While the Calgary Flames didn't do much before the NHL trade deadline on Friday, they did make one small move. Craig Conroy had plenty of activity leading up to the deadline.
After becoming general manager on May 23, 2023, following the Flames' fall from Pacific Division champion to missing the playoffs, Conroy faced tough contract situations with six key players nearing free agency in a year.
Forwards Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund were among the top scorers last season, while defencemen Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov ranked high in average ice time.
Conroy was determined not to repeat his predecessor Brad Treliving's mistake, when star Johnny Gaudreau played out his contract and then left as a free agent, leaving Calgary with nothing.
Conroy said on Friday that the departure of Johnny Gaudreau, as well as TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano, made him realize the need to make deals to get assets, even while the team was battling for the playoffs.
Conroy's first step in fulfilling this commitment was on June 27, 2023, when he traded Toffoli to New Jersey for a package that included Yegor Sharangovich.
After securing a two-year extension for Backlund in September, Conroy made four more trades: Zadorov and Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks, Tanev to the Dallas Stars, and finally, Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Conroy acknowledged that it was tough to part with all the great players, but he believed it was necessary for the team's future.
Extension talks were complicated by the team's slow start, which put discussions on hold.
Conroy mentioned that both the players and the management were waiting to see how the season progressed before resuming contract talks. However, they couldn't reach an agreement in the end.
Discussions with Tanev and Hanifin had continued until last week. Conroy stated that while they wanted the players to stay, fairness for both sides was important.
Through the five deals, Conroy added three players expected to play for the Flames on Saturday, along with prospects and multiple draft picks.
Conroy explained that making these deals wasn't easy and involved assessing involvement and interest from other teams, and determining the best options for the Flames.
Nikita Okhotiuk, a defenceman, was sent to the Flames on Friday by the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a draft pick.
In return for the 23-year-old defenceman, San Jose is getting a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
This season, Okhotiuk has one goal and seven assists, along with 44 penalty minutes and a defensive rating of minus-22 in 43 games with the Sharks.
In his career, he has scored three goals and made eight assists in 58 NHL games, split between San Jose and the New Jersey Devils.
The six-foot-one defenceman played for the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 10 goals and provided 37 assists in 148 games, achieving a plus-72 career plus/minus in major junior.
Okhotiuk played in all 18 playoff games for Ottawa, helping guide the 67’s to the 2019 OHL Finals.
Conroy mentioned that although you always hope for more in trades, teams were only willing to give up so much.
Conroy mentioned that everyone desires first-round picks, lots of them, and fantastic trades, but in reality, it's difficult to obtain that, so you try to get as much as possible.
Conroy expressed that although he used to engage in ambitious trading in fantasy baseball, the real world is very challenging, and the goal is to acquire as much as possible.
Despite trade speculation, the Flames did not move 34-year-old goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who is having an outstanding season and has two years remaining on his deal.
Conroy stated, “I’m not going to speculate on if we were moving him or if we weren’t moving him. The bottom line is these are the guys that I moved at this deadline, and the guys who are here now are part of the Calgary Flames moving forward.”
Conroy understands the difficult nature of this time of year for players.
Conroy acknowledged the significant impact of trade rumors on players like Jacob, expressing empathy for the challenges they face due to media attention and their personal lives.
