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Analyzing Conroy's Trade Criteria: Zegras? Tomasino? Who is the Target? |
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The Calgary Flames appear to be pulling an about-face from the season prior.
Despite trading away their go-to first defensive pairing in Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, their first line center in Elias Lindholm, and the hulking presence that was Nikita Zadorov; the team has turned low expectations into exceptional results six games into the 2024-2025 regular season.
Justin Kirkland’s shootout winning goal on Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic brought Calgary to a 5-0-1 record on the season. Currently the team sits in third place in league standings and second place in the West behind the 6-0-0 Winnipeg Jets.
If you were a betting man, maybe it would be a good idea to put money on the Flames returning back to Earth – but when is that going to happen?
The group certainly has their hands full in terms of opposition in the near future. Carolina tonight, the aforementioned undefeated Jets on Saturday, the (as of Oct. 24) 4-2-1 Golden Knights on Monday, and the equally 4-2-1 upstart Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday.
After that? The weekend that kicks off with Jacob Markstrom and the 4th place New Jersey Devils. Things will finally get easier after that stretch when the Flames play the 29th place Edmonton Oilers and 28th place Montreal Canadiens.
Out of that stretch, it would be understandable if Calgary hovered around a .300 points percentage – that is, if you were only looking at the roster on paper.
Juggernaught
Tonight will certainly be a challenge. Carolina squeezed out their third win in four games against Edmonton on Tuesday with just 6.1 seconds left in overtime. They’re playing tight-to-the-belt controlled, possession-heavy hockey. Stats warning.
They currently lead the NHL in shot attempts for vs against percentage (CF%) at 61.41% as well as the high danger chances version of that stat (HDCF%) at 59.63%. We could go on in terms of stat categories the Hurricanes are at or near the top. High danger goals, high danger save percentage, hell, even their PDO, the closest stat we have to use as a luck meter is saying that they actually should be scoring a little more. Mind you, these are all 5v5 stats. Special teams won’t be easy either, Carolina has a 7th ranked powerplay at 28.6% and a 12th ranked PK at 81.8%; both ranking higher than the Flames. Calgary is 23.8% and 76.2% in those categories.
We’re getting a bit too deep into stats country, but if the Flames are going to win, they’ll need to finish on the odd transition opportunity they can glean off of defence and neutral zone turnovers. Carolina will likely control the puck for most of the game.
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Courtesy of Pat Steinberg. @Fan960Steinberg Kirkland promoted to Huberdeau's unit. Pospisil moved to right wing on the first line. Rooney returns from injury.
Kuzmenko-Kadri-Pospisil
Zary-Backlund-Coleman
Huberdeau-Kirkland-Mantha
Lomberg-Rooney-Coronato
Bahl-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Bean-Pachal
Vladar
Carolina Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Courtesy of Walt Ruff and Peter Dewar at nhl.com.
Svechnikov-Aho-Roslovic
Robinson-Kotkaniemi-Necas
Martinook-Staal-Jarvis
Carrier-Drury-Blake
Slavin-Burns
Orlov-Chatfield
Gostisbehere-Walker
Kochetkov
Searching for a Center
It’s official. The Flames are looking to acquire a center on the younger end of the age spectrum.
Eric Francis of Sportsnet interviewed Flames General Manager Craig Conroy earlier this week and confirmed as much. You’ll find a link to that chat at the bottom. Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli have also reported that they're hearing the same.
“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,” said Conroy in his interview with Francis. “But if it was a first-round pick for a guy who would be here long term, we would be open to that.”
What we do know is that the Flames want a right shot if they get a center.
"When we lost Lindholm, a right-hand centre in your top-six, that’s kind of something you’d like to find."
cmpdave @davedubbin85 on twitter has leaked a solid amount of information regarding Flames player management over the past few years. It seems that his car dealership has a bit of fun trading deals and vehicle-related favours in exchange for the odd tidbit of Flames news.
With that said, unconfirmed source, but certainly one that has leaked accurate info prior to the Flames making moves in the past.
Lets have fun and lend a bit of credence to this notion.
Among right shot centers that are 23, Kirby Dach of the Canadiens, Dylan Cozens of the Sabres, and Shane Pinto on the Senators all fit the bill.
Things get a little confusing trying to meet the rest of that criteria. Cozens is averaging 18:16 a night on Buffalo’s second line. Pinto is also getting solid minutes and producing. Dach is on Montreal’s first line.
Likely not those guys.
After a bit of digging – what if the rumoured player was Philip Tomasino of the Nashville Predators? With 23 goals and 47 assists for 70 points in 152 NHL games, there is some latent offence to be brought out if given the right deployment. How about the rest of the criteria?
23 years old? Check.
A right-shot center? Yes sir.
Currently bridged after proving he can produce? Yep.
Currently in the lineup? His last game was on Oct. 19.
Playing a mere 5:08 in that game may imply that he’s injured, but the tape says otherwise. The Missisauga, Ontario product was benched for the remainder of the third period after a bit of a bizarre sequence. Keep an eye on #26 on this goal.
The six-foot pivot flew the zone early just prior to the video starting. It might be that Tomasino is simply dog-housed by Andrew Brunette after a few plays like that.
One more guess? Trevor Zegras.
The only issue there is that he’s a left shot. Everything else makes sense.
Zegras is currently playing left wing on Anaheim’s third line. He centers the second powerplay, not typically ideal for former EA NHL cover features, and is bridged for one more season after this one at $5,750,000 per. The ninth overall pick in 2019 has a goal and an assist in six games this season.
The six-foot tall Bedford, New York product is trying to rebound after putting up just 15 points in 30 games last year. He had 61 and 65 points in the two seasons prior.
This is more just a fun exercise than anything substantial, but hey, who doesn’t like solving mysteries?
Puck drop is at 7:10 p.m. MST. Catch it on Sportsnet West.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, StatMuse, and the National Hockey League.
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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