Flames Face Monumental Upcoming Draft, & Markstrom Takes Shot at Management
Plus, we take a look at what new acquisition Artem Grushnikov should bring to the hockey club.
Welcome to the THW Calgary Flames Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Flames writers.
Today’s edition looks at the importance of the upcoming draft and how it could pan out while profiling new prospect Artem Grushnikov, who Calgary acquired from Dallas as part of the Chris Tanev trade. In addition, we dive into why Jacob Markstrom wasn’t happy about how management handled his trade speculation.
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Now, on to the good stuff…
Calgary Flames Have Monumental Draft Ahead of Them
March 2, 2024 by Derek Olsen
After almost 60 games, the Calgary Flames currently find themselves nipping at the heels of the last wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference. However, the franchise is also in an uncommon position; they are in a transitional period where multiple big names are being traded away for assets, but a core of veteran players remain. Rookie general manager Craig Conroy labelled it as a “retool on the fly”, and Flames and media alike have embraced this pathway. The team started last offseason with six impactful unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on the roster: Tyler Toffoli, Mikael Backlund, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin. Since then, the team has re-signed Backlund and traded Toffoli, Zadorov, Lindholm, and Tanev, with Hanifin likely slated to follow in their footsteps.
Markstrom Takes Aim at Flames Management Over Deadline Mess
March 1, 2024 by Jim Parsons
Jacob Markstrom has immense respect for how his teammates have handled all the trade deadline chatter surrounding him, but he’s not terribly impressed with Calgary Flames management. During an interview on Friday, Markstrom was asked if he’s parked the idea of him being traded and if he plans to continue with the Flames past March 8th. In response, he thanked his teammates but took at shot at the guys “up top.”
What Flames Are Getting in Newly Acquired Prospect Grushnikov
March 1, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
The Calgary Flames made their third trade of the 2023-24 season last night, as they sent one of their most talked about pending UFAs, Chris Tanev, to the Dallas Stars. The deal came of little surprise, as the 34-year-old’s name had been discussed in trade rumours all season long. With the direction the Flames are headed, an extension made little sense for either party.