I’ll try to be more optimistic for the Flames this upcoming year. What still bothers me is still seeing Hanifin, Lindholm and Backlund on the team. Either we are not getting enough return from potential trade proposals for those guys, or Conroy is completely misreading the situation and thinks all 3 will stay with them (even though they have made it clear they are not re-signing in Calgary). I’m planning to make this thread a place for people to post their Armchair GM Flames teams from Capfriendly. Here’s a link to mine…[Capfriendly team Flames](https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/746575?post_id=4304396)
18 comments
Need to see the value in the trades- patience is required.
What makes you say he his “misreading the situation”? Pretty sure he is well aware they’re wanting to see how the season goes before signing. Which makes sense. Why trade them now for peanuts
Given what the trade market has looked like this offseason, I wouldnt be surprised if the returns being offered are just trash and Conroy is considering just waiting for a midseason trade. Contenders who would want these guys are generally all capped out.
Most of the criticisms on Conroy so far have just been people getting frustrated by not getting instant gratification. Which I get, but we really have no clue what the offers have been and what’s going on behind the scenes. I do think letting Hanifin start the season on the team is a mistake, but it’s July.
Hanifin likely will move as soon as the Karlsson deal works itself out. A few teams that missed out might be buyers for someone like Hanifin. I expect a pretty solid return for him.
Backlund is very, very valuable as a third line center to a contender. I suspect they’re running down their options, and/or he stays til a midseason trade without worry. I don’t think the Backlund return will be phenomenal at all, regardless.
Lindholm, on the other hand, is the one that worries me. We need a good return for him, as he’s our 1C, and there just might not be many buyers with the way that the cap hasn’t grown, and teams are getting screwed by that 3 years of flat cap. We might have to retain salary, and only get a ‘rental’ return. I want the new team, if he decides to go, to want to sign him long term for maximum return. I’d be open to a return like a guy like Shane Wright, from Seattle, +++. Next year will be rough, but not necessarily terrible with a young center coming in for a decade. I still think Wright should be a solid 1/2 Center. Not a game breaker, but good going forward in that top 6.
Do you still want to see the trades if the return will suck?
I love how people on Reddit think they know the ins and outs of the nhl trade market better than people who get paid millions to do it.. chances are Conroy hasn’t made a trade yet because the current offers suck and the same people making these posts would want his head on a stake for accepting the current offers…
No sense trading for the sake of making trades.
As we get closer to the deadline, GMs will be desperate to improve their team because maybe they get fired if they don’t make the playoffs, and the returns will be better
I’m not sure why the expectation was for Conroy to come in and immediately turn over half the roster in his first six weeks on the job.
He’s surely talking to all the upcoming UFAs and other GMs to get the most return possible for the guys that don’t want to stay, and working out contracts for those that do.
He needs to get decent value for these guys, so rushing into the first deal is pointless.
Hanifin isn’t getting moved until the Karlson deal is done.
Lindholm still hasn’t committed either way from what I’ve seen.
Backlund is a tricky one to move because he’s extremely valuable, but will be *more* valuable midseason than he is today.
There is literally zero rush to move these guys. The longer we wait, the more teams are going to start bidding, making our return higher.
Gears are turning at their normal pace. Conroy rushing isn’t going to help this team. He needs to be smart, and calculated.
Backlund and Lindholm have actually not made it very clear at all on whether they’re extending or not. They have left the door open, which makes sense. They probably want to see if the team is going to be good next year and by how much the cap is going to go up after next year.
From what I have seen and read about the off season trades across the league, they have been pretty crappy. Especially due to the flat cap, lots of the contenders have no space to add on salary and trade off prospects for established players.
I think other teams are wanting those players and have been offering shit for them and I would not be surprised if other GMs are trying to fleece first year GM Conroy.
Its not like trades can’t happen even once the season starts, I think we as fans are just wanting something to happen since it is the off season.
It’s not a target rich trade environment right now. If we are too impatient we’ll lose a lot of value/take on bad contracts. In this type of market, one without any obvious, good value targets, it requires waiting and watching. There isn’t any rush too. Especially if the Flames get off to a good start all three can be dealt as the TDL approaches for either current or higher value.
It’s middle of July. Who cares if they are still on the team. Trade them when you feel you have the best trade available for them. I suspect Hanafin will be the first to go, before the season starts. Backlund will probably go as late as the deadline if he hasn’t resigned. Lindholm is the one I want to see traded but if he hasn’t given an answer by training camp, time to get serious about the trade options there.
I still think we need to move these guys before the trade deadline (I don’t want a scenario where we’re looking like a dynamite playoff team with these guys still not on contracts), but if we have to wait until the season starts to get a good return then so be it. And in the case of Lindholm and Hanifin, we can’t let a first line centre and top pairing d-man go for minimal value. I’m sure the proposals from other teams have been bad if a deal hasn’t happened yet. The other thing to notice is that nobody is making trades right now. I think this might be the most quiet offseason I’ve ever seen when it comes to trades and signings. I’m interested to see what happens with someone like Karlsson, because if he moves soon I wouldn’t be shocked if that creates activity for our guys.
I am pretty confident that Conroy isn’t ignoring the phone when it rings to hit the back 9. The market has been slow, so while it’s not ideal, waiting seems prudent for now.
Hanifin trade to Chicago for Korchinski
Backlund to St Louis for Bolduc
Lindholm for Wright look ok
Let the rebuild begin
Yea widely reported the trade market is bare and Conroy is getting extremely low balled. Look at most the trades so far, taffoli trade for the best return, rest have been very underwhelming for 30ish year olds on final year of contract
Sure I would like to see trades now that give the Flames a big haul. But it’s not happening right now. So patience is in order.
As the season goes on there will be teams that lose defence men to injury. That’s when trading Hanifin will work. And trading Lindholm and Backlund will be much the same.