First off, I wanted to thank both executives again for chatting with me. I wanted to provide my insight into their answers and what they thought.
Let’s chat about some of the interesting things brought up by these executives. First off, I want to remind everyone that those are their opinions and thoughts. I’ll be giving my takeaways on their answers, but it’s important to remember how valuable their thoughts are.
With that in mind, let’s jump into some of the interesting topics brought forth in our executive chat!
The Flames didn’t take the best offers for Tanev and Hanifin
The first point that was a bit of a surprise was Executive Two saying the Calgary Flames didn’t end up getting the best offers for Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.
We knew there was one better offer from the Colorado Avalanche for Tanev, but the Flames would have had to take a cap dump back. In hindsight, maybe that was the right deal to take. It will depend on how Artem Grushnikov turns out. Tanev was a great veteran for the team, so I don’t think many fans were upset when they dealt him to a contender for a chance to win a Stanley Cup.
The Flames should have dealt Hanifin earlier, though. This executive suggested his team offered a higher return for Hanifin in the summer. It’s too bad they didn’t jump on that, but they were still trying to sign him into February. It’s a pattern they’ve followed for a long time, never trading a guy at his peak value. We will see if they follow a similar path with Rasmus Andersson.
Conroy is too player-friendly
I also thought the talk of Craig Conroy letting the players run the show, for the most part, was interesting. It’s something that has crossed my mind. The comparisons to the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning are interesting. Those are teams you want to be like, but they are also tax-free states and teams where players want to go. That can’t exactly be said for the Flames, so that has to be factored in as well. That’s certainly a point to reflect upon for the next few years, as it could hurt them in future contract negotiations.
The Flames drafted a few players with “character concerns” in 2024
A point a lot of people were troubled with was the “character concerns” identified by Executive One for a couple of players in the Flames’ 2024 draft class. I’ll just remind everyone that these kids are 18-19 years old.
Every organization views traits and personalities differently. Everyone views players differently. This is also something to watch in future years. Maybe this executive is right, maybe he’s not. One other point I want to make is we will never know who he is talking about, so it’s best not to speculate.
Executives made note that the Flames are mid
Lastly, I thought it was interesting that both executives noted the Flames are once again not very good and not very bad. It’s a frustrating outcome for a fanbase that has experienced the same thing for years.
Executive Two comparing them to the St. Louis Blues was interesting. It’s a comparison I didn’t really think of, but it makes sense. They have some older guys on long-term contracts and no real star forwards. I’d certainly take Robert Thomas over anyone on the Flames, though.
I guess it makes sense, as the Blues were the best team to finish outside the playoffs last year. They picked 10th overall in 2023 and 16th overall in 2024. That seems awfully similar to the Flames picking ninth in 2024 and on pace to pick 16th in 2025. However, they will lose that pick to the Montreal Canadiens if they don’t win the draft lottery.
