So reading between the lines it might be a really quiet draft and summer and then maybe some trades right before the season begins. The line about the UFAs being happy to play out the year is funny, are they not going to report. I hope the not going into the season with 7 UFAs holds
The Flames prospect pool is ranked 20th, 21st, and 25th by the Scott Wheeler, Dobber Prospects and Hockey Prospecting. Trading Lindholm, Hanifin and other UFAs for draft capital could go a long way in improving the pool. Signing these 29+ year old players to new multi year deals is a surefire way to end up like the Sharks.
Move hanifin for a package including a 1st rounder or a top prospect. Maybe package with vladar and take a contract back to get both. I doubt Backlund Toffoli and Lindholm are all re-signed so moving one of those likely brings back another 2nd rounder at a minimum.
That's 3 young pieces coming in outside of any other trades.
The big question is ... what does "won't go in with 7 UFAs" mean?
6 is ok?
5?
only 1 or 2?
can't with the big two?
He can be right by walking all of the big 5 to free agency by extending either of Zadorov or Kylington for a season.
We should also point out that he may even sign all 7 of them. Then they wouldn't be UFAs... that certainly won't please most fans though and there is a need for change which Conroy has also stated. Something will happen but there doesn't have to be the same hard deadline for all 7 guys to be signed or traded.
So reading between the lines it might be a really quiet draft and summer and then maybe some trades right before the season begins. The line about the UFAs being happy to play out the year is funny, are they not going to report. I hope the not going into the season with 7 UFAs holds
I think they mean UFA for next year, so all the 2024 UFA guys are happy to play out the year and see what happens on their way to UFA... in which case... big surprise lol.
I think that if Lindholm is not moved at the Draft, then this is a very strong indication that Conroy knows exactly what is going on and intends to have him extended after 1 July. I don't believe that anyone is taking a "sit on hands approach."
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I hope you are correct. This would mean that either Lindholm is committed to term and team, or management has an internal deadline of the draft. That is basically the best means to avoid the Gaudreau scenario from last year, or having to cave into any financial demands made by the Lindholm camp. After free agency as the summer passes, trading partners begin to diminish and if the Flames were unable to sign Lindholm his value to the league decreases until the next trade deadline, and that could place the Flames in a real tough place next March.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of questions about this team, and if I were Lindholm I'd want some answers to those questions before I signed what could be my last NHL contract. If the Flames have a tacit agreement with him, or have already made a decision to move on, that's optimal, but I can envision a world where an uncommitted Elias Lindholm is given a bit more time to consider his options after the draft given his importance to the immediate future of this team.
If Elias Lindholm is still on the team without an extension a couple weeks into July, the clock on doing desperate things begins to tick.
I'd love to see a scenario where after Hanifin is moved the Flames are able to use the assets to bring in Konecny.
Really bolster the top 6 that way, and with any kind of bounce back from Huberdeau, Kadri and Markstrom, this team will contend for the division IMO
Would love Konecny, but after moving out Hanifin, I don't see our D as being good enough. Our goalie is suspect. Weegar/Ras could be a good duo. But after that....Kylington missed a year and Tanev gets injured a lot.
We need another top 4 blueliner.
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I must admit I had renewed hope after listening to Conroy's introductory GM speech about either signing or trading upcoming UFA's and making room for young guys, etc. But with the latest info about not setting hard deadlines for players ahead of the draft.. Now I'm confused again about our direction.
After all, the draft is a pretty good place to talk to GM's and make trades if that's the course of action we need to take.
It feels to me just like the same conversations we were having at the Trade Deadline in February. Many were saying it's not the end of the world if we don't trade Toffoli/Tanev, etc. because the draft is the best place to do business. Now it's sounding like another wait-and-see approach.
This is all just speculation and of course Conroy could still wheel and deal next week, but it's just strange to me at least publicly it's being stated that we're not pushing for answers from the 7 upcoming UFA's ahead of the draft.
Also if Lindholm and others are waiting to understand the direction of the franchise as Conroy apparently stated today, is that not cause for concern? You would think that Lindholm as a leader on the team and upcoming UFA, would be consulted on the direction the team is heading ever since Tre left, no? Draft day can't come soon enough, Conroy says the right things now lets see some action.
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I must admit I had renewed hope after listening to Conroy's introductory GM speech about either signing or trading upcoming UFA's and making room for young guys, etc. But with the latest info about not setting hard deadlines for players ahead of the draft.. Now I'm confused again about our direction.
After all, the draft is a pretty good place to talk to GM's and make trades if that's the course of action we need to take.
It feels to me just like the same conversations we were having at the Trade Deadline in February. Many were saying it's not the end of the world if we don't trade Toffoli/Tanev, etc. because the draft is the best place to do business. Now it's sounding like another wait-and-see approach.
This is all just speculation and of course Conroy could still wheel and deal next week, but it's just strange to me at least publicly it's being stated that we're not pushing for answers from the 7 upcoming UFA's ahead of the draft.
Also if Lindholm and others are waiting to understand the direction of the franchise as Conroy apparently stated today, is that not cause for concern? You would think that Lindholm as a leader on the team and upcoming UFA, would be consulted on the direction the team is heading ever since Tre left, no? Draft day can't come soon enough, Conroy says the right things now lets see some action.
I am blatantly speculating, but this is the problem with keeping a coach and a Gm that were so close to the old team. I hope I am wrong, but the status quo is worst case scenario.
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Hopefully the Conroy comments are being misquoted or he's coming out and saying that as some type of posturing.
Ofcourse they want to play the season out and see where things go. That gives them all the leverage.
If they want to stay they should be willing to re-sign this summer. Lots of players do it.
Yeah, these next 10 days will be pretty interesting to watch. Connie’s first real shot at improving a pretty lacklustre organization. I think he has to be active for me to begin to believe in this new crew.
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The depth of quality in this draft? Plus these guys likely make impacts on the opening night roster of the new barn.
Yes, it's a deeper draft. But each draft pick costs commensurately more, as a result. It's not like other GMs are just going to give up a 20th pick for the same value they would any other year - this year, that pick costs way more.
There is no free lunch. And there is no 'requirement' to get picks this year.
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If only the owners had the vision to see that trading Hanifin and Lindholm now will make the team better for when the new arena is built. This team is not a championship team, and I think everyone agrees with that.
I don't because I don't know. Teams win championships in sports quite often that are not expected to. The Golden Knights just won the SC after missing the playoffs last season. Do I expect the Flames to win the SC next year? No. Could they? Possibly. There are way too many factors in play we don't know about.
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I don't because I don't know. Teams win championships in sports quite often that are not expected to. The Golden Knights just won the SC after missing the playoffs last season. Do I expect the Flames to win the SC next year? No. Could they? Possibly. There are way too many factors in play we don't know about.
The Knights had a bunch of injuries last year and have a bonafide superstar that the flames should have traded for. The flames have no stars anymore. Huberdeau is not a star. Neither is Kadri. They're both complimentary players. Like Tangauy was for Iginla.
This team is a bunch of Tangauys and No Iginlas! We lost our stars. You can't win without star power, in my opinion.
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Lindy was supposed to provide clarity to the Flames after the weekend, but the Flames haven't received it yet.
League wide speculation (among managers) is that neither Lindholm nor Hanifin are signing with the Flames on July 1.
If what Frank says is on point, I think both should be traded at the draft. If these players are uncertain, then that uncertainty is a "no" in my eyes. You either commit to signing July 1, or you get traded.
Last edited by ComixZone; 06-21-2023 at 03:45 PM.
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I don't think anyone should read anything into Connie's comments at this stage on the trade front. He's looking for leverage in trades and isn't going to come out and say, yes we will be moving players if the offers right now he is looking at are poor.
And you can bet every GM out there is trying to pick his pocket right now with him being a brand new GM. Wait, let the other GMs know you are willing to go to the deadline if needed on Hanifin, and see if prices rise over the next week.
In a worst case scenario if he doesn't move or sign 3 or even 4 pending UFAs I think there won't be a huge value difference at the deadline vs the draft, though I agree that ideally would be better to make a move right now.
All that said, if he doesn't make a trade, he absolutely has to re-sign at least a couple of them, as he himself said, 7 is way too many UFAs to manage at the deadline. And in a worst case scenario if he keeps a bunch of UFAs and the Flames do their usual thing and hang out around the 8th playoff spot, will be much tougher to get ownership to sign off on moving them even if it is the right thing to do long run
