CALGARY — On the verge of significantly altering his roster by trading at least a few more core veterans, Craig Conroy isn’t about to lay his blueprint out for all to see.
He’s very careful about what he says publicly about the route he plans to take, staying away from definitive statements about his philosophy as he knows circumstances can change — as can a team’s approach.
But as speculation runs rampant, trade rumours abound and Flames fans debate which way the Flames’ recalibration should be done, there is one reality observers should keep in mind:
No team of Conroy’s is going to tank.
“To say, ‘It’s OK to lose,’ or people who say, ‘You should tank.’ … What?” said the Flames GM, shrugging, in a one-on-one chat.
“They’ve never been around these guys.
“Whether they’re playing ping pong, or TopGolf, or cards, everyone wants to win. They’re very competitive and you never want to take that competitive fire away from them.
“That’s why I always expect us to win.”
It’s not always going to work out that way, especially if the roster gets even younger and more inexperienced.
But the concept of going right to the bottom before challenging for the top is not on his agenda.
Even with the departures of Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm in exchange for younger players and assets, the combination of veteran leadership and youthful exuberance has helped these Flames stay within reach of a wild card spot.
The mix of young and old has created a very healthy environment in which the youngsters can grow and feel good about contributing.
Even the fans are upbeat about what’s going on these days.
The team’s playoff chances are sure to take a big hit with the departure of Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and maybe even Jacob Markstrom, as Conroy is firmly entrenched in his commitment to focus long term.
But you can bet the return on several of his trades will include serviceable NHLers who can help fill the roles of departed standouts.
Critics suggest that trying to stay competitive while rebuilding is exactly the sort of mentality that has resulted in the team being stuck in the mushy middle for decades, as they hover in and out of the playoff fringes while never drafting higher than fourth overall.
“I don’t see it the same way,” said Conroy of his approach.
“We left room for younger guys to play, and guess what? We’re seeing Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, (Matt) Coronato, Solo (Ilya Solovyov), (Yan) Kuznetsov — we’re seeing the future.”
What also makes this situation different is that the fans can’t get enough of the youngsters, clamouring for even more prospects like Dustin Wolf and Matthew Coronato to join the club to start their NHL development.
“You make a deal for Lindholm and bring back (Andrei) Kuzmenko, you’re trying to rebuild on the fly,” said Conroy of an addition that has also excited the local fans.
“We’ve added some assets.
“You’re rebuilding, but you want to be competitive and a good team because that’s how the Zarys, and the Pospisils, and all the young guys become better, in my mind.
“You’re doing this retool on the fly and that’s how we’re going to become better.”
Many are clamouring for the club to cash in on Markstrom’s hot hand, especially since his Vezina-type resurgence is keeping the club in a playoff race that ultimately hurts their draft position.
Conroy is in no rush to trade the team’s MVP, but if teams like New Jersey remain persistent and offer up the type of package he can’t turn down, he could pull the trigger, assuming he can get Markstrom’s blessing to waive his no-move clause.
The return would have to be significant.
Otherwise, Conroy can wait until the summer to open up a spot for Wolf, when there are more potential suitors for the 34-year-old goalie.
A Markstrom trade at this point in time would be a tough pill for his team to swallow, and would challenge his desire to stay competitive.
But that would still be the goal.
“The Naz’s (Nazem Kadri), the Marky’s, all the veteran guys, the young guys, me… we all want to win, so it’s, ‘how do we get to the point where we are winning all the time?’” said Conroy.
“I don’t think anyone says, ‘it’s okay to lose,’ but on some teams losing became acceptable somewhere along the line, and then they try to flip that switch to now you have to win all the games because now it’s time?
“I don’t know. I know some people think that is a way to do it, but I don’t see it that way.
“We’re all NHL players. We’re all here to win. You never want to say, ‘it’s okay to lose.’”
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