Gang, if there’s one thing we know about Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy, it’s that he loves the NHL Draft. Dating back to when Conroy was a special assistant to general manager Jay Feaster, he’s been involved in helping the Flames’ scouting staff develop and refine their draft list pretty much every year.

So given where the Flames find themselves, working to transition from a veteran-laden team into one with more youth all without completely falling off a cliff competitively, it goes without saying that finding talent in the draft will be pretty important.

Speaking with Ryan Pinder and Dean “Boomer” Molberg last week on Barn Burner, Conroy was discussing some of the impressive prospect performances this season when he laid out his philosophy pretty clearly: “We’re going to need these guys because we’re not going to build through free agency.”

Conroy went a bit further into his view on free agency.

“Add if you can get something,” said Conroy. “It’s got to be the right fit, the right piece, and if it’s a star player you have to consider that. Those are the things you have to take a chance at when someone of high calibre gets to free agency, you have to make a pitch to see if you can bring them in.”

Conroy continued on, expanding to note that the Flames might not get to the point where they can draft top five – citing the team’s work ethic and the quality of their “young goalie” (Dustin Wolf) among the reasons. So in terms of adding the main building blocks of the team, “it really is going to be through the draft.”

A year ago, the Flames made some depth adds in July’s free agent frenzy, signing Jake Bean, Ryan Lomberg and Anthony Mantha. Based on Conroy’s comments on Barn Burner, it’s probably natural to presume the Flames will be less active this summer given the number of young players they have knocking on the door.

“I think last year we were looking for some a little bit more, like when we got Mantha we’re saying ‘okay, we got young guys coming but we don’t want to just throw them into the fire,’ and then Mantha unfortunately got hurt,” said Conroy. “But it gave [Matt] Coronato that chance. So i don’t want to block anybody with with someone that maybe, he’s a little better right now but hey if our young guys are coming they might pass it.”

Asked if the Flames would be checking in on big free agent names, Conroy indicated that “I think you have to try,” and shared an anecdote about Brad Treliving’s pursuit of Nazem Kadri – coming off a Stanley Cup run with Colorado where he was a major driver of that team – in the 2022 off-season that ended with the Flames adding Kadri in free agency.

“We have to be aggressive, especially here in Calgary,” said Conroy. “You know, we have a new building coming. But we just don’t want to get a body to get a body. That doesn’t make sense for me.”