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stemit14 · 08-01-2025, 10:57 AM

It is interesting to consider the types of center prospects that I hope Conroy can target in trades for some of the vets in the next year or so.

I like Danielson as a prospect still but I do see the concerns about his production being valid. It’s a similar case for Helenius out of Buffalo - would really like it if he could be acquired but I don’t think that’s likely either because Andersson would likely never waive to go there and I doubt Buffalo would trade him.

I’m looking for the best possible prospect center that could be acquired in a trade using some combination of pieces like Andersson (50% retained), Coleman (50% retained), 2026 2nd round pick, 2027 2nd round pick. You’re likely not going to get any center that projects to be an 90 point player in the NHL in their prime (eg. Catton) so my hope is to get a center with a really strong defensive game that projects to play center in the NHL. That’s guys like Danielson or Helenius. Still really tough to acquire though even with quality assets.

My thinking is if Calgary can’t or won’t pick in the top 5 of the next few drafts then maybe the way forward is to build a team with depth and defensive skill in the centre positions if they can’t build it with elite offensive centres. Assuming Backlund and Kadri are gone or not core pieces by the time the flames are rebuilt, the flames could have rebuilt the centre depth with some combination of Reschny, Frost, Danielson, Zary and Potter. Who knows which of those players develop into top 3 centres but they all seem to have similar attributes: good hockey IQ and a strong 200 foot game. A team with 3 centers that are really tough to play against could work. It’s not the typical setup for a contender but it could be a coach’s dream to never worry about who they match up their centres against. I guess the idea is the equivalent of having a centre depth of Horvat/Danault/Cirelli/Backlund in their primes. The offensive creativity and play driving may be more sourced from the defence (Parekh, Mews, Brz) and potentially the wings with more drafting.

08-01-2025, 10:57 AM	#6714
stemit14 #1 Goaltender Join Date: Jul 2013 Exp:	It is interesting to consider the types of center prospects that I hope Conroy can target in trades for some of the vets in the next year or so. I like Danielson as a prospect still but I do see the concerns about his production being valid. It’s a similar case for Helenius out of Buffalo - would really like it if he could be acquired but I don’t think that’s likely either because Andersson would likely never waive to go there and I doubt Buffalo would trade him. I’m looking for the best possible prospect center that could be acquired in a trade using some combination of pieces like Andersson (50% retained), Coleman (50% retained), 2026 2nd round pick, 2027 2nd round pick. You’re likely not going to get any center that projects to be an 90 point player in the NHL in their prime (eg. Catton) so my hope is to get a center with a really strong defensive game that projects to play center in the NHL. That’s guys like Danielson or Helenius. Still really tough to acquire though even with quality assets. My thinking is if Calgary can’t or won’t pick in the top 5 of the next few drafts then maybe the way forward is to build a team with depth and defensive skill in the centre positions if they can’t build it with elite offensive centres. Assuming Backlund and Kadri are gone or not core pieces by the time the flames are rebuilt, the flames could have rebuilt the centre depth with some combination of Reschny, Frost, Danielson, Zary and Potter. Who knows which of those players develop into top 3 centres but they all seem to have similar attributes: good hockey IQ and a strong 200 foot game. A team with 3 centers that are really tough to play against could work. It’s not the typical setup for a contender but it could be a coach’s dream to never worry about who they match up their centres against. I guess the idea is the equivalent of having a centre depth of Horvat/Danault/Cirelli/Backlund in their primes. The offensive creativity and play driving may be more sourced from the defence (Parekh, Mews, Brz) and potentially the wings with more drafting.