The Calgary Flames really did not make the playoff this period.
But that does not imply their basic supervisor sights it as a failing.
Quite the contrary.
When he was inquired about the Flames missing out on the playoffs as a result of the NHL’s tie-breaker regardless of getting 96 factors, GM Craig Conroy offered-up a perky situation for why this period was a success.
“Absolutely,” Conroy claimedSaturday “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 accessibility on Saturday:
-
ANDERSSON
The greatest news-to-track this summer season will certainly be Rasmus Andersson’s future.
The Swedish defenceman is qualified to authorize an expansion on July 1 and is an unlimited free-agent in 2026, and recognized that he had not been certain whether his future remained in Calgary when he talked with the media Saturday.
Conroy supplied a little bit much more quality on the scenario, although the Flames GM really did not state anything concrete regarding whether he anticipated to obtain a bargain 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 claimed. “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 certainly both like to obtain his future figured out this summer season, yet it’s not totally needed. He does have an additional year on his agreement, nevertheless.
“I would think something would get done this year, but I don’t want to put a timeframe on it,” Conroy claimed. “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 claimed.
That does not imply the Flames will not attempt to make a sprinkle in free-agency. They feel in one’s bones where they go to. They’re delighted regarding the individuals they composed in the last 2 periods, yet a lot of them have not also played a video game in the NHL yet.
Those young items will certainly create the structure of a team that will ideally be blending it up on top of the Western Conference, yet that’s still a methods away.
If the ideal person is readily available, though? Conroy firmly insists the Flames will certainly having a go 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 discussed. “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.”
-
DEAL SHEETS ARE An OPPORTUNITY
Last summer season, theSt Louis Blues tendered deal sheets to the Edmonton Oilers‘ Philip Broberg andDylan Holloway Both ended up with the Blues, that occur to be the group that directly edged-out the Flames for a playoff area.
Conroy plainly took notification, and claimed he ‘d definitely think about handing offer-sheets to limited free-agents around the organization this summer season.
“We have to look at everything,” Conroy claimed. “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.”
-
INCLUDING RATE
When head train Ryan Huska was inquired about the Flames’ overtime battles this period, he discussed an absence of rate.
Asked whether it was something the Flames are doing not have in the initial 60 mins of video games, as well, Huska concurred that it was.
It’s something Conroy thinks, as well, and will certainly be a top priority this summer season.
“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 claimed. “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. EXPANDING HUSKA
Huska has an additional year on his agreement as head train, and the Flames are delighted with the task he’s done as bench manager.
Conroy has various other top priorities to reach prior to he and Huska take a seat and establish any type of kind of agreement expansion, yet that should not be taken by anybody as the Flames GM not enjoying with what Huska’s highlighted of his group.
“We haven’t really thought about Husk right now, I was looking at the players more,” Conroy claimed. “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 unlimited free-agents, and both did a great task for the Flames this year.
Hanley became a trustworthy companion for MacKenzie Weegar, with Huska also claiming he could have been the Flames’ most regular blueliner given that the Four Nations Face-Off
Vladar, at the same time, played well as Dustin Wolf’s back-up, publishing a. 898 save portion and a 2.80 goals-against-average this period.
Are the Flames curious about bringing them back?
“I talked to Dan and Joel, we’re going to talk to their people,” Conroy claimed. “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 go down a little bit of a shock late in his media accessibility when he disclosed that Yegor Sharangovich had actually damaged his foot in the last video game of the Flames’ period.
It does not always discuss Sharangovich’s mediocre period– his goals-total dropped from 31 objectives in 2023-24 period to 17 this year– yet it was remarkable nevertheless.
“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 claimed. “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 WEATHER
Nazem Kadri really did not do an end-of-season media accessibility on Saturday.
There was no conflict, however.
He had not been also 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 discussed.
-
WRANGLERS OBTAIN SOME ASSISTANCE
Both Adam Klapka and Zayne Parekh were taken into consideration opportunities to sign up with the Calgary Wranglers for their AHL playoff run.
Only Klapka will certainly 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 claimed. “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, needed to do whatever connected with the NHL draft, attended his initial growth camp with the Flames and after that signed up with Team Canada for the World Junior Summer Showcase.
-
TIME TO TIP UP
If the Flames are mosting likely to take the following action and be a playoff group following year, something that’s clear is that young individuals are mosting likely to require to be also much better.
That indicates individuals like Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and even more are mosting likely to boost their video games.
Whatever occurs in free-agency or the profession market or anywhere else this off-season, that’s the solitary greatest trick.
“We need all these young guys to take a step in both on-ice and in their leadership and accountability to the team,” Conroy claimed. “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@postmedia.com
