The Calgary Flames are in a very difficult spot as an organization. They currently have seven returning players (Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Oliver Kylington, and Dennis Gilbert) entering the final year of their respective contracts. They also have recent signee Jordan Oesterle on a one-year contract.
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If he hasn’t yet, general manager (GM) Craig Conroy needs to quickly make a decision here in terms of what direction he wants to take the organization. He can either do what he did with Tyler Toffoli and choose to trade his pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) now in order to bring back younger players under contract, or he can look to work out extensions. What he can’t afford to do, however, is sit around and wait.
Flames Can’t Afford Gaudreau Situation Again
The last time the Flames waited and hoped for an extension was with Johnny Gaudreau. Former GM Brad Treliving learned this situation the hard way, as he seemed to truly believe that Gaudreau would re-sign with the Flames once their 2021-22 season wrapped up. That prevented him from potentially being able to move him at an earlier time for future assets, and instead resulted in the now 29-year-old walking for nothing.
Perhaps for one or two players on the list above, that isn’t the worst-case scenario. That said, for players with plenty of value such as Lindholm and Backlund, it would be devastating to see the same situation as Gaudreau’s play out. The same can be said for Hanifin, who has been clear with management that he isn’t interested in signing an extension at any point.
There are a few issues for Conroy when it comes to moving on from these players, however. One is that with them on the roster, this Flames team remains very talented and capable of making some noise this upcoming season. Another is that ownership does not appear to be willing to allow him to enter a rebuild of any sort, making trades that much harder.
As hard as moving these significant pieces are right now, they will be even more difficult to trade once the season has begun. If you’re Conroy, how could you possibly move a player such as Lindholm midway through the 2023-24 campaign if your team is battling for the top spot in the Pacific Division?
Flames Hoping for Change of Heart
Given that no trades aside from Toffoli’s have transpired yet, it seems that Conroy is at the very least being patient, and likely hoping he can convince the players mentioned above to re-sign. It is a risky bet given that Hanifin’s already made his decision quite clear, while Backlund recently stated that he would re-evaluate in the future, but has no plans on doing so prior to the season.
Regardless of what happens, you have to feel for Conroy in this situation. He came into this job at a very difficult time and is forced to clean up the mess from both the previous management and coaching staff. The best decision would be to move on from these players and get maximum value back in return, but his hesitancy to do so is understandable.
If for whatever reason Conroy does choose to head into the season with these players unsigned, Flames fans can at least have some excitement knowing that they could be in store for plenty of wins. With a new head coach in Ryan Huska leading the way, players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and even Jacob Markstrom should all be expected to have bounce-back seasons. Of course, what it will mean for the long-term future of the organization is anyone’s guess, but perhaps it will be something management chooses to worry about later.