Kadri is starting to show signs of aging and the back half of his contract is not pretty. Maybe they move out Coleman, but I doubt that the return would be significant.

IMO I think the "plan" that is so often referenced is low risk / low reward and most likely to put the team back into being mid.

I just have no clue how they're going to get the core pieces the system is missing. They have the goalie and (hopefully) a future 1D. The problem is I don't see any likely 1st line forwards in the system, let alone a 1C. Outside of a prospect way out-performing their projections, I don't see how they acquire those pieces without drafting top 5 a couple of times. In the coming years, and I don't think ownership/management is willing to be that bad as long as Wolf is performing like he is.

 

[Volica]

Honestly this would be my preferred timeline, but I'm not sure that they will continue to move out veterans. Especially if they make the playoffs this year. Management has been clear that they do not intend to tank. Even if they did, many of them are worth little due to certain their contracts. I'd be shocked if anyone would even be interested in giving any value for Huberdeau, Sharangovich, Farabee, or Backlund. Even Kadri is starting to show signs of aging and the back half of his contract is not pretty. Maybe they move out Coleman, but I doubt that the return would be significant.

IMO I think the "plan" that is so often referenced is low risk / low reward and most likely to put the team back into being mid.

I just have no clue how they're going to get the core pieces the system is missing. They have the goalie and (hopefully) a future 1D. The problem is I don't see any likely 1st line forwards in the system, let alone a 1C. Outside of a prospect way out-performing their projections, I don't see how they acquire those pieces without drafting top 5 a couple of times. In the coming years, and I don't think ownership/management is willing to be that bad as long as Wolf is performing like he is.

I just honestly don't think that they'll have a choice over the next 13-14 months.
There will just a breaking point where Veterans on the team won't want to play here anymore given the opportunity to try and win elsewhere.

Like, Coleman holds value for a contender. Not many guys can give you that two-way wing play along with getting you a point every other game.

I'm interested to see how Dahlin and Andersson mesh at the 4 nations (not that I'll watch any of it). Like if these two play their way into being a high end pairing, have to think Buffalo will look at that and be like 'k, let's give Conroy what he wants'.

Coleman, Kadri and Andersson are the three guys I look at and think will be the biggest trade chips.

There's only a handful of ways to get your elite 1C:
1) Draft them early.
2) Hope one blossoms as a later pick (rare).
3) Trade for one when some team is stupid enough to make them avaialble.

Just an FYI. You never lose the 3rd option. Whatever the team wants. Whatever prospect, young winger, or picks, you always win.

 

[Kielbasa]

I just honestly don't think that they'll have a choice over the next 13-14 months.
There will just a breaking point where Veterans on the team won't want to play here anymore given the opportunity to try and win elsewhere.

Like, Coleman holds value for a contender. Not many guys can give you that two-way wing play along with getting you a point every other game.

I'm interested to see how Dahlin and Andersson mesh at the 4 nations (not that I'll watch any of it). Like if these two play their way into being a high end pairing, have to think Buffalo will look at that and be like 'k, let's give Conroy what he wants'.

Coleman, Kadri and Andersson are the three guys I look at and think will be the biggest trade chips.

There's only a handful of ways to get your elite 1C:
1) Draft them early.
2) Hope one blossoms as a later pick (rare).
3) Trade for one when some team is stupid enough to make them avaialble.

Just an FYI. You never lose the 3rd option. Whatever the team wants. Whatever prospect, young winger, or picks, you always win.

Im not sure if the vets will force their way out, they could have last year or last offseason, but chose to stay and prove the "haters" wrong. Even if they did, that likely means that their play has dropped off in a significant way, so contenders aren't going to be that interested.

If the Andersson to Buffalo thing does happen (I'm less than optomistic), the return that GMCC wants is no doubt Cozens. I really don't rate Cozens, and think that his 22-23 season was an outlier. His possession stats and sh% certainly seem to suggest what he's doing now are more consistent with his career to date.

I think Coleman nets you Tanev-esqe return. I don't think Kadri or Andersson will get moved in the next two seasons.

Regarding option three for getting a 1C. I am aware that the option is evergreen. How do I know that? Because I have watched the Flames try to execute that exact plan to almost no effect for three decades. The closest they came was Conroy, Langkow, or Lindholm. Not good enough.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Im not sure if the vets will force their way out, they could have last year or last offseason, but chose to stay and prove the "haters" wrong. Even if they did, that likely means that their play has dropped off in a significant way, so contenders aren't going to be that interested.

If the Andersson to Buffalo thing does happen (I'm less than optomistic), the return that GMCC wants is no doubt Cozens. I really don't rate Cozens, and think that his 22-23 season was an outlier. His possession stats and sh% certainly seem to suggest what he's doing now are more consistent with his career to date.

I think Coleman nets you Tanev-esqe return. I don't think Kadri or Andersson will get moved in the next two seasons.

Regarding option three for getting a 1C. I am aware that the option is evergreen. How do I know that? Because I have watched the Flames try to execute that exact plan to almost no effect for three decades. The closest they came was Conroy, Langkow, or Lindholm. Not good enough.

In lieu of securing a legit 1A center, wouldn’t being able to line up 4 legit 1B-capable centers be the next best thing, to buy time and at least contend until a legit 1A comes along either via draft or the open market?

Naz-Frosty-Cozens-Kerins

 

[Figgy44]

In lieu of securing a legit 1A center, wouldn’t being able to line up 4 legit 1B-capable centers be the next best thing, to buy time and at least contend until a legit 1A comes along either via draft or the open market?

Naz-Frosty-Cozens-Kerins

Sure... But in 2026, I don' think that's 4x 1B centres. That's an assortment of 2C and 3C.

 

[DomBarr]

In lieu of securing a legit 1A center, wouldn’t being able to line up 4 legit 1B-capable centers be the next best thing, to buy time and at least contend until a legit 1A comes along either via draft or the open market?

Naz-Frosty-Cozens-Kerins

Only 1 of them is a legit 1b and he is 34

Frost is a middle 6, closer to a 3 than a 1B
Kerins is a prospect who may or may not have a NHL career
Cozens is not worth the price the Sabres will want right now and is again a Centre who leans solidly in a middle 6 role.

 

[Kielbasa]

In lieu of securing a legit 1A center, wouldn’t being able to line up 4 legit 1B-capable centers be the next best thing, to buy time and at least contend until a legit 1A comes along either via draft or the open market?

Naz-Frosty-Cozens-Kerins

None of Frost, Cozens, and Kerins are 1B capable centers now, nor do I believe they will become that. Cozens and Frost are 2/3 centres, and while a like Kerins a lot, he's nowhere near dynamic enough to be a 1C.

Meanwhile, Kadri is unlikely to maintain his level of play as he ages. So in the scenario where one or more of the former take the step up to 1B level, Kadri has most likely taken a step back by then.

 

[Darth Vladar]

None of Frost, Cozens, and Kerins are 1B capable centers now, nor do I believe they will become that. Cozens and Frost are 2/3 centres, and while a like Kerins a lot, he's nowhere near dynamic enough to be a 1C.

Meanwhile, Kadri is unlikely to maintain his level of play as he ages. So in the scenario where one or more of the former take the step up to 1B level, Kadri has most likely taken a step back by then.

I was careful to use the term “1B-capable” and not “1B” outright. Perhaps I should have just said 2C, which all of them minus Kerins has already been at some point in their career. And as I said, it would only be to buy a few seasons to secure a legit 1A whichever way we had to, whether via draft or the open market.

In any case, if Kadri does take a step back in the next two or three seasons, I wouldn’t be abjectly opposed to Zary assuming 1C duties in the relative short term, but considering the fact that Backs is already on the decline, I’d still want to consider Cozens now so we aren’t left totally high and dry should Backs and Naz both fizzle and/or fade out around the same time.

Zary-Frost-Cozens-Kerins

still isn’t exactly terrible for the interim

 

[Bert Mckrakken]

Andersson paired with Dahlin today. Common Dahlin, convince the man Buffalo on the way up and to go play with him

(For the record I would prefer one of the younger prospect centers than Cozens, although with another piece cozens would do)

That coupled with a tough schedule could be a “we played well but ultimately come up short” and back down to a better draft pick and the rebuild continues

 

[Darth Vladar]

Andersson paired with Dahlin today. Common Dahlin, convince the man Buffalo on the way up and to go play with him

(For the record I would prefer one of the younger prospect centers than Cozens, although with another piece cozens would do)

That coupled with a tough schedule could be a “we played well but ultimately come up short” and back down to a better draft pick and the rebuild continues

The young player I’ve had my eye on in Buffalo is a 19-year old RHD by the name of Simon-Pier Brunet, 6’2”, 196 lbs, he was their fourth round pick (123rd) in last year’s draft, presently top-15 in dmen scoring in the Q with 6-22-26 in 46 games. Not much tape of him on YouTube, but a neat little video profile from his midget days, where he is praised as a physical dman, who is competitive and wants to win. As yet without a contract.

Using the Hanny trade as a basis, I’m wondering if something like Cozens + Brunet + 2026 2nd would get it done for Razzy.