The new general manager of the Calgary Flames, Craig Conroy, already knows what he wants to accomplish early on in his run as the man making the roster decisions. While speaking with Frank Seravalli on his podcast “Frankly Speaking”, Conroy noted that it’s something most GMs want to do and an item that was identified when both he and former GM Brad Treliving were working together, but Conroy wants to add another top-six forward to the team.
He also added that he wants to “find some chemistry with our lines, to figure out who mixes well. ” He noted that he felt bad for both Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri because they were all over the place and some continuity and certainty will likely help both of those players. He also noted that he wants to see his top stars play more.
The Flames have a laundry list of items to tackle and some internal turmoil to deal with. Conroy is probably bang on in thinking that getting on the same page with his current players, getting them to believe in his vision for the team, and getting a coach to support them and offer stability is the right way to start things off. From there, he needs to make sure that the team’s best players are surrounded by others who can maximize their production.
Finding another top-six forward is usually an option for teams, but it’s a matter of finding someone who is of good value at their dollar figure and meshes well with the rest of the roster. As some teams showed this past season and in the playoffs, the wrong mix can be a disaster. For the Flames, they were a team pegged to do big things last season and didn’t even make the playoffs. Conroy is out to change all of that.
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