Are the Calgary Flames Better Off with Craig Conroy as Their GM Than Brad Treliving?

The Flames made difficult moves under new GM Craig Conroy not long after being considered a Stanley Cup contender. But are they better off with him than Brad Treliving? Ken Campbell says heck, yeah.

Leading up to the trade deadline, Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy was determined to make the most of what had become a rather untenable situation.

While he might not be on too many pundits’ “Winners” lists in the aftermath of the deadline, he did make some astute moves for a guy who is on the Calder Trophy shortlist among GMs.

Conroy made a flurry of deals, all with an eye to the future. That’s not easy when you thought you were a Stanley Cup contender not that long ago. Conroy had to make some tough decisions, and because of those, he has positioned the Flames for an on-the-fly rebuild.

That’s why the Flames are indeed in a better place now than they would have if Brad Treliving had not been relieved of his duties and replaced by Conroy last summer. That’s because there’s almost no way Treliving would have had the stomach to break up the roster he had built, and it’s hard to find him at fault for that. GMs are a little like the athletes when it comes to this kind of thing. They’re sometimes the last to realize what needs to be done.

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