Craig Conroy has seen different iterations of the Flames both as a player and in the front office. When was hired as the General Manager, he proposed solutions in his 2023 introductory on how to move forward with a franchise that’s oscillated between excitement and mediocrity since 2014.
Striving to create a hockey program defined by veterans who take pride in being a Calgary Flame while allowing the youth to blossom is one of the key strategies.
The Flames were uncertain of itself heading into 2023. They lost their star players Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. They fired head coach Darryl Sutter in his second stint with the team, and General Manager Brad Treliving resigned after ten years with the organization.
It was a franchise in which the DNA needed to change.
As such, Conroy hired first-time coach Ryan Huska to execute Conroy’s vision for the Flames, allowing younger players to earn their opportunities with veterans who bring structure. The Flames had to embrace a rebuild in order to be successful, but that meant trading established veterans for draft picks, prospects and the occasional veteran.
With a bulk of the roster turnover addressed, it’s an integral year for the Flames franchise as in their last season at Scotiabank Saddledome before moving to Scotia Place for the 2027-28 season. Here are things to take into account heading into the 2026-2027 season.
Embracing, accepting the rebuild
Perhaps most importantly, the Flames need an alignment between ownership and the players about where the team is. Without that, there’s more unease to a team that’s already losing. Accepting the reality of where the team is in the standings while still cultivating a culture of habits is conducive to the Flames getting back into playoff prosperity. It’s hard to be patient in professional sports, but the Flames have to think about the bigger picture to build a perennial playoff team.
President of Hockey Operations Don Maloney gave an interview early this season in November after getting off to a bad start. He argued for not tearing the franchise completely down, and rejected the idea high draft picks as being conducive to instant success.
But positive results can follow a team that rebuilds itself. When the Flames went into that process in the 2010s, they never bottomed out in the standings. And teams that have undergone multi-year rebuilds lately have taken steps towards sustainable playoff success for their franchises.
While success can follow when a franchise embraces the rebuilding process, there has to be an alignment between the players and the front office about what that direction is and how to advance forward with it.
Keeping Key Veterans
Rebuilds always need veterans with experience which are important in any locker room. But veterans also want to maximize their window of the time they have in the league to win the Cup. Roster turnover is a constant in any professional sport, and even more of a reality for teams that are rebuilding. Despite the roster turnover and trade rumours, most veterans embrace the strategies on a rebuilding team.
By trading out established players during the last trade season such as Mackenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson, who were consistent producers with the Flames, Conroy, in return, brought in other veterans such as Zach Whitecloud and Ryan Strome.
Whitecloud immediately ingratiated himself in the locker room, already taking on the role of an Assistant Captain and he promptly entrenched himself in the Calgary community. Being of Dakota descent, he’s done various events for Indigenous communities in Southern Alberta. A steady defenceman who has Stanley Cup experience, Whitecloud’s commitment to the franchise is indicative of the type of culture Conroy strives to bring to Calgary.
Traded for a seventh round pick, Strome was looking for an opportunity and produced 12 points in 19 games in his brief period with the team. Even though Strome is a free agent this summer, he’s expressed a desire to be here to keep his NHL career going. The 32 year-old centre has been through a rebuild, knows what it entails, but has
The Future of Blake Coleman
A consistent middle-six forward for the Flames with Stanley Cup pedigree, Flames forward Blake Coleman is in constant demand for contending teams. Despite the trade rumours, the 34-year old forward has expressed a desire to be a Calgary Flame. But a trade may be inevitable as he is heading into a free agent year with the value he has.
Get the best player available in the draft!
The Flames have the sixth pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft. While, they haven’t had a top three pick in their 46-year history as a franchise they could have the arsenal of picks to move up in the draft. They have 18 picks in the first three rounds in the next three drafts and a chance to move up if they feel it’s necessary with a draft with a plethora of quality prospects available. The team can make an imprint on this year’s draft and future drafts to come with the many picks they have by building an influx of young players.
Internal Improvements Amongst the Youth.
The Flames were underwhelming offensively compared to most teams in the NHL last season. With the infusion of youth, it can spear internal improvements within the team. They have veterans who want to be here, but heading into next season the younger players have an opportunity to lead the direction of the franchise. The second half of the season with the young players taking on bigger roles brought a glimmer of excitement for what the future can be.
Matt Coronato
Twenty-three year old American forward Matt Coronato led the team with 45 points. The hope is the Flames’ most established young forward can take another step being a more consistent driver of our offense.
Matvei Gridin
Twenty year-old Russian winger Matvei Gridin had a promising rookie season, with 20 points in 37 games. He became a consistent producer in the back half of the season.
Zayne Parekh
Twenty year old Canadian defenseman Zayne Parekh is our most notable young prospect from the Conroy era. Selected 9th overall in the 2024 Draft, there is anticipation for Parekh to be the franchise offensive defenseman the Flames have needed. Parekh went up and down from the Calgary Wranglers, the Flames’s AHL team, but became a mainstay in the Flames lineup in the second half of the season. Becoming more confident with passing game, it provided.
Goaltenders Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley
A bright spot for the Flames the past three years has been their goaltending. Dustin Wolf brings stability as the starting goaltender, with Devin Cooley as the backup who can come in relief. Both are goaltenders who keep the Flames in games. Wolf is the Flames most valuable player, had a down year with a .899 per cent save percentage. Cooley posted a .909 per cent save percentage in the 31 games he played. They are a consistent goaltending tandem in a league always in search of goalies.
Connor Zary
Rebuilds bring uncertainty, not only with the pressure of trading established players, but the growing pains of young players struggling to find a consistent role after a promising past season. The hope last season was Connor Zary could be a consistent point producer for the Flames, but the 24 year old forward only posted 25 points in 74 games. He was up and down the lineup, playing fourth line at times the year before being a top-six forward for the Flames.
What the Flames can do heading into next season is having a franchise that is fully aligned, creating an environment for the younger players to create opportunities for themselves. Conroy brought forward solutions to a franchise in limbo on how to move forward. The first three years of Conroy’s tenure brought heavy roster turnover, but now the Flames now have an empty canvas of opportunities for players to take advantage of.