Latest news with #CraigConroy
National Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Under-25 power rankings on defence
Article content As we've been power-ranking the Calgary Flames ' future pieces at other positions, we have limited each list to five. Article content Article content But the Flames have such an impressive stockpile of defence prospects that we figured we'd go a little deeper on this one. Besides, you dress a half-dozen rearguards for every game, ideally three left shots and three righties. For that reason, we've gone with that same split here. Article content Article content Age: 24 Article content Working in his favour: With his 6-foot-6 frame and extended-length Bauer, Bahl's reach is approximately one city block. He ranked among the NHL's leaders this season in stick checks. Article content Still working on it: He doesn't need to be looking for open-ice hits or picking fights, but if he could develop a bit more of a mean streak, it would be bad news for opponents. Article content Big-league potential: He's already established as a Top-4 fixture and a trusted penalty-killer. Article content One of three Flames regulars to average north of 20 minutes a night this season, Bahl has cemented his status as an important presence both now and for the future. As he skates toward restricted free agency, it's believed that general manager Craig Conroy is willing to go as long as five or six years on Bahl's next contract. With the possibility that Rasmus Andersson could be traded, many have already tabbed his towering pal as the ideal partner for top prospect Zayne Parekh. Article content Article content Working in his favour: Of the Flames' junior-aged defence prospects, you could make a case that Morin's game currently is the most mature and well-rounded. Article content Several months ago, Morin would not have cracked this list. The Flames weren't satisfied with his testing scores in the fall, which explains why he wasn't tapped for a single exhibition appearance before he was reassigned to junior. They were, however, thrilled with the way that Morin responded to their challenge — both on the ice, where he piled up 81 points and posted a plus-43 rating in 85 total outings as a workhorse for the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats, and in the weight room.
National Post
6 days ago
- Business
- National Post
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: The depth on defence
Article content No matter what way you cut it, the future of the Calgary Flames defence looks bright. Article content Article content The team has loaded up in the NHL Draft over the last couple years and also has a few early-20s talents who could break through soon. In a couple years, there's potential for the Flames blueline to be pretty … dare we say spectacular? Article content This summer, though, the focus will be almost entirely on what they choose to do with one of their veteran leaders and how it impacts the NHL roster next year. Article content As we go through every position in our Flames Retool Tracker series, the blue-line has always felt like it would be the most interesting week of the bunch. Article content To get it started, here's a look at the organizational depth chart: Article content The big question Article content This isn't just the biggest question facing the Flames defence, it's going to be the dominant question surrounding the team as a whole until it gets sorted out. What do they do with Rasmus Andersson? The Swedish defenceman himself seemed to know that a long-term contract to stay in Calgary might not be forthcoming when he spoke with the media on garbage bag day. Not with guys like Zayne Parekh ready to break through soon. If a deal isn't worked out — and it seems unlikely — he'll have to be traded before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The return that GM Craig Conroy gets could be franchise-altering, even if Andersson underperformed in 2024-25. Is it best to move him this summer if there's a good offer on the table, or give him a chance to show he's back at his best before flipping him at the deadline? Article content Article content Article content Let's assume the Flames move Andersson this summer. What does the defence look like next season? Joel Hanley had a great year for the Flames, but he's an unrestricted free agent and just makes more sense elsewhere. Getting Kevin Bahl re-signed — he's a restricted free agent — is a priority and MacKenzie Weegar is a proven No. 1. The two of them are a nice foundation. After that? Parekh is too young to play in the AHL and it would be a total waste to send him back to the OHL for another year. He's going to be around. There will be inevitable growing pains, but the sky's the limit for him. The Flames will be wanting to see more out of Jake Bean, but he's a proven NHLer and you'd expect him playing most nights, while it's a crucial year for the 27-year-old Daniil Miromanov if he wants to stick around in the NHL and Brayden Pachal provides a reliable, physical option on the third pairing. The Flames are in pretty decent shape even without Andersson, especially as they'll be hoping one or two of the guys we're about to speak about take another step and push for NHL playing time.
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Trent Cull joins Calgary Flames coaching staff on full-time basis
Former Calgary Wrangler head coach Trent Cull was named a permanent assistant coach by the Calgary Flames Friday. Trent Cull was named an assistant coach by the Calgary Flames Friday, turning a temporary situation into something a little more permanent. Cull, the head coach of the Calgary Wranglers, when he was appointed an interim assistant coach by the Flames on Dec. 22 after assistant coach Brad Larsen took a leave of absence. During Cull's temporary tenure with the club, the Flames' penalty kill improved from 29th in the NHL to 15th. 'Facing a challenging situation last season, Trent stepped in and was very impressive managing his assignments with our NHL club,' said Flames GM Craig Conroy, in a media release. Prior to being called up by the Flames, Cull led the Wranglers to a 20-8-1 record, the best record in the American Hockey League. He coached in the AHL for 15 years and had a stint as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23. The Flames also announced that they have released assistant coach Dan Lambert. 'We thank Dan for his contributions to the organization during the past two seasons and wish him every success with his future in the game," said Conroy.
National Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
The retooling Calgary Flames are still over-indexed on veteran players
Article content When the Calgary Flames traded away Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, it was a clear signal that GM Craig Conroy understood the assignment: Liquidate aging assets, clean up the cap sheet, and begin reallocating resources to a younger core. Article content Article content But the job isn't done yet. Article content Despite that sell-off, Calgary remains a team top-heavy with veterans. Last season, 71% of the Flames' cap space went to players 29 and older. That group also logged 58% of the team's ice time and scored 62% of its points. Article content That might sound like a team riding its experience to contention, but Calgary finished out of the playoffs and remains far from elite. Article content Which raises the question: Why is the lion's share of the budget and opportunity still flowing to a cohort that is destined to decline? Article content Building Through Cohorts, Not Depth Charts Article content In the NHL, players are more than just names on a lineup card, they're assets in a portfolio. GMs invest in them through ice time, cap space, roster spots, draft capital, and development resources. Those investments reflect strategy, whether the team is conscious of it or not. Article content The most valuable cohort in any franchise is the prime-aged group: Players between 22 and 27, who are typically in their physical peak and still under manageable contracts. A contender usually has its core and best talent in this band. Article content Then there's the veteran group (29 and older), which can provide leadership, experience and depth. But it's also where aging curves, injury risk, and cap inefficiency live. Article content Article content Article content The takeaway is obvious: Calgary is still heavily invested in yesterday rather than tomorrow. Article content To be fair to Conroy, this wasn't all by choice. Article content He inherited a roster built to win under a different vision. And after the first wave of trades, he still needed to ice a team. Completely stripping the room of veteran leadership can backfire on development and culture, so maintaining some experience was both practical and intentional.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
10 Takeaways from Craig Conroy's end-of-season media availability
The Calgary Flames didn't make the playoff this season. But that doesn't mean their general manager views it as a failure. Quite the contrary. When he was asked about the Flames missing the playoffs because of the NHL's tie-breaker despite picking up 96 points, GM Craig Conroy offered-up a spirited case for why this season was a success. 'Absolutely,' Conroy said Saturday. 'I know playoffs is the ultimate goal of a season but to do what we did, to be there right until the end, to see the growth of so many players on our team and what our leadership group did pulling young guys along and being able to put guys in situations, but with that said it's still heartbreaking that you're not going to get to play playoff hockey, and they deserved it. I thought they were going to make it and I give those guys credit, they came through big.' Here's 10 takeaways from the Flames GM's end-of-season media availability on Saturday: ANDERSSON The biggest news-to-track this summer will be Rasmus Andersson's future. The Swedish defenceman is eligible to sign an extension on July 1 and is an unrestricted free-agent in 2026, and acknowledged that he wasn't sure whether his future was in Calgary when he spoke with the media Saturday. Conroy provided a little more clarity on the situation, although the Flames GM didn't say anything concrete about whether he expected to get a deal done. 'I talked to Ras today and I think there's a little uncertainty right now, we didn't really talk about anything other than that he was going to go to worlds,' Conroy said. 'He's earned that right, everybody has a time when they get to a point in their career where they have to make some decisions moving forward. We'll sit down and talk about it and see where he's at and where we're at and if it makes sense to both sides, we'll move forward.' Conroy and Andersson would both like to get his future sorted out this summer, but it's not completely necessary. He does have another year on his contract, after all. 'I would think something would get done this year, but I don't want to put a timeframe on it,' Conroy said. 'He has another year on his career, too, so I don't want to say 'Absolutely, there's going to be something done in the next five months'. ' FREE AGENCY For anyone wondering whether the Flames are going to splash out some cash in free-agency, Conroy didn't deny the possibility entirely. He did, however, reiterate that the team is taking a patient approach to building a contender. 'I don't think we're going to fast-forward it and it's hard to fast-forward it,' Conroy said. That doesn't mean the Flames won't try to make a splash in free-agency. They just know where they're at. They're excited about the guys they drafted in the last two seasons, but most of them haven't even played a game in the NHL yet. Those young pieces will form the foundation of a squad that will hopefully be mixing it up at the top of the Western Conference, but that's still a ways away. If the right guy is available, though? Conroy insists the Flames will take a shot at bringing him to Calgary. 'We have the pro scouting meetings in May, I've challenged them to kind of target people that could be here long-term who could make a difference for us,' Conroy explained. 'Obviously, when you get into free-agency, I don't think our list would be very long but if there's a person who is a game-changer we think we could have an opportunity to get, we're definitely going to take a shot at him. Does that mean we're going to get him? I don't know.' OFFER SHEETS ARE A POSSIBILITY Last summer, the St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to the Edmonton Oilers' Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Both wound up with the Blues, who happen to be the team that narrowly edged-out the Flames for a playoff spot. Conroy clearly took notice, and said he'd absolutely consider handing offer-sheets to restricted free-agents around the league this summer. 'We have to look at everything,' Conroy said. 'Watching that from a distance and now they're in the playoffs and we're not, even though we have the same number of points, we have to look at all that. We have cap room and we have our picks, so we're not going to take anything off the table. 'There are rules and we have to make sure whatever is best for the Calgary Flames, that's what we're going to do.' ADDING SPEED When head coach Ryan Huska was asked about the Flames' overtime struggles this season, he mentioned a lack of speed. Asked whether it was something the Flames are lacking in the first 60 minutes of games, too, Huska agreed that it was. It's something Conroy believes, too, and will be a priority this summer. 'For sure, speed, especially when you're in those three-on-threes and you notice teams that are really fast, they're hard to handle,' Conroy said. 'We'd like to add more speed and we've challenged the guys to go home and work as much as anything on we want to get faster. That's skating and your lower-body strength and we expect them to come back and each guy be a little quicker and if we can add some speed, we'd look to do that, too.' 5. EXTENDING HUSKA Huska has another year on his contract as head coach, and the Flames are thrilled with the job he's done as bench boss. Conroy has other priorities to get to before he and Huska sit down and hammer out any sort of contract extension, but that shouldn't be taken by anyone as the Flames GM not being happy with what Huska's brought out of his team. 'We haven't really thought about Husk right now, I was looking at the players more,' Conroy said. 'Those would be internal discussions with Don Maloney, Dave Nonis, Brad Pascall, myself, but huska's done an amazing job. I'm not worried about it if we don't, but I couldn't be more happy with the job he's done here for us.' 6. HANLEY AND VLADAR'S FUTURE Both Dan Vladar and Joel Hanley are unrestricted free-agents, and both did a nice job for the Flames this year. Hanley emerged as a reliable partner for MacKenzie Weegar, with Huska even saying he might have been the Flames' most consistent blueliner since the Four Nations Face-Off. Vladar, meanwhile, played well as Dustin Wolf's backup, posting a .898 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against-average this season. Are the Flames interested in bringing them back? 'I talked to Dan and Joel, we're going to talk to their people,' Conroy said. 'They played great for us, they really did, but there's only so many spots, that's the other hard thing. We've got to figure out what are the best fits for us and what's the best fit for them moving forward.' SHARANGOVICH Conroy did drop a bit of a surprise late in his media availability when he revealed that Yegor Sharangovich had broken his foot in the last game of the Flames' season. It doesn't necessarily explain Sharangovich's sub-par season – his goals-total fell from 31 goals in 2023-24 season to 17 this year – but it was notable nonetheless. 'Sharangovich, his foot is broken, so we're going to have to get him back at some point at four-to-six weeks and then he'll be ready to go,' Conroy said. 'He broke it the last game. He had a few other things that he played through during the year, but it's just one of those years, it's been one thing after another. I really thought he was playing well the last 10-to-15 games, where you're like 'OK, it's coming' and then this again.' KADRI UNDER THE Nazem Kadri didn't do an end-of-season media availability on Saturday. There was no controversy, though. He wasn't even at the rink. 'He was sick today, he was not feeling well so he didn't come in and we didn't get to talk to him. He didn't do his medicals or anything,' Conroy explained. WRANGLERS GET SOME HELP Both Adam Klapka and Zayne Parekh were considered possibilities to join the Calgary Wranglers for their AHL playoff run. Only Klapka will be heading down, though. 'We're going to actually, Klapka, when he gets cleared he's going to go down, talked to him, he wants to go down and be part of the run down there,' Conroy said. 'Parekh, we're not going to do. He's played a lot of hockey. Last year, he didn't get to train much, and this year the focus is to get stronger and make the team.' Last year, Parekh had a Memorial Cup run, had to do everything associated with the NHL draft, attended his first development camp with the Flames and then joined Team Canada for the World Junior Summer Showcase. TIME TO STEP UP If the Flames are going to take the next step and be a playoff team next year, one thing that's clear is that young guys are going to need to be even better. That means guys like Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and more are going to elevate their games. Whatever happens in free-agency or the trade market or anywhere else this off-season, that's the single biggest key. 'We need all these young guys to take a step in both on-ice and in their leadership and accountability to the team,' Conroy said. 'As a young guy, he makes a mistake and it's 'Oh he's a young guy', we've got to kind of weed them off that to where we're going to make mistakes but we're not going to make mistakes over and over again. I expect all those guys to come back that much more comfortable, feeling that much better about their game.' daustin@
