Through his first 16 months as general manager of the Calgary Flames, Craig Conroy has received a passing grade from the fanbase. The 53-year-old, who came in at a difficult time, given the organization’s contract situations, has navigated the roster tremendously and has helped make the future look bright.
It’s hard to point out many, if any, mistakes Conroy has made since being promoted. Some have questioned the returns on the Jacob Markstrom and Noah Hanifin deals, though it’s too early to say if those trades were losses.
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Conroy has also done a good job of freeing up and keeping available cap space. This may not matter now, but it will when the Flames reach a point where they need to sign free agents. Given all the great work Conroy has done, the report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is a major head-scratcher.
On Flames Talk with Pat Steinberg, Seravalli mentioned that the organization is reportedly interested in extending Andrei Kuzmenko, who will become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires this summer. They acquired the Russian winger from the Vancouver Canucks last season for Elias Lindholm.
“With the way last season ended up playing out, the reports that I got back was that there were some pretty good vibes,” Seravalli said. “The Flames would consider extending Kuzmenko, without a doubt. They have to weigh whether the return they could get on the market exceeds what he could provide by sticking around.”
Little Sense to Extend Kuzmenko
What Conroy has done so well is make the organization younger while also adding plenty of draft capital. That isn’t a plan that should be abandoned yet. Despite solid groundwork, the organization still has a long way to go before it becomes a contender.
If Kuzmenko performs as he did to close out last season, the Flames could get a great return for him in a trade. After all, his 14 goals through 29 games translates to nearly a 40-goal pace over an 82-game schedule. Many playoff-bound teams would be willing to pay a hefty price to add a player like that to their lineup.
Trading Kuzmenko would not only add more assets for the future, but it would also allow them to better develop their young talent. Moving out a gifted right-handed forward would create a bigger opportunity for Matt Coronato, who, based on preseason play, appears ready for full-time NHL action. That may be difficult right now, however, as Kuzmenko will demand lots of minutes at even strength and on the power play.
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Kuzmenko is 28, so the chances that he will still be in his prime when the Flames are true Stanley Cup contenders are very slim. Most would estimate Calgary to be roughly four years away from making any real damage, by which time Kuzmenko will be 32. Having money tied up in a diminishing asset makes far less sense than keeping that cap space open and perhaps signing a similar, yet younger, free agent when the team is ready to go deep into the playoffs.
Flames Must Keep on Keeping on
While it’s great that Kuzmenko has been such a great fit for the Flames, what would make it even better is to capitalize on his value and move him for a piece(s) that will benefit the future of the organization. So far, Conroy has his team looking like they will be a force soon, and there is no reason to divert from that plan. While there is no rush to move Kuzmenko, the Flames would be wise to move him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.
