The Calgary Flames actually didn’t make the playoff this era.
But that doesn’t suggest their primary supervisor sights it as a failing.
Quite the opposite.
When he was inquired in regards to the Flames lacking out on the playoffs because of the NHL’s tie-breaker no matter getting 96 elements, GM Craig Conroy offered-up a perky scenario for why this era was a hit.
“Absolutely,” Conroy claimedSaturday “I know playoffs is the ultimate goal of a season but to do what we did, to be there right until the end, to see the growth of so many players on our team and what our leadership group did pulling young guys along and being able to put guys in situations, but with that said it’s still heartbreaking that you’re not going to get to play playoff hockey, and they deserved it. I thought they were going to make it and I give those guys credit, they came through big.”
Here’s 10 takeaways from the Flames GM’s end-of-season media accessibility on Saturday:
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ANDERSSON
The best news-to-track this summer season season will definitely be Rasmus Andersson’s future.
The Swedish defenceman is certified to authorize an growth on July 1 and is a vast free-agent in 2026, and acknowledged that he had not been sure whether or not his future remained in Calgary when he talked with the media Saturday.
Conroy provided somewhat bit way more high quality on the state of affairs, though the Flames GM actually didn’t state something concrete relating to whether or not he anticipated to acquire a discount finished.
“I talked to Ras today and I think there’s a little uncertainty right now, we didn’t really talk about anything other than that he was going to go to worlds,” Conroy claimed. “He’s earned that right, everybody has a time when they get to a point in their career where they have to make some decisions moving forward. We’ll sit down and talk about it and see where he’s at and where we’re at and if it makes sense to both sides, we’ll move forward.”
Conroy and Andersson will surely each prefer to get hold of his future found out this summer season season, but it’s not completely wanted. He does have a further 12 months on his settlement, however.
“I would think something would get done this year, but I don’t want to put a timeframe on it,” Conroy claimed. “He has one other 12 months on his profession, too, so I don’t wish to say ‘Absolutely, there’s going to be one thing finished within the subsequent 5 months’. “
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FREE AGENCY
For anybody questioning whether or not the Flames are going to splash out some money in free-agency, Conroy didn’t deny the chance completely.
He did, nevertheless, reiterate that the group is taking a affected person method to constructing a contender.
“I don’t think we’re going to fast-forward it and it’s hard to fast-forward it,” Conroy claimed.
That doesn’t suggest the Flames is not going to try to make a sprinkle in free-agency. They really feel in a single’s bones the place they go to. They’re delighted relating to the people they composed within the final 2 durations, but plenty of them haven’t additionally performed a online game within the NHL but.
Those younger gadgets will definitely create the construction of a group that can ideally be mixing it up on prime of the Western Conference, but that’s nonetheless a strategies away.
If the best particular person is available, although? Conroy firmly insists the Flames will definitely having a go at bringing him to Calgary.
“We have the pro scouting meetings in May, I’ve challenged them to kind of target people that could be here long-term who could make a difference for us,” Conroy mentioned. “Obviously, when you get into free-agency, I don’t think our list would be very long but if there’s a person who is a game-changer we think we could have an opportunity to get, we’re definitely going to take a shot at him. Does that mean we’re going to get him? I don’t know.”
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DEAL SHEETS ARE An OPPORTUNITY
Last summer season season, theSt Louis Blues tendered deal sheets to the Edmonton Oilers‘ Philip Broberg andDylan Holloway Both ended up with the Blues, that happen to be the group that immediately edged-out the Flames for a playoff space.
Conroy plainly took notification, and claimed he ‘d positively take into consideration handing offer-sheets to restricted free-agents across the group this summer season season.
“We have to look at everything,” Conroy claimed. “Watching that from a distance and now they’re within the playoffs and we’re not, although we now have the identical variety of factors, we now have to take a look at all that. We have cap room and we now have our picks, so we’re not going to take something off the desk.
“There are rules and we have to make sure whatever is best for the Calgary Flames, that’s what we’re going to do.”
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INCLUDING RATE
When head prepare Ryan Huska was inquired in regards to the Flames’ extra time battles this era, he mentioned an absence of price.
Asked whether or not it was one thing the Flames are doing not have within the preliminary 60 minutes of video video games, as properly, Huska concurred that it was.
It’s one thing Conroy thinks, as properly, and will definitely be a prime precedence this summer season season.
“For sure, speed, especially when you’re in those three-on-threes and you notice teams that are really fast, they’re hard to handle,” Conroy claimed. “We’d like to add more speed and we’ve challenged the guys to go home and work as much as anything on we want to get faster. That’s skating and your lower-body strength and we expect them to come back and each guy be a little quicker and if we can add some speed, we’d look to do that, too.”
5. EXPANDING HUSKA
Huska has a further 12 months on his settlement as head prepare, and the Flames are delighted with the duty he’s finished as bench supervisor.
Conroy has numerous different prime priorities to achieve previous to he and Huska sit down and set up any sort of sort of settlement growth, but that shouldn’t be taken by anyone because the Flames GM not having fun with with what Huska’s highlighted of his group.
“We haven’t really thought about Husk right now, I was looking at the players more,” Conroy claimed. “Those would be internal discussions with Don Maloney, Dave Nonis, Brad Pascall, myself, but huska’s done an amazing job. I’m not worried about it if we don’t, but I couldn’t be more happy with the job he’s done here for us.”
6. HANLEY AND VLADAR’S FUTURE
Both Dan Vladar and Joel Hanley are limitless free-agents, and each did a terrific job for the Flames this 12 months.
Hanley grew to become a reliable companion for MacKenzie Weegar, with Huska additionally claiming he might have been the Flames’ most common blueliner provided that the Four Nations Face-Off
Vladar, on the similar time, performed properly as Dustin Wolf’s back-up, publishing a. 898 save portion and a 2.80 goals-against-average this era.
Are the Flames interested by bringing them again?
“I talked to Dan and Joel, we’re going to talk to their people,” Conroy claimed. “They played great for us, they really did, but there’s only so many spots, that’s the other hard thing. We’ve got to figure out what are the best fits for us and what’s the best fit for them moving forward.”
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SHARANGOVICH
Conroy did go down somewhat little bit of a shock late in his media accessibility when he disclosed that Yegor Sharangovich had really broken his foot within the final online game of the Flames’ interval.
It doesn’t at all times focus on Sharangovich’s mediocre interval– his goals-total dropped from 31 aims in 2023-24 interval to 17 this 12 months– but it was outstanding however.
“Sharangovich, his foot is broken, so we’re going to have to get him back at some point at four-to-six weeks and then he’ll be ready to go,” Conroy claimed. “He broke it the last game. He had a few other things that he played through during the year, but it’s just one of those years, it’s been one thing after another. I really thought he was playing well the last 10-to-15 games, where you’re like ‘OK, it’s coming’ and then this again.”
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KADRI UNDER THE WEATHER
Nazem Kadri actually didn’t do an end-of-season media accessibility on Saturday.
There was no battle, nevertheless.
He had not been additionally on the rink.
“He was sick today, he was not feeling well so he didn’t come in and we didn’t get to talk to him. He didn’t do his medicals or anything,” Conroy mentioned.
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WRANGLERS OBTAIN SOME ASSISTANCE
Both Adam Klapka and Zayne Parekh have been considered alternatives to enroll with the Calgary Wranglers for his or her AHL playoff run.
Only Klapka will definitely be heading down, although.
“We’re going to actually, Klapka, when he gets cleared he’s going to go down, talked to him, he wants to go down and be part of the run down there,” Conroy claimed. “Parekh, we’re not going to do. He’s played a lot of hockey. Last year, he didn’t get to train much, and this year the focus is to get stronger and make the team.”
Last 12 months, Parekh had a Memorial Cup run, wanted to do no matter linked with the NHL draft, attended his preliminary progress camp with the Flames and after that signed up with Team Canada for the World Junior Summer Showcase.
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TIME TO TIP UP
If the Flames are mosting more likely to take the next motion and be a playoff group following 12 months, one thing that’s clear is that younger people are mosting more likely to require to be additionally significantly better.
That signifies people like Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and much more are mosting more likely to enhance their video video games.
Whatever happens in free-agency or the occupation market or wherever else this low season, that’s the solitary best trick.
“We need all these young guys to take a step in both on-ice and in their leadership and accountability to the team,” Conroy claimed. “As a young guy, he makes a mistake and it’s ‘Oh he’s a young guy’, we’ve got to kind of weed them off that to where we’re going to make mistakes but we’re not going to make mistakes over and over again. I expect all those guys to come back that much more comfortable, feeling that much better about their game.”
daustin@postmedia.com
