Craig Conroy’s latest run of trades has pushed the Flames deeper into the rebuild, and the return has been a mixed bag of future pieces, draft capital and one big swing on a young defender.
The most straightforward deal of the bunch came when Calgary sent Nazem Kadri back to the Colorado Avalanche. Kadri’s three remaining years on his contract were part of what made him movable, but the bigger picture mattered too: he was 35, and the Flames were clearly in the early stages of a rebuild. Over his three and a half seasons in Calgary, he led the club in goals with 100, assists with 139 and points with 239, exactly the kind of production the Flames hoped for when they signed him to a seven year deal in the summer of 2022.
But the 2026 trade deadline was the right time to cash in. Calgary landed a 2028 first round pick, a 2027 second round pick, Victor Olofsson and Max Curran, and later used that first rounder as part of the Simon Nemec trade.
Kadri also got to head back to the place where he had the most success and won a Stanley Cup. That’s the rare deal that leaves both sides satisfied.
Letter Grade: A
The Kadri return set up the next big move, and this one is the real bet: Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to Calgary for 2027 and 2028 first round picks, a 2026 second round pick and Etienne Morin. This is the kind of transaction a rebuilding team has to make eventually.
It’s not just about shipping veterans out the door. It’s about turning those assets into someone who might actually matter when the next good Flames team arrives.
Nemec fits that idea perfectly on paper. He’s 22, he was the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, and Calgary is trying to use picks gathered from the Andersson, Kadri and Weegar trades to land a player with real top-pairing upside.
The caution flag is obvious, though. He hasn’t broken out yet.
Through parts of three NHL seasons, he has 49 points in 155 games. The talent is there, but the production hasn’t fully matched it.
Whether the Flames coaching staff can pull more out of him is the real question.
This one is too fresh to stamp with a firm verdict. Nemec could become a difference-maker, or he could settle in as an average third-pair defender. For now, the idea is strong and the risk is acceptable.
Letter Grade: B
The Blake Coleman deal was different, but it still fit the same pattern. Coleman and Olli Maatta went to Minnesota, while Calgary received a 2029 second round pick, a 2027 third round pick, a 2028 fourth round pick and Jake Middleton. Conroy has said it was hard to move Coleman, one of his favourite people in the game, but he also has a clear track record of dealing pending UFAs, and Coleman was heading into the 2026-27 season in that category.
For a 34-year-old defensive forward, the return was solid. Add in Maatta, and the Flames came away with three draft picks plus a veteran defender who could be flipped again down the line for more picks. It’s not the flashiest move Conroy has made, but it checks a lot of boxes, especially when measured against what Calgary got for Tyler Toffoli.
Letter Grade: B
In Other News...
Jake Middleton Could Shape More Than Calgarys Blue Line
Jake Middleton is settling into life with the Flames after arriving from Minnesota, and the fit looks to be about more than just a new spot on the blue line. He has handled the move well, embraced the change in surroundings and already appears comfortable with the opportunity to bring a steadier presence to a team that wants its veterans to help guide a younger core.
Being back in Western Canada has also made the transition feel a little more natural for Middleton, who is closer to home than he was in his previous stop. What makes his addition especially interesting for Calgary is the role he can play behind the scenes, working with younger players and adding to the leadership mix as the Flames continue shaping the roster around them. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospects Camp Features A Few Names Fans Will Want To Track
The Flames have opened their 2026-27 season with prospects camp, and the roster gives fans a first look at several young players trying to carve out a place in the organization. The group mixes junior, college and international backgrounds, with names like Landon Amrhein, Kent Anderson, Ryder Boulton, Riley Boychuk, Semyon Konopsky, Brett Olson, Owen Say and Kyle Walker all getting a chance to show where they fit in the system.
For Calgary, camps like this are less about immediate headlines than about sorting through opportunity, and this one has a little of everything: try-out forwards looking to turn an invite into something more, and AHL-contract players hoping to prove they can be useful pieces down the road. Say is also back in the mix after injury and surgery ended his season early, which adds another layer of intrigue to a camp already packed with players trying to make a mark. [Read more 🡒]
Scotia Place Is Starting To Feel Real For Flames Fans
Scotia Place is starting to look less like a future plan and more like a building Flames fans can picture on the skyline. Construction has moved into a more finished stage, with corners of the structure taking shape, glass going in and most of the building envelope panels now in place. It is the kind of progress that turns a long-running project from renderings and promises into something tangible.
The next major milestone is close, too, with the final piece of structural roof steel expected to be installed soon. From there, the work shifts further into the finishing phase, as the project edges toward being weather tight before attention turns to exterior details and landscaping. For a fan base that has followed every step of this arena development, the latest update is another sign that Scotia Place is moving from construction site to something much more real. [Read more 🡒]