The 2026 offseason marked a pivotal moment in their rebuild, as they held the sixth overall pick. Their last pick that high came ten years ago, when they selected Matthew Tkachuk sixth overall.
This offseason was the time when the team were going to fully lean into their youth movement and add for the future. The Flames’ offseason consisted of acquiring 2022 second-overall pick Simon Nemec, drafting Carson Carels and Jack Hextall, and trading away Blake Coleman.
Now that we are past the draft and free agency, how would you grade Conroy’s work? We asked, you answered.
Assigning a grade to Conroy’s offseason
We presented the poll below to our readers.
Grade: A
Conroy has been very busy this summer. Firstly, Simon Nemec and his elite offensive potential are a welcome addition to the team. The Flames are in big need of players who have such high-end potential. With New Jersey having a logjam on their backend, Calgary may be able to unlock his full potential with the increased minutes. Additionally, the Flames used their sixth overall pick to acquire Carson Carels. He’s a high-end two-way defenceman who could be a perfect partner for Parekh or Nemec. They have built through the backend so far and are looking poised to have the best young defensive group in the league.
Despite giving away draft picks for Simon Nemec, the Flames managed to acquire more picks by trading away Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta. The rebuild is still not done. Conroy is aware of this, as he traded away two veterans for a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-round pick. It’s been a busy period. If you believe the team should not rush their rebuild, this has been a great offseason.
Grade: B
The B grade, good but not great. At the end of the day, Conroy stuck to his word in bringing in more youth. However, did Conroy give up too much for Nemec? Did he not get enough for Coleman? What about going through another draft without getting that dreaded first-line centre for the future?
Nemec may have all the potential in the world, but it is just potential. I think we can all agree that his on-ice stats in the NHL don’t justify the price that may have been paid. But when you are acquiring a young player like Nemec, the player’s potential needs to be analyzed as well due to the small sample size. He was a second overall pick for a reason. It’s rare to see wingers traded for first-round picks. Although Coleman may have been one of the top options on this Calgary team, on a contending team, he is more of a depth piece.
Lastly, regarding the draft, Conroy stated time and time again that he would be drafting the best player available, and outside of McKenna and Stenberg, there did not seem to be a clear difference between the best forward available, like Viggo Bjorck and Carels. However, time will tell at the end of the day.
Grade: C/D
Not many people voted for these options. It’s hard to give Conroy a grade this low for this offseason in my opinion, and I don’t really know how one would.
Stick to the plan
Conroy has not lost sight of the main goal, to build a team that can contend for years. It’s reassuring to see him trade away veterans for younger players who have high potential, and with the prospect cupboard that looks stronger as time goes on.
