Don’t be surprised if the Calgary Flames end up being one of the more aggressive teams in the National Hockey League ahead of this season’s trade deadline.
According to TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger on the latest edition of the network’s “Insider Trading” segment, Flames general manager Craig Conroy remains intent upon securing a new top-six centre for his club, but his search could extent even beyond that if the Flames remain in the playoff mix as the snow begins to melt in late February and early March.
With the trade deadline scheduled for March 7, the Flames still have lots of hockey to play to determine their ultimate fate, but Conroy is already working the phones in a bid to upgrade the roster. Here’s what Dreger had to say in conversation with Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston on Thursday.
Dreger: Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames are on an Eastern Conference tour. Conroy is scouting the OHL but he’s also in search of a top-six centre. Now, the fact that Calgary would like to add a centreman isn’t news, but it has to be very age-appropriate. So, he’s looking for a second-line centre who can play with the Flames for the next three to five years. But, beyond that, he could get aggressive as well. It all depends on if the Calgary Flames hang in the mix. They’re off to a terrific start, top-10 in the National Hockey League. Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames could be a bigger player than anticipated on that March 7 trade deadline.
The Flames spent the majority of the 2023-24 season looking to sell off pieces of their roster, with Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Jacob Markstrom, Nikita Zadorov, and Andrew Mangiapane all exiting the organization over the span of less than a year.
Now, despite trade talk continuing to circulate around the likes of Dan Vladar and Andrei Kuzmenko, the Flames look primed to make more of a shake-up deal to strengthen their centre position. Although Connor Zary has recently gotten more of a look down the middle, the Flames still lack a true cornerstone piece at centre, and their depth at the position also leaves plenty to be desired.
The Flames must be careful to avoid accelerating their retool/rebuild too early, as they did after their shocking 2014-15 playoff campaign, but they have the capital to make a reasonable addition. Potential targets who have already been discussed at length in the media include Morgan Frost, Trevor Zegras, and Kirby Dach, although Conroy may have his sights set on a more unexpected prize.
After their 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night, the Flames currently rank second in the Pacific Division with a 12-7-4 record and 28 points through 23 games. They’re slated to return to action on Friday afternoon to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

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