«I Would Move Picks for Sure»: Conroy Eyes Younger Talent in Flames' Rebuild

The Calgary Flames have been progressing through the restructuring of their organization since last season, focusing more on a retool-on-the-fly than a full rebuild. Last year, the Flames had several key unrestricted free agents, giving general manager Craig Conroy the opportunity to stockpile picks and players within the team’s targeted age group.

However, as Conroy told Jim Biringer, things are more complicated this season, particularly as he looks to improve his team via trade, as one of his first-round picks remains tied up with the Montreal Canadiens due to the 2022 Sean Monahan trade. "It makes it tough because if we wanted to make a trade involving a first-round pick, I guess we could use the Devils' first-round pick," Conroy explained. "But, with the Florida first-round pick and our pick in play with the Sean Monahan deal, it does make things a little more difficult right now, to be honest."

As Conroy noted, the Flames currently hold three conditional first-round picks, but one is tied up in a 2022 trade that saw Calgary send Sean Monahan to the Canadiens in exchange for future considerations. While this move freed up cap space for the Flames to sign Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $49M contract, it now complicates Conroy's options on the trade front.

The Flames have two of their 1st-round picks tied up in this trade: their own and that of the Florida Panthers, which was previously acquired in the Matthew Tkachuk trade. According to the trade conditions between the Panthers and the Flames, Florida’s 1st-round pick will go to Calgary as long as it is not a lottery pick; meaning the 1st or 2nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. But that’s the easy part. It gets more complicated when you get to the trade conditions in the Sean Monahan deal. Unless the Flames’ 1st-round pick ends up being a top-10 selection, the Canadiens will receive the better of Calgary’s and Florida’s 1st-rounders. Should the Flames fall off after their strong start this season and end up with a top-10 pick, then the Canadiens will receive Florida’s 1st-round pick.

All these "ifs" make it nearly impossible for Conroy to have the clarity he needs to pull off a deal with two of his most valuable trade chips. "I think, as the season goes on, we'll have a better understanding of how it’s all going to play out," Conroy added. "Then we'll be able to work within those parameters a bit better." That understanding will be about knowing not only where they are as a team, but the full value and availability of their biggest trades assets. However, in the short-term, it looks like the Flames appear to be looking to add at the moment, rather than sell their existing assets for futures. "If were a younger player we could grow with, that would make more sense to use a first-round pick. I wouldn’t trade for a 31- or 32-year-old, but I’d be willing to move picks for a younger player, for sure."

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