How Can the Flames Fix the Middle?
The Calgary Flames have been circling the same issue for a while now, and it hasn’t really gone away. They just don’t have enough strength down the middle. And when you look back at the Nazem Kadri trade to Colorado, that hole didn’t just stay open; it arguably got even bigger.
Heading into the Flames’ offseason, fixing the middle is a key issue.
So, heading into another offseason, the same question is sitting right at the top of the list. What exactly are the Flames trying to become, and how do they finally fix the centre position?
Craig Conroy has been pretty clear about the direction. Last summer, there were already rumblings that Calgary was hunting for a young, NHL-ready centre. They were looking for someone who could grow with the group. Fast forward to now, and that still feels like the main objective.
As Elliotte Friedman put it on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Conroy’s “whale” is a top-end centre. That’s about as accurate as it gets. These players are hard to find, even harder to trade for, and when you do find them, you usually have to overpay or get lucky at the draft.
The Flames have a ton of draft picks this offseason.
And that’s where things get interesting for Calgary. The Flames finished near the bottom of the standings, which at least gives them a real shot at a high pick. There’s even a small chance they land first overall, although most projections have Gavin McKenna going there as a winger. Still, the real value for Calgary might be just behind him.
There are a few centre options in this draft that could change things. Caleb Malhotra — son of former NHLer Manny Malhotra — has had a big year with Brantford, putting up 84 points and looking like a steady, responsible two-way centre. Then there are names like Tynan Lawrence, Viggo Björck, and Oliver Suvanto, all in that mix of early-first-round centre talent.
For the Flames, so much comes down to the luck of the draw.
The thing is, a lot of this depends on how the board falls. Calgary is picking high enough that they should get a real swing at one of these guys, but not high enough to guarantee their preferred choice. And that’s where the real question sits for the Flames this summer.
Are they strictly drafting and developing their way out of this? Or are they still watching the trade market, looking for that under-25 centre who might already be a step closer to NHL impact?
Do the Flames wait for the draft or seek a known entity?
Because right now, everything in Calgary seems to come back to the same thing: they need a centre. The only question left is how bold they’re willing to be to finally get one.