NHL Hot Seat Radar: Craig Conroy on Hot Seat to Rebuild or Hit the Road After Just 14 Months as Flames' GM
Matvei Gridin is selected by the Calgary Flames with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
This is the latest edition in THN.com’s Hot Seat Radar series. In this file, we’re examining the Calgary Flames.
In each file of the Hot Seat Radar series, we’re identifying someone on the 'hot seat' who's dealing with a notable amount of pressure to produce positive results or face fallout that could put their relationship with their team in jeopardy. As well, we're also pointing out someone on the 'cold seat' who's untouchable and will be around for the long run.
The Flames are in rebuild mode and have made significant roster moves including trades of some of their top players for young talent, building pieces and draft picks. While the team has a ways to go before being a contender, they do have those under pressure to progress the rebuild and those who are sitting comfortably. Let's see who's occupying the seats in Calgary:
Flames’ Hot Seat: Craig Conroy, GM
It might not be fair to put Conroy on the hot seat, given he’s only been Calgary’s GM for 14 months. But the Flames are at a major crossroads in their competitive cycle, and Conroy is the one making the big decisions, so it’s on him to get them right and steer the organization to better days.
It was relatively easy for Conroy to dump Lindholm, Markstrom, Hanifin and Zadorov, as they all either wanted out or were in the final season of their contracts last year. But now comes the much harder part – either finding new homes for forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, or figuring out how to keep the two veterans happy as Calgary goes about turning around their fortunes.
Conroy has to walk a highwire of sorts, as both Kadri and Huberdeau have full no-movement clauses, but if Conroy plays his cards right, at least one of the duo (probably Kadri) will agree to be dealt.
It might require Calgary to retain a significant amount of salary to turn the page, but the alternative – staying with the status quo – is not palatable to Flames fans who want generational talents to cheer for. The most tried-and-true method to acquiring foundational players is by tanking and landing a top draft pick in the NHL lottery, and that means Calgary’s suffering is really only just beginning. Conroy must navigate his team through tough waters to get where they want to be, and the heat will only ratchet up on him until there is light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, there’s only tunnel ahead, and surviving it is the biggest challenge for Conroy.
Flames’ Cold Seat: MacKenzie Weegar, D
Weegar just finished his first season of an eight-year, $50-million contract, and while we’re of the opinion Calgary could help speed up their rebuild by trading the veteran defenseman, but they would also not be wrong in the slightest to keep a talent like Weegar around. As a right-shot blueliner who posted a career-best 20 goals and 52 points last season, Weegar would command a huge return on the trade market, but he signed his contract extension – which includes a no-trade clause in the final four seasons of the contract – expecting to be a Flame for the life of the deal, and for that reason, we don’t see him getting moved by Conroy anytime soon.
Weegar is the best D-man Calgary has, and while Rasmus Andersson could step in and assume Weegar’s minutes if Weegar were dealt, the easier solution for the Flames is to retain Weegar at least leading up to the next trade deadline, and see where the market is for him at that point.
For now, though, Weegar is a core component for Calgary, and it would take a mammoth amount of draft picks and prospects to pry him loose from the Flames. We don’t see it happening in the short term, so Calgary fans will have to be patient when it comes to moving on from him.
