Craig Conroy was thrown right to the wolves in what is his first time as a general manager. Taking over for Brad Treliving, Conroy found himself with a veteran-filled Calgary Flames roster that had just missed the playoffs by 17 points. Plenty of those veterans were also nearing the end of their respective contracts and didn’t express much, if any interest in re-signing.
Since then, Conroy has moved out several veterans including Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, and Andrew Mangiapane. Though it was a slow process, fans were finally starting to feel like, under a new regime, this team was headed in the right direction. Rather than continue to be a middling team, it felt like Conroy was opting for more of a rebuild approach.
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Any question as to whether or not the Flames are in a true rebuild has been answered. Conroy moved out yet another veteran in Rasmus Andersson (albeit a pending unrestricted free agent), before shocking all, including Flames players, by sending MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.
Though the Andersson deal didn’t come as any sort of surprise, moving Weegar, a player under contract through the 2030-31 season, shows that this organization is indeed in a rebuild. It will take some time before this team is ready to contend for a Stanley Cup, but based on what we’ve seen as of late, it’s more than fair to say they are headed in the right direction.
Flames Have Plenty of Young Pieces
As is the case with any rebuilding team, it is important to have great young players in the pipeline. Anybody who has been paying any attention to the Flames knows that they certainly have that. Take their active roster, for example, which features the likes of Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Matvei Gridin, and Zayne Parekh. All four of these players are expected to be a part of the long-term picture here in Calgary, and more help is on the way.
The Flames have plenty of players knocking on the door such as Sam Honzek, William Stromgren, Aydar Suniev, and Hunter Brzustewicz, all of whom are already in the pro ranks. It gets even more exciting when doing a deeper dive, as there are plenty of promising prospects who appear to have NHL potential including, but not limited to, Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, Ethan Wyttenbach, Jacob Battaglia, Henry Mews, and Andrew Basha. More are coming, too.
Thanks to moving out so many veteran players, Conroy has been able to load up on draft picks. Based on the way his scouting staff has been drafting since he’s taken over, there is plenty of reason to be confident that they will continue hitting on draft selections going forward.
The Flames currently have eight picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft. They also have two first-round selections in 2027, along with two second-round picks in 2028. Even more are likely to be added, as more veterans such as Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman will be moved, whether it be at the trade deadline, in the summer, or during the 2026-27 campaign.
Though Conroy and the rest of the Flames managerial team are hesitant when it comes to using the word rebuild, their moves are doing all the speaking for them. Suddenly, a team that had no sense of direction just a few short years ago is one that now has a very bright future in store.
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What’s telling about the job Conroy is done is that the fan base is completely embracing these moves. More often than not, opting for a rebuild is a decision that upsets a fan base, as it results in plenty of short-term pain. This fan base, however, realizes that in order to win a Stanley Cup, this was a necessary step to take.
Flames Will Be Competitive Sooner Than Later
Though the Flames’ direction feels to have shifted to a complete rebuild, the pieces they have already acquired and have in the organization suggest that this isn’t going to be a lengthy process. In fact, there is a good chance that by the time they are pushing for a playoff spot by the time they move into their new building for the 2027-28 season.
