Craig Conroy’s first major swing as Calgary Flames general manager is looking better by the day, and the Kevin Bahl piece of it has become the kind of move that can quietly reshape a blue line.
When Conroy took over after the 2022-23 season, he wasted no time steering the roster in a new direction. Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin all moved out before he eventually made another bold call the following offseason: sending Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils.
At the time, the return centered on a 2025 first-round pick and Bahl, a defenceman who was still mostly viewed as a work in progress after his first full NHL season in 2023-24. That label hasn’t held up for long. Since landing in Calgary, Bahl has looked like a player who can handle just about anything asked of him without getting rattled.
Now 26, Bahl made an immediate impression with the Flames and earned a six-year, $32.1 million extension with a $5.35 million cap hit after that first season. Since then, his game has only sharpened. He was a steady presence on a struggling Calgary team in 2025-26, and he’s been just as reliable, if not better, in 2026-27.
He doesn’t bring the kind of flash that turns heads outside the market, but Flames fans have seen exactly how valuable he is. Ryan Huska keeps leaning on him whenever a young player needs help settling in, and Bahl has become the kind of stabilizing partner that makes those assignments work.
That’s especially relevant this season with Zayne Parekh and Simon Nemec, two highly talented blueliners who are still learning the NHL game. Both have spent time alongside Bahl, and that makes sense given the role he’s carved out as a sheltering presence for developing defenders.
The Devils, meanwhile, never got the version of Markstrom they were hoping for. The 36-year-old struggled in New Jersey, and his second season there was especially rough: a 3.07 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage in 44 appearances. That summer, he was moved again, this time to the Florida Panthers.
That’s the heart of why this deal looks so lopsided now. Calgary turned an aging goaltender who was trending down into a top-four defenceman who has become one of the team’s most important players.
And Bahl wasn’t the only win in the trade.
The Flames also landed the Devils’ 2025 first-round pick and used it on Cole Reschny at 18th overall. That selection is already drawing plenty of praise. Reschny put up 35 points in 36 games during his freshman season at the University of North Dakota, then opened 2026-27 with eight points in seven games.
There’s still a long way to go with a prospect like Reschny, but the early signs are strong. Even so, the bigger picture already points in one direction: Conroy got a lot more than a rental-style return for Markstrom. He got a cornerstone defender and a promising young forward, and Bahl has already proven he belongs in the Flames’ core.
In Other News...
Wranglers Grind Out Road Win Behind An Early Boost And Late Finish
A quick start and a disciplined finish gave the Calgary Wranglers a 2-1 road win over the Colorado Eagles in Loveland, where Carter Wilkie put Calgary in front early in the first period and the visitors spent much of the night managing the margin. It was the kind of game that asked plenty of both teams, with penalties and power-play chances shaping the flow and forcing the Wranglers to stay sharp after getting the early boost.
Owen Say handled the net for Calgary, and the Wranglers were able to lean on that opening goal long enough to keep Colorado from fully taking control. The game stayed tight into the third period before Calgary found the decisive answer on the man advantage, a finish that fit the hard-earned feel of the night and left the Eagles with little room to recover. [Read more 🡒]
MacKenzie Weegar Was Almost Headed Somewhere Else Before Calgary Dealt Him
MacKenzie Weegars path out of Calgary almost took a different turn before the Flames finally moved him on March 4, 2024. Ottawa had been in the mix, but the deal never got over the line, and the defenseman ultimately landed with Utah after agreeing to waive his full no-move clause to make the move happen.
Since then, Weegar has settled into a top-four role with the Mammoth and signed on through the 2030-31 season, a clear sign of how quickly the fit has taken hold. From Calgarys perspective, it is one of those trade stories that still carries a little extra intrigue because the destination was not always so certain, and the player involved has clearly found some comfort in his new home. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Hanley Just Gave The Flames A Tough Lineup Decision
Joel Hanley had not played for the Calgary Flames in more than a month, but he was suddenly back in the mix Friday night and made the most of the opportunity. With Kevin Bahl unavailable, Hanley was pressed into service against the Anaheim Ducks and even chipped in a goal in Calgarys 5-3 loss, giving the coaching staff a timely reminder of what he can offer when called upon.
What makes the performance more interesting for the Flames is how quickly Hanley had to get ready, then how comfortably he handled the jump into a bigger role. He skated 16:42 alongside Simon Nemec on the top pairing, and head coach Ryan Huska praised his readiness and execution on short notice, which only adds to the sense that Calgary may have a tougher decision ahead the next time its blue line is healthy. [Read more 🡒]