And just like that, the Calgary Flames have locked in their roster for the remainder of the season. The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and to the surprise of some, Flames GM Craig Conroy decided to not make any trades on March 7.
The Flames have $18M in cap space, are fighting for a playoff spot, and have some key decisions to make regarding some of their veterans. Despite all of this, no moves were made ahead of the deadline and Conroy decided that the trade they made earlier in the season in acquiring Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost was all that they were comfortable with.
We decided to ask our readers: Do you agree with the Flames not making any deadline deals? We asked, you answered.
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Flames trade deadline reactions
The questions posed were: On the lack of a deadline performance, do you agree with the Flames not making any deadline deals? What grade would you give the Flames for [their] deadline performance?
Or the lack of a deadline performance, do you agree with the #Flames not making any deadline deals? pic.twitter.com/zd8sJP9QeT
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) March 7, 2025
Here are some Flames trade deadline reactions.
Not impressed with Calgary
Some readers were pretty blunt in the grades they gave the franchise. Some raw grade replies ranged from F to F-, as well as -10/10.
Many fans seem unimpressed about not necessarily the team’s lack of moves, but more so the lack of direction. If a team thinks they have a chance to push for the playoffs, one may expect to see that team acquire some depth pieces to strengthen their roster. If a team doesn’t think this is the year they can be competitive, they would sell instead. Overall, an asset management approach is expected, yet many fans don’t believe they have seen that approach.
Lets face it, even if we make the playoffs we are a first round exit. Why not dump you good players like Kadri and Anderson for some picks and prospects, get a top 10 pick, and complete thr rebuild?
— Dustin wolf enthusiast (@Dylantheflamez) March 7, 2025
I don’t agree at all, there are teams like Boston who are selling right now because they’re being completely honest about themselves. Calgary is still delusional, and thinks they can’t sacrifice one damn playoff push
— Veer (@Veer976) March 7, 2025
Market was not there
Other readers didn’t mind the deadline we saw from the Flames.
I don’t mind it. The obvious trades have no value so why bother? Also why trade away players that want to be in Calgary? Conroy clearly has a plan and I trust that he’s in for the long haul benefits and not band-aid returns. I haven’t seen one trade today that left my jaw on the…
— Colin (@colinzerk) March 7, 2025
There is a point to be made about building a strong culture within the organization. And as the Flames aren’t your big market star cities like New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, and they aren’t a favourable tax destination like Florida and Dallas—they need to keep a strong culture. It wasn’t long ago when Calgary was being labeled as a team where nobody wants to stay.
As of right now, the Flames are in the hunt for a playoff spot. They haven’t been good enough to show that they are a true Stanley Cup contender, but they have also surpassed expectations this year by not being a bottom five team in the league. Many may see that in this situation, the most risk-averse approach would be to not make any moves at all.
The Flames have made their bed
At the end of the day, the Flames have to move on with the decision they made, and find out how they are going to succeed long-term with the decisions they made this trade deadline. Time will tell whether it was the right call or not, but the last thing any fan wants is a plan to stay in the mushy middle and try to squeak into the playoffs year after year. Conroy says he has a plan, let’s see how it pans out.
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