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Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy cautious of shelling out trade assets in search of Elias Lindholm's replacement
Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy is being cautious about trading away assets to find a replacement for Elias Lindholm at center.
Lindholm was a key part of the Flames' top six down the middle before he got traded to the Vancouver Cancucks.
"It's something we've been talking about for a long, long time," said Conroy about replacing Lindholm (as per Sportsnet). "When we lost him, a right-hand center in your top six, that's kind of something you'd like to find. Is it an easy thing to find? Probably not."
Conroy found that out the hard way over the summer when the need became more urgent. Martin Pospisil has been given a chance to audition for the role, and the Flames' centers have been integral to a franchise-best 5-0-1 start. Still, finding an "age-appropriate" center remains Conroy's top priority.
The GM is defining that as a player between 23-25 with pro experience. He knows sending high draft picks for a short-term fix doesn't align with the Flames' rebuild.
"Unless you have some injuries and needed to do something, sending a first-round pick for a guy who would be here for a year doesn't make much sense," Conroy said.
However, he would consider moving a first if it brought back someone to fill the role long-term.
"But if it was a first-round pick for a guy who would be here long term, we would be open to that," he noted.
Conroy acknowledged that finding the right center is difficult in the market right now, so his focus is on acquiring someone who could grow with the Flames' young core.
Craig Conroy's comments about the Calgary Flames' missed signing of Cole Schwindt
The Calgary Flames lost promising young center Cole Schwindt to the Vegas Golden Knights on waivers at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Schwindt had been acquired by the Flames as a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Schwindt.
Craig Conroy admitted that losing Schwindt on waivers was a disappointing blow for the organization.
"Yeah, that hurt," Conroy said. "We were hoping he would get through, but when he didn't I wasn’t overly surprised."
Schwindt was seen as a potential call-up option for the Calgary Flames this season to provide center depth. His right-handed shot was also valuable on a roster dominated by left-handed centers.
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