Craig Conroy isn’t looking for commitments into the 2030s.
The Flames have plenty of available salary-cap space — nearly US$29 million — for the upcoming season but are committed to a youth movement and don’t want to be blocking their up-and-comers by signing a bunch of dudes to long-term contracts.
That doesn’t mean they couldn’t benefit from a bit of been-there and done-that.
“I don’t think we’re going to be in the six- or seven-year market,” Conroy told reporters at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. “We’re looking for high quality individuals, maybe on shorter deals, that can come in and give us some help. Because the one thing that we’ve talked about, we made some trades and brought in some young guys, but we don’t want to rush those young guys. We want to make sure they develop at the right speed and not put ’em in over their heads right away.
“So if we could do shorter-term deals to help the team and kind of help our younger guys that are going to be in the lineup, that is kind of the key going into free agency for us.”
The Flames will be shopping on Canada Day for some depth on defence, especially if they can’t come to terms with Masterton Trophy finalist Oliver Kylington. Asked Saturday about negotiations with Kylington, Conroy told Sportsnet 960 The Fan: “We don’t have anything done yet. We are going to see how that goes.”
After trading away Jacob Markstrom, Conroy will need to be in the market Monday for a masked man.
And while he’s at it, maybe another scoring option and potential power-play contributor to join their forward cast?
Here are 10 potential options for the Flames in free agency …
Devin Cooley
Position: Goaltender
Age: 27
Stat-line in 2023-24: 6 GP, 2-3-1 record with 4.98 GAA and .870 save percentage with San Jose Sharks
Current cap-hit: US$775,000
The numbers aren’t pretty, we understand that, but keep in mind that Cooley made his NHL debut behind a bad bunch in San Jose. In one of his two victories, he faced 50 shots and only allowed a single snipe. The Flames are not shopping for a proven starter but rather a dude who can push Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf for playing time and serve as a third-string insurance policy, and the late-blooming Cooley could fit that bill, especially since it shouldn’t be an expensive ticket. If he winds up spending the entire winter with the Wranglers, it means that Vladar and Wolf are meeting expectations. That’s a good thing.
Jake DeBrusk
Position: Left wing
Age: 27
Stat-line in 2023-24: 80 GP, 19 G, 21 A, 40 P, 18 PIM with Boston Bruins
Current cap-hit: US$4 million
Chris Driedger
Position: Goaltender
Age: 30
Stat-line in 2023-24: 2 GP, 1-1-0 record with 2.51 GAA and .917 save percentage with Seattle Kraken
Current cap-hit: US$3.5 million
Driedger was a junior standout with the WHL’s Hitmen, but the appeal of a return to Calgary would be more about opportunity than familiarity. After he wound up spending the majority of this past season in the minors, this journeyman netminder will be angling for another big-league look. Driedger, who has totalled 60 career starts at the NHL level, made a compelling case with a springtime show-off. He backstopped the Coachella Valley Firebirds to the AHL’s Calder Cup final, posting a 12-6 record, a 2.67 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage during that deep playoff run. Along the way, he eliminated the Wranglers with a 31-save shutout.
Anthony Duclair
Position: Left or right wing
Age: 28
Stat-line in 2023-24: 73 GP, 24 G, 18 A, 42 P, 34 PIM with San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning
Current cap-hit: US$3 million
Conroy has talked about trying to find a sidekick for Jonathan Huberdeau, somebody who can develop chemistry with Calgary’s highest-paid player and most skilled passer. With Duclair, you wouldn’t be experimenting. There is already proof he can click with Huberdeau, since they were frequent linemates with the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 campaign. Both posted a career-high stat-line that winter. Remember that Huberdeau is signed for seven more years at an annual cap-hit of US$10.5 million, so the Flames are heavily invested in helping him to rediscover his confidence and boost his offensive output. If Duclair can bring out his best, this would be a smart addition.
Matt Dumba
Position: Defenceman
Age: 29
Stat-line in 2023-24: 76 GP, 4 G, 8 A, 12 P, 88 PIM with Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning
Current cap-hit: US$3.9 million
It’s easy to connect these dots — the Flames are looking to bolster their blue-line, and this local lad could be a nice fit with the team that he grew up rooting for. Dumba honed his skills at Crowchild Twin Arena, attended Edge School and had so much admiration for Jarome Iginla as a youngster that he asked to travel with the Minnesota Wild, despite an injury, so he’d be in attendance on the night that No. 12 was raised to the rafters at the Saddledome. The righty hits hard, has plenty of experience in a Top-4 role and has an absolute rocket of a shot.
Kole Lind
Position: Right wing
Age: 25
Stat-line in 2023-24: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 0 PIM with Seattle Kraken
Current cap-hit: US$775,000
Teams are always scouring the free-agent list for untapped potential, and this is a name that might be worth circling. While Lind has just 31 nights of NHL experience and logged only six minutes of big-league icetime in 2034-24, this right-shot from Shaunavon, Sask., has put up impressive numbers at the lower levels. Especially if the Flames miss out on DeBrusk and Duclair, he could be an under-the-radar addition on the wing. Lind averaged nearly a point per game this past season with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, registering 17 goals and 48 assists in 69 outings. Going back to his junior days, he was briefly coached in Kelowna by current Flames assistant Dan Lambert.
Kevin Stenlund
Position: Centre
Age: 27
Stat-line in 2023-24: 81 GP, 11 G, 4 A, 15 P, 62 PIM with Florida Panthers
Current cap-hit: US$1 million
Stenlund would probably prefer to stay in Florida, and we get it. He has, after all, been busy partying with the Stanley Cup. If, however, he is squeezed out of the Panthers’ salary structure, Stenlund might be wooed with an opportunity to grow his role in Cowtown. The Flames would undoubtedly covet his championship know-how. This sizeable Swede — he is listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds — worked as the Panthers’ fourth-line centre during their playoff run and was a key piece on a stellar penalty-kill. He could help boost Calgary’s faceoff stats and also notched a career-high 11 goals in the regular season, so there is some finish there.
Ryan Suter
Position: Defenceman
Age: 39
Stat-line in 2023-24: 82 GP, 2 G, 15 A, 17 P, 28 PIM with Dallas Stars
Current cap-hit: US$3.65 million
The Flames have a deep pool of defence prospects — from offensive drivers like Hunter Brzustewicz, Jeremie Poirier and the just-drafted Zayne Parekh and Henry Mews to stay-at-home sorts such as Artem Grushnikov and Yan Kuznetsov — but they are wary of rushing any of those guys to the highest level. With that in mind, maybe Suter would consider a one-year contract in the city where his uncle Gary won a Stanley Cup in 1989. This just-bought-out blue-liner would be a strong role model and, even after 1,400-and-some games, can still handle heavy minutes. If he has a good season, you could probably flip him at the deadline for a draft pick.
Chris Tanev
Position: Defenceman
Age: 34
Stat-line in 2023-24: 75 GP, 2 G, 17 A, 19 P, 24 PIM with Flames and Dallas Stars
Current cap-hit: US$4.5 million
Hey, you’ve gotta ask, right? The Flames just traded Tanev a few months back, but not before they tried to convince this respected rearguard and fearless shot-blocker to sign an extension at the Saddledome. He ultimately declined because he wanted to chase a championship, and that should remain his priority after a run to the Western Conference final with the Stars. While Tanev is expected to land with a contender, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to jump the queue after acquiring his rights Saturday, it would likely mean a lot to the Flames’ remaining veterans to know that Conroy at least made a pitch to bring back this beloved teammate.
Sean Walker
Position: Defenceman
Age: 29
Stat-line in 2023-24: 81 GP, 10 G, 19 A, 29 P, 50 PIM with Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche
Current cap-hit: US$2.65 million
Especially if Kylington departs as a free agent, the Flames will be looking to add another mobile puck-mover to their blue-line crew. In that regard, Walker is an obvious target. Of course, when you can skate like the wind and have strong analytics (and a right-handed curve on your stick), you’re going to have a pile of offers to choose from. Walker was been traded twice in the past 13 months — from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, then to Colorado in the lead-up to the deadline — and is coming off a career-best campaign, so he is likely looking for a longer-term pact.