The 2025 offseason has come and gone quickly, with only a couple of weeks remaining before players report for training camp. To say it has been an uneventful offseason would be an understatement. The NHL trade market has been eerily quiet since free agency, with almost no action to speak of.

For Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames, some major to-do items remain before the season begins. Here’s what the general manager should be focusing on in the final month before training camp.

Signing Connor Zary

Without a doubt, the number one to-do item for Conroy is getting his young pivot signed. Zary is one of the Flames’ most important players and a core part of their future. What seemed like a pretty straightforward deal to get done at the beginning of the offseason has now dragged into the final weeks, something most people didn’t see coming. A contract for a player with zero leverage who has never played a full NHL season should be a breeze to complete.

With each passing week, more and more questions are raised as to why Zary and the Flames haven’t come to an agreement yet. Whether it’s term or money, there’s really no excuse for letting this drag on further than August.

Long story short, the longer this drags on, the worse and worse it looks for both Conroy and Zary. Anytime a player is forced to miss valuable training camp time, it’s an ugly look for everyone involved, especially for a young player like Zary, who is still developing. Going into training camp with Zary unsigned would be a huge stain on the organization and Conroy’s tenure, and it simply can’t happen.

Trading Rasmus Andersson

Does Conroy have to trade the veteran defenceman before the season starts? Absolutely not. With a year remaining on his contract, the Flames can drag this out all the way until the 2026 trade deadline. However, should he trade Rasmus Andersson before the season starts? Absolutely. There are just too many risks involved with carrying an expiring player with one foot out the door into the season.

If Andersson were to stick on the Flames roster to start the year and go down with an injury, the Flames could risk losing him for nothing next summer. That’s unacceptable, no matter how you look at it. If Andersson once again struggles to start the season, his value could drop significantly, which again would be a nightmare for a Flames team that is desperate for future assets.

Lastly, bringing a veteran player and leader back into a locker room while he has one foot out the door and has already let it be known he won’t be coming back isn’t exactly a good look. For an organization that has made it clear it wants to avoid another 2022–23 season, bringing Andersson back goes completely against that.

Extending Dustin Wolf

Lastly, Conroy should be working hard on extending the team’s franchise goaltender, Dustin Wolf. Much like Andersson, extending Wolf isn’t a must, given his contract has one year left, but it should be a priority. Extending Wolf now instead of waiting would ensure one of the team’s most important building blocks is locked up for the foreseeable future, while also showing Wolf and other young players the Flames are serious about rewarding their young talent.

It could also keep his contract numbers down by quite a large amount. If Wolf were to put up another strong season in which he finishes top 10 in most goaltending categories while earning Vezina votes, you can bet his contract ask will go up considerably versus right now. The Flames still have some sort of leverage in contract discussions right now, as Wolf has just one season under his belt. By next season, that argument goes out the door.

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