There is plenty to like about what the Calgary Flames are building.
Just do not ask who is going to score.
Craig Conroy spent the offseason adding to a blue line that could become one of the NHL’s best young groups. Calgary also has Dustin Wolf in goal, which gives the franchise something rebuilding teams spend years searching for.
The work up front is another story.
Calgary Flames made a costly bet on Simon Nemec
The Flames did not acquire Simon Nemec to see what happens. They pushed a substantial pile of chips into the middle of the table.
Calgary sent New Jersey two conditional first-round picks, a second-rounder and prospect Etienne Morin for Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov. Nemec then signed a five-year contract worth $36.25 million.
That is an aggressive move for a 22-year-old defenseman.
Nemec was selected second overall in 2022 and scored 11 goals last season. Calgary is betting that a bigger role will help him become the player New Jersey once expected him to be.
Put him beside Zayne Parekh, Kevin Bahl and veteran Jake Middleton, and the Flames suddenly have the makings of a strong defense. Wolf gives them stability behind it.
That portion of Conroy’s plan is easy to understand.
Calgary Flames lost goals they could not spare
Calgary finished last in the NHL in scoring last season, averaging 2.54 goals per game. The Flames then traded Blake Coleman, one of only two players on the roster to reach 20 goals.
Moving Coleman was understandable. He is 34 and entering the final year of his contract. Calgary received Middleton and three draft picks from Minnesota, which is a useful return for a player who did not fit the team’s timeline.
Useful draft picks will not help the Flames score in October.
Matt Coronato was highly effective on offensive with 18 goals last season. He is only 23 and could take another step, but asking him to carry the offense would be a little much. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee and Connor Zary have shown flashes. Yegor Sharangovich has scored 30 goals before, although he followed that season with a significant decline.
There are possibilities here, but no proven difference-maker.
Jonathan Huberdeau remains the uncomfortable subject
Every Calgary conversation eventually finds its way back to Jonathan Huberdeau.
Huberdeau underwent hip surgery in March and will attempt to revive a career that has never recovered from his move out of Florida. He remains under contract for five more seasons at a $10.5 million cap hit.
The Flames do not need him to produce another 115-point season. They do need more than the uneven performances they have received since signing him.
A healthy and productive Huberdeau would change the appearance of Calgary’s forward group. Depending on that outcome, however, is a dangerous way to enter a season.
Craig Conroy should resist the quick fix
The Calgary Flames may have enough talent to remain competitive. They probably do not have enough scoring to reach the playoffs.
Conroy should not panic and trade premium assets for an aging forward simply because the Saddledome’s farewell season creates pressure to win. Calgary spent too many years hovering around the playoff line without becoming a serious contender. Repeating that trick would accomplish very little.
The foundation is finally visible. Wolf is the goaltender. Nemec and Parekh could anchor the defense for years.
Now Calgary needs a forward capable of becoming the face of its offense. Until that player arrives, the Flames will remain a team built to prevent goals while politely declining to score many of their own.
