In an appearance on Amazon’s Coast To Coast, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli mentioned a tidbit about the Calgary Flames and what they might be looking to do:
It is Seravalli, so that should be noted. He can be very hit-and-miss when reporting Flames news and tidbits. However, Craig Conroy has mentioned his desire to add a young centre in previous interviews, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Especially when Frank mentions that they are looking for both someone who fits their age scheme and is a right shot.
We are not sure exactly what the age range that they’d be looking for is, but Conroy has mentioned someone under the age of 24 in previous interviews. With Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Martin Pospisil, Kevin Rooney, and Justin Kirkland all being left shots, it’s no wonder the team might look for a right shot to change up the dynamic. This might be as simple as looking for someone to replace Cole Schwindt, whom the Flames lost to waivers earlier this month.
Is this the right move for the Flames right now?
The question must be asked if right now is the right time to make a move like this. Conroy has mentioned the Montreal Canadiens and their trades for Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook as an example of a guidebook for the Flames. But the Canadiens made those deals after a few years of rebuilding and drafting high. They traded for Dach the same night they drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. They were much further along than where the Flames are in their rebuild.
I’d argue the Flames should still be looking to subtract, not trade assets for additions. Last year’s trading of players should only be the beginning. You don’t want to trade every veteran and ruin the culture for years to come, but the Flames still have an abundance of veterans on their roster and need to move more.
Currently, there is a winger logjam that will only get worse once Yegor Sharangovich is healthy. Let’s say the Flames acquire a 23-year-old centre who can play in their middle-six. Where would they play him? The combinations they’ve used so far have worked. No sense in breaking that up or playing with the chemistry at this moment.
The last line from this excerpt is concerning
The one concern I have is the final sentence in that excerpt from Seravalli, which reads: “They don’t have any interest in tearing things down. They’d actually like to beef up and bolster their lineup if at all possible”. That’s an extremely concerning quote. We knew the team wasn’t going to trade everyone during their transition, but if they think they have completed the trading of players, they are kidding themselves.
There’s no shame in scouring the market and seeing what’s out there. I’d caution against making additions at this point, though. Especially if the Flames want to use their four-game sample size as an indicator of the direction of the organization.
I know many fans are hopeful about the Flames’ direction after a stellar 2024 NHL Draft and making limited moves in free agency. But I think there’s still reason to be skeptical. After all, the only reason the Flames moved out so many players last year is those players said no to contract proposals. Not the other way around. We would be in a totally different situation if some of those players had a change of heart.
