Craig Conroy Needs to Pick a Lane

[GullFoss]

Conroy has picked a lane. This team is Sir Sucks a Lot

They just overachieved last year. Doubt it happens again this year.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Conroy has picked a lane. This team is Sir Sucks a Lot

They just overachieved last year. Doubt it happens again this year.

I disagree. This team has great leadership coming from the vets and a direction that can only go up. We have a lot of youth like Wolf, Zary and Coronato that is only going to get better. On top of that they work hard and compete every night. That's not a Sir Sucks Alot team.

[GullFoss]

I agree that this seems like a likable bunch of players, with a veteran leadership team that will provide guidance. They try hard.

I think it lacks any legit first line players, a competent back-up, or a number 1 defenseman. Losing Vladar makes the team worse. Looking Rasmus will make the team worse. And this team is unlikely to get the puck luck it got last season.

I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if the season was over by the end of October.

[dino7c]

Vladar had an .898...people act like he was awesome. Ras could be a big loss, but others are pushing and I think there is some now in any Ras trade. Zayne is already a better PP QB than anyone the Flames had last year (or years)

It could go off the rails but I look around the league and most teams are pretty flawed.

[GullFoss]

it's interesting...a lot of us seem to think Conroy has picked a lane, but are in disagreement as to which lane he has picked exactly.

I think he's loading up on prospects with middle six potential by trading our aging vets for mid to low first round picks and prospects with middle of the line up potential. And as he does this, the present quality of the team is falling because the picks and prospects aren't ready yet. This sets up a few massive fail seasons where the flames can then get top of the line up talent

At which point the rebuild will be complete

[Matty81]

Team is mediocre and on the path to average, I think you'd have to be a massive homer to look at our prospect base and roster and think this organization is anywhere near a path to a cup right now. A few nice pieces but there are rebuilding teams just feasting on the draft right now who will probably be crushing the flames in 5 years.

It's not conroys fault he's done ok with his trades and inherited an organization with very little depth. But nobody wins the cup without a #1 center and the flames will need to get historically fortunate to nab one with a pick outside the top 10. And I think wolf is too good for them to pick that high.

Conroy did well in year 1, i didnt love going for mid 20s guys over picks and prospects but still got younger and picked up some extra swings at the draft - and then last year the retool/rebuild whatever you want to call it got paused because the team overperformed.

Realistically if we want to win a cup and aren't just gonna pat ourselves on the back for making the playoffs and being cannon fodder as the peak for this next core the flames need to realize some assets for some of the older guys who won't be here when the team contends this year and make some cuts a little closer to the bone. Otherwise just years of average to bad teams ahead

[dissentowner]

Well I pretty much disagree with everything in the above post. The Flames are on a path to contention within the next 3 years. Also, St Louis recently won a Cup without a #1 C.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I agree that this seems like a likable bunch of players, with a veteran leadership team that will provide guidance. They try hard.

I think it lacks any legit first line players, a competent back-up, or a number 1 defenseman. Losing Vladar makes the team worse. Looking Rasmus will make the team worse. And this team is unlikely to get the puck luck it got last season.

I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if the season was over by the end of October.

We haven't given whoever happens to be the backup a chance and you're already writing them off. Should we not give them a fair chance.

Weegar has proven himself to be a #1 d man.

Just because we don't have any elite forwards doesn't mean this team can't compete for a playoff spot. We have enough talented forwards to handle the scoring dept . Vegas did that for years by scoring by committee.

The schedule is very tough for the month of October. If they can be hovering around the .500 mark by the beginning of November I think they'll be fine.

The play of Wolf is a factor you're missing. If he continues his solid play, he gives a chance to win every night.

Sorry but I don't share your extreme negativity.

[White Out 403]

Wow, he's been GM a whole 2 years?

Anyway I remember I went to his return game, 1st game back as a Flame after being traded away or signed elsewhere. I think he got 2 goals and almost a hatty that night. That was exciting.

[ForeverFlameFan]

What is a rebuild then when you trade Toffoli, Zadorov, Markstrom, Hanifin, Lindholm, and potentially Andersson?

I seriously don't get it around here. That's a rebuild. People are just mad our franchise goalie didn't allow us to bottom out. I was a big fan of last season and constantly in position to making the playoffs. Let Conroy cook.

Playoff experience for the youngsters > lottery odds of a pick we likely lose.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I know you're about to get eviscerated on here, but I agree with you to an extent. Many of us don't want a retool, but it is what we are going to get and what the message has always been.

So in that sense, the Flames have picked a lane. Even if I don't agree with it fully.

Not familiar with that word.

Does it mean responded to a question posed to create discussion with a thoughtful response?

Because if so you're right!

[bubbsy]

Think there is a lane.

I feel it’s to let an organic rebuild take place. Not forcing total scorched earth , trade all vets, type rebuild.

Instead, let nature take its course. Don’t make any moves where the move doesn’t make sense for now but also, and more importantly, 2-3 years out. They didn’t bring ANYTHING in to improve the roster from outside the org this offseason. Happy to let the chips fall where they may season to season, but without deviating from the above approach (value towards now and 2-3 years out).

It should somehow also meet both sides of the fan base’s desires as well.

[Bingo]

Even if you were forced to pick between two very strict lane definitions (they're not) I don't think it would be much debate which lane they are in.

Teams that move UFAs before they expire for mostly futures and then leave $20M in cap space unused for 24 months are not in the "go for it" lane by any measure.

We've all said it a few times, but I think Conroy thought he had a bottom ten team last year and was as shocked as anyone that they were close. That moved him to honour their effort and not break it up, but still pause in adding reinforcements to their roster.

[EVERLAST]

Craig apparently is in the fast lane driving to slow and people are honking and flipping birds but Craig's too busy and friendly to realize hey , these folks are actually mad at me maybe I'll get out of this lane and find a lane where folks aren't in such a rush ....but I'll keep waving back and smiling hoping people will cool thier jets a bit.

I think it's great he has done what he set out to do without self sabotaging this franchise again just like everyone else who sat at the top and listened to the media, their own ego , players agents complaining about players playing boring hockey, too limited of ice time blah blah .

I hope he doesn't change a thing. I see where anything different and new should be immediately dreaded and questioned about but we're never been anything above mediocre this whole time so why now with all the impatiently waiting for something beyond the norm?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Team is mediocre and on the path to average, I think you'd have to be a massive homer to look at our prospect base and roster and think this organization is anywhere near a path to a cup right now.

Maybe they’re homers or maybe your ability to evaluate things related to hockey isn’t very strong so it’s a given that people will have different opinions than you.

I mean who knows!

Originally Posted by EVERLAST

Craig apparently is in the fast lane driving to slow and people are honking and flipping birds but Craig's too busy and friendly to realize hey , these folks are actually mad at me maybe I'll get out of this lane and find a lane where folks aren't in such a rush ....but I'll keep waving back and smiling hoping people will cool thier jets a bit.

I like to think of it in terms of the people who understand how he’s working are like people who understand how to smoothly and successfully zipper merge, while “the others” are people who don’t let anyone zipper or stop an entire lane trying to merge 20 cars early.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Getback's post on the first page are exactly my thoughts.


The only I would add is that regardless of where the Flames are at in the standings, Conroy is 100% committed to building through the draft. Just a few days ago someone posted up that Calgary's scouting staff was one of the larger ones in the league. This team is scouting and developing very well.



I think the Flames are still going to bottom out, but it won't be very prolonged. I also think that they will find a few nuggets of gold deep in the draft - maybe not Gaudreau level, but they will find core pieces in the depth of the draft.


I love the direction that this team is headed. Whether they bottom-out or not, I think Conroy is going to build a contender here. I will be surprised if it is yet another bubble team that is in and out of the playoffs like we have seen in the most recent era.

[SutterBrother]

Are we pretending there's a plan to rebuild?

Craig Conroy tried to sign Lindholm before trading him. That's your indication that we lack direction.

Oh, was that too long ago to count? Ok, how about the fact Rasmus Andersson is still playing for this team? Oh, we couldn't trade him because we were trying to be first round fodder for the Oilers. Great.

How about "we can't strip it down because the rookies need good examples!"

Spoiler alert - Wolf and Coronato are better players than the "examples". They don't GAF about our sad-sack "culture" and captain who has never accomplished anything of note in his lengthy LENGTHY career with one franchise...

Pulling hard for 9th overall in the west again. Just like the last 30 years.

(probably time for a coffee)

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

Are we pretending there's a plan to rebuild?

Craig Conroy tried to sign Lindholm before trading him. That's your indication that we lack direction.

Oh, was that too long ago to count? Ok, how about the fact Rasmus Andersson is still playing for this team? Oh, we couldn't trade him because we were trying to be first round fodder for the Oilers. Great.

How about "we can't strip it down because the rookies need good examples!"

Spoiler alert - Wolf and Coronato are better players than the "examples". They don't GAF about our sad-sack "culture" and captain who has never accomplished anything of note in his lengthy LENGTHY career with one franchise...

Pulling hard for 9th overall in the west again. Just like the last 30 years.

(probably time for a coffee)

I think you need more than a coffee. Might I suggest an SSRI?

[just_tim]

People seem to forget you can’t just order the team to lose. As other have pointed out, Connie has jettisoned the majority of bad contracts, he’s been left with a few pieces that Treliving signed that are un-movable, he’s sticking to his eval of Andersson, he’s improved our feeder system with several moving into the lineup and by refusing to sign middling FA’s, has preserved cap room. The only thing that has gone wrong is that a bunch of motivated professionals lead by a unicorn goalie played for each other and refused to lose. Bring on the season!

[Big Erned Nevergivn]

I have a couple of thoughts. First thing is first, the unfortunate part of being the flames GM, is that their hands are tied in terms of a rebuild. It's common knowledge our ownership does not have the patience (or likely the appetite for lost revenue) to do a full scorched earth rebuild. This is amplified by the new building and them wanting to be competitive leading up to, and after the new building is in place.

Secondly, I agree with the majority of posters who are saying Craig has done a great job so far with the hand he was dealt.

Regarding a rebuild, even if Craig was allowed to go that way, having a top 10 goalie who is also young and locked up long term changes everything for two reasons. The first is that it instantly makes you competitive for a playoff spot, and secondly it becomes really hard to finish bottom 5.