The Calgary Flames have cooled off after a red hot start, but they remain in third place in the Pacific Division after a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night. Dustin Wolf’s first NHL shutout helped the Flames improve to 9-6-3, and there’s belief in Alberta that the club can hang around the playoff picture all year long.
Although the campaign is still in the relatively early stages, general manager Craig Conroy told RG earlier this week that he is looking to upgrade the roster — and the priority is a right-shot center.
“You’re always looking to fill the holes, or to make trades, find guys, something you don’t have on your team, and maybe you don’t have in your pipeline,” Conroy told RG’s Jim Biringer. “When I talk to teams, I had talked about a right-shot center, and a lot of teams are looking for a right-shot center. So, it’s not easy. Those are the things you know when you talk to teams.”
It’s unclear whether or not Conroy is committed to being true buyers ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, but it doesn’t look like the executive is going to be standing pat.
Currently, the Flames only have four true centers on the roster: Mikael Backlund, Nazem Kadri, Martin Pospisil and Kevin Rooney. The position could certainly use improvement; the team is missing the effective skill set that now Boston Bruins forward Elias Lindholm brought to the table.
Conroy told RG that he was willing to move a first-round pick if it meant getting a right-shot center under the age of 30 — but he doesn’t want to part with longtime blue liner Rasmus Andersson in that quest.
Craig Conroy wants to keep Rasmus Andersson with Flames
Although Andersson has heard his name swirling in trade rumors for months, Conroy wants to keep the Swede in the fold long-term, especially as he has another year on his contract after this season.
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“Rasmus is definitely a player I can see long-term for us. And again, some of this decision is up to him. But I do know, talking to him, he really loves Calgary,” Conroy told Biringer.
The GM continued: “You know, with Rasmus, he’s homegrown, and he’s playing great for us. He’s super competitive and wants to win. I know that Four Nations tournament is probably on his mind, too. The Olympics are on there. But he loves being in Calgary. He loves being a Calgary Flame. That’s a good thing. And again, some of this decision is up to him. When you have a player who likes the market and wants to be there, you try to get that guy signed. And he’s at a great age.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the Flames fare over the next couple of weeks, and whether Conroy decides to bring in reinforcements in the quest to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
Calgary has a couple of days off before welcoming the New York Islanders to the Saddledome on Tuesday.