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NHL Off-Season Rankings: No. 12, Calgary Flames
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- NHL Off-Season Rankings: No. 12, Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames have been on the road to redemption for a couple of years now, as Flames management has the mandate to transform an underperforming squad into a year-in, year-out Stanley Cup front-runner.
In this summer's series in which TheHockeyNews.com ranks every team's off-season, the Flames rank 12th. Ranking criteria include roster departures and arrivals, coach and/or GM changes, contract extensions, and promotions.
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Flames GM Craig Conroy has shown great patience as he traded veteran stars and converted them into draft picks, prospects and young players. But while there's still a long way for Calgary to go before they're legitimate championship contenders, you can see what Conroy is trying to achieve with the moves he's making.
Arrivals:
Simon Nemec (D), Maxim Tsyplakov (LW), Jake Middleton (D)
The acquisition of Nemec from the New Jersey Devils (and to a lesser degree, the acquisition of Middleton from the Minnesota Wild ) gives Calgary an improved defense corps. Conroy used the sixth-overall draft pick this year to add WHL blueliner Carson Carels, and while Carels may not step in right away as a needle-moving D-man, having him in the system means Calgary's group of blueliners is only going to get deeper and more talented.
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Otherwise, bringing in Tsyplakov gives Calgary some of the depth they lost with the departures of veteran wingers Blake Coleman and Ryan Lomberg. Conroy and Flames coach Ryan Huska are going to be steadfast in their intent to slowly but surely improve internally and assimilate Calgary's prospects into the NHL game.
Nemec is the big fish, though. Nemec was lost in the shuffle in New Jersey, but he will be depended on to grow into a cornerstone component in the Flames' defense corps. The 22-year-old had a career-best season last year, posting 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games – but on a Flames team that needs as much talent as it can get, acquiring Nemec and signing him to a five-year contract extension worth $7.25 million per season could turn into one of the NHL's best bargains.
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Departures:
Blake Coleman (LW), Olli Maatta (D), Ryan Lomberg (LW)
Many hockey observers expected Conroy to trade Coleman last season, but Conroy held out for a better asking price for Coleman, and in addition to Middleton, Calgary received a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-round pick for Coleman (50 percent retained) and Maatta. That's a great trade for a player who is effectively a one-year rental.
Maatta was an experienced hand, but he's 32 years old and won't be around when this Flames team matures into a legit Cup contender. Trading him opens up more opportunity for Calgary's young D-men. Calgary will be picky with their additions to the defense corps, as Conroy now has admirable depth at that position.
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Conroy could've made a slew of changes this summer and radically remade his roster. Instead, he's kept most of the group together, and that says a lot about the confidence he has in his young core. There may still be some additional veterans traded for long-term help, but for the moment, the Flames are moving in the right direction and evaluating their youngsters over the long haul.
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The Bottom Line:
Calgary has never won the NHL's draft lottery. In a conference with elite center talent like Edmonton Oilers generational talent Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche dynamo center Nathan MacKinnon, and Vegas Golden Knights two-way stud Jack Eichel, as well as young superstars like Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, and Leo Carlsson, the Flames need a player of that caliber.
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But in the absence of a foundational first-line center acquired through the draft, Conroy has wisely built a defense corps that can grow together and develop into a dangerous group.
Virtually all of Calgary's veterans believed to have been on the trade block have been traded. But there are still notable Flames veterans out there who could be dealt at any moment – and those veterans are centers Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome, both of whom are UFAs next summer. But Conroy shouldn't be rushed into doing something in haste. He has the long-term in mind, and the good news for Flames fans is that Conroy is taking his time to get it right.
In a comparatively weak Pacific Division, the Flames must work toward being better than the up-and-coming San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks , as well as the more established Golden Knights and Oilers.
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