When Craig Conroy became the General Manager of the Calgary Flames, he recognized that a shake-up was needed among the roster. However, he believed that this shake-up could be achieved while having the team be in a competitive position. The key to this approach involves excellent drafting, no matter where the pick is.
This is something that the Dallas Stars have followed. With Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn on large contracts, the Stars have been able to stay competitive while striking gold in the draft. They found players like Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, and Logan Stankoven. This allowed them to have the ability to trade for star Mikko Rantanen.
However, despite the star power, the Edmonton Oilers easily got past them again in the Conference Final, and it is now a rematch between the Florida Panthers and the Oilers for the Stanley Cup. Two teams that used a different approach than Dallas through tanking and drafting high. This begs the question: Does Florida and Edmonton going back-to-back in the Stanley Cup Final change our opinion on the “Dallas re-tool” strategy that Conroy is following? We asked, you answered.
Want to take part in Sunday Census polls? We send them out every week on our Twitter at @wincolumnCGY. Follow along or send in ideas for the next poll!
Opinions on Conroy’s approach
We presented the below poll to our readers.
I support the retool more
Although they did not make the Stanley Cup Final, Dallas is a very good team. They have a deep lineup of forwards and have a franchise goalie. The one thing that needs improvement is their defence. However, it was due to their incredible drafting and scouting department that they were able to have such a deep lineup.
Sure, they didn’t win the Conference Final, but at some point, there may only be so much that you can do when you are up against the two best players in the league. Many may believe that Dallas has shown that, with a strong scouting department and development plan, it is very possible to build a strong team while playing meaningful games.
Doesn’t change my opinion
Most readers voted for this option. Those who have always supported this approach may still support it. Although they didn’t make the Final, this was Dallas’ third straight Conference Final. Sure, they haven’t made the jump yet to the Final, but three straight Conference Finals is something to be proud of.
Especially for Flames fans who haven’t seen their team make the Conference Final since 2004. Those who never supported this approach may believe that although it can help build a strong roster, this approach won’t give a team the opportunity to draft a true game-breaker like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Matthew Tkachuk.
Support the re-tool less
At the end of the day, true franchise generational talents are almost always drafted first overall. Connor McDavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Sidney Crosby, and if he develops the way he is projected to, Connor Bedard. It is rare to see a generational talent drafted outside of this spot.
If Calgary continues down this approach, it is likely that they won’t ever have a generational talent at this level. Gavin McKenna, Landon Dupont, and Maddox Schultz are all players who are coming up in future NHL drafts and are regarded as potential generational talents. The Flames have never seen a talent at this level on their roster.
Team tank
That leads us to Team Tank. As mentioned above, the generational talents are almost always drafted first overall. The best way to get yourself the first overall pick? Tank. There are many responses to this poll who think the most effective approach for the Flames is to tank for high picks, and draft the best player available, even if that means a couple seasons of finishing near the bottom of the standings.
To retool or rebuild?
This is a question that seems like it will only be answered as time goes on. The Flames seem to have opted for retooling over rebuilding, but the organization won’t know if this was the correct choice until at least a couple of years down the line. The organization has their franchise goalie and franchise defenceman, now they need to find a way to get their franchise centre, whether that is through a rebuild or retool.
You must be logged in to post a comment.