Extensions
Much like other aspects of the draft, the extensions in Calgary have been incredibly hit and miss, with the biggest positives for Conroy being the contracts handed down to both Matt Coronato and goaltender Dustin Wolf. In those deals, the Flames GM locked in two young players that are key to the future, and with so many more decisions to make on players under the age of 24, Conroy will need to continue getting affordable deals for the Flames best young players.
It's not all been good however, as the Flames seemingly cashed in on Yegor Sharangovich following a career year, but now, they're stuck with him for a further three seasons at a capi hit over $5 million per season.
On top of that, the team has deals that could go either way for the likes of Connor Zary and Kevin Bahl, but for now, the good has outweighed the bad when it comes to Conroy handing down extensions to his current squad.
Grade: B-
Overall
Overall, Conroy has been learning very successfully on the job, and while some criticize the player friendly approach that burned him in the Noah Hanifin trade, clearly, it's going to pay off in a big way moving forward. Free agency hasn't been a positive for the Flames given their direction, but with the direction now clear with the support of the entire front office, that will come in time.
The positives for Conroy have been much stronger than the negatives, and with a young core of Parekh, Gridin, Coronato, Wolf and Brzustewicz at the NHL level with more to come, Flames fans finally have something to cheer for.
It's all well and good to get the fans on your side as you embrace a rebuild, but eventually, that has to go from potential to production, with the Flames needing to land stars that can lead them back to Stanley Cup Playoffs contention, but for now, it's hard to argue with the job that Conroy has done with the Flames.
Grade: B
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