Flames' Conroy on trade deadline approach: 'We're right in the battle'

FORT LAUDERDALE — One-third of the way through a tough six-game road swing, Craig Conroy was asked if his team’s performance over the next week could affect his trade deadline plans.

“No, I think the plan is the plan,” said the Calgary Flames GM.

That plan, as has been laid out all season long, is to add only youngish (23- to 25-year-old) players who can help the group both now and into the future.

Players to grow with.

No rentals.

It was with that narrow scope the Flames acquired Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost last month, which may wind up being the extent of their adds.

Sure, as Conroy admitted, a left-handed defenceman is still on his wish list.

But other than that, the Flames aren’t expected to get significant air time on trade deadline day.

“They've done a great job as a group, and as much as you'd love to reward them, it has to be a part of the plan,” said Conroy, whose club sits one point back of the West’s final wild-card berth.

“You're always looking to improve the team, but it's got to make sense.

“If it's a younger player, and we have them under control, or even maybe a 26-year-old that you're gonna have control of, it might make more sense.

“We may have made our big move with Farabee and Frost. But we’ll see.” 

More on a wide-range of deadline-related topics from a lengthy sit-down with the Flames GM:

SPORTSNET: After letting the hockey world know that Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar aren’t available, are you still getting many calls from other GMs?

CRAIG CONROY: Not many calls over the break, but you kind of know what teams are maybe looking, and you're talking to those teams a little bit more. There are some teams you've talked to that are in wait-and-see mode. Maybe that will change in the next week.

SN: How many of the 31 teams would you say are buyers or sellers? 

CC: Only a handful know where they're at — it’s that tight right now. That’s the question we're all asking each other. Last year, I knew who was buying, who wasn't buying. But last year was a little bit different for us. This year, the team is playing great, we think we rewarded them with the one trade we made. And, if we can, like I said, if we can help ourselves, we're always going to do that. 

SN: Not many people are expecting you guys to make any sort of splash at all. Is that your expectation, too?

CC: Generally, yes, as of today. But again, I say that, and if something came up tomorrow that made sense, you have to look at it. But if it gets to the trade deadline day, it's hard to make a huge move then if you're not prepared. We're right in the battle, and that's where we wanted to be. The guys are doing a great job.

SN: Is it fair to say you’re still looking to add a left-shot defenceman?

CC: That's fair. I mean, Joel Hanley’s done a great job, Solo (Ilya Solovyov) has come in, and (Jake) Bean has been good. But I think what you noticed when (Kevin) Bahl was gone, there was a big hole. 

SN: What are some of the lessons you learned last year at the trade deadline that you can use for this year’s swap meet?

CC: You have to be ready; anything can happen. You just don't know who's going to become available, so at any moment if there is an opportunity to do something that maybe you weren't thinking about, you need to be ready. Last year, Vegas really wasn't on the radar to trade for Noah Hanifin until just a few days before. With all those (pending free agents) we knew we were going to do something with, I'll admit I was pretty stressed right up until the end. I’m more comfortable, and we have a great group with Don Maloney and Dave (Nonis) and Brad Pascal and Iggy (Jarome Iginla), and all our pro and amateur scouts. We made a bigger deal earlier, so I don't feel kind of as stressed as maybe I was last year with knowing those guys would probably not be re-signing and they're moving on. 

SN: As an organization, how have you been able to limit the noise about possible player departures that surrounded your team last year? 

CC: It has been the players. When you asked the question at the golf tournament, which I knew was coming, they really stepped up, and whether it was Kadri to Weegar to (Blake) Coleman to Rasmus, all the guys just said, "No, we want to be Calgary Flames. Let's see how it goes." And here we are, and we're in a great spot.