With one deal done, what's next for Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy to do?
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One of Matt Coronato's close buddies, Connor Zary, reacts to his seven-year extension with #Flames … pic.twitter.com/HD2qXHZ7V9
— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) May 3, 2025
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While we agree that Coronato should probably pick up the tab the next time these pals are out for steaks or chicken parm, Zary could soon be celebrating a new contract of his own. Maybe he's next.
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Around the same time that Zary was posting about Coronato's mega-deal, general manager Craig Conroy was jokingly apologizing to a beat reporter for keeping him off the golf course or patio on a sun-scorched Saturday afternoon.
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With the amount on his plate, it certainly isn't a surprise the Flames GM is working through the weekends. As the ink dries on Coronato's 7×6.5, let's refresh Conroy's to-do list …
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The restricted free agents
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After burying 24 goals during a breakthrough campaign, Coronato headlined the Flames' crop of pending restricted free agents. So Conroy can cross off one name. Who's next? Kevin Bahl seems like the most obvious candidate for a long-term pact. The 24-year-old defenceman showed this winter that he can log heavy minutes in a shutdown role. If Rasmus Andersson isn't extended (and more on him in a minute), Bahl may be an ideal partner for prized prospect Zayne Parekh. Zary, whose sophomore NHL season was derailed by a pair of injuries, would likely prefer a bridge deal. That buys some time for the 23-year-old to fulfil his offensive potential and for the Flames to sort out exactly where he fits in the lineup. Adam Klapka, who boosted his bargaining power with some timely tallies during the wild-card chase, is eligible for arbitration. Ditto for both Morgan Frost and Sam Morton.
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The NHL's rule is that you can't sign an extension until there is only one year remaining on your current contract. That's why you always see a few big-money re-ups on July 1. Could the Flames make a Canada Day splash with a long-term whopper for their rising-star goaltender Dustin Wolf? There's an obvious starting point for these negotiations — Jeremy Swayman's eight-year extension with the Boston Bruins, which was inked last fall and carries an annual cap hit of US$8.25 million. While Wolf will be a fixture at the Saddledome and then Scotia Place for years to come, Andersson has admitted that it's hard to predict what his future holds. The two sides will exchange offers, but will they find middle ground on length and dollar value, or will the workhorse rearguard either be traded away this summer or start next season as a soon-to-be UFA? At age 28, this next contract should be the richest of Andersson's career. Question is, does that sort of commitment make sense for the Flames?
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On locker clean-out day at the Saddledome, Dan Vladar revealed that he's been talking contract with the Flames for months already, reiterating his desire to stick around as Wolf's backup. Will he put pen to paper soon, or will the 27-year-old Vladar be tempted to find out what sort of opportunity and loot he may be offered in unrestricted free agency? With Frederik Andersen staying for another season in Carolina, the goalie market is thin. Justin Kirkland and Joel Hanley have also expressed that they'd love to re-sign with the Flames. Kirkland, who was one of the NHL's feel-good fall stories before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury, should appeal as a guy who can provide some versatility in a bottom-six forward role and can snipe in the shootout. Hanley was an unsung hero on the blue-line but he is also 33, so Conroy may be better off shopping for a permanent partner for MacKenzie Weegar.
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