Why Conroy felt time was right for Flames to trade Andersson

CALGARY — With every painful shot block absorbed by his prized trade chip, Craig Conroy felt increasingly compelled to pull the trigger on a Rasmus Andersson trade.

However, it was the phone call he received early Sunday that made it clear it was time to make a deal.

“I think at the beginning, at times, they were open to the idea of signing (an extension) with teams, but then I was informed this morning they weren’t open to signing with other teams,” said Conroy Sunday night, shortly after trading Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights for two picks and two players.

“That definitely changes the game a little bit.

“You’re hoping they will work with you to try to get a deal signed somewhere. But I also feel that’s within his right. He deserves that. He’s going to be a UFA at the end of the year. 

“So then we’re trying to maximize what we can on a rental and have a team step up and do it. Some teams were out of it when they found out he would not sign, which I understand, as they’re going to give up a lot to get Ras because he’s a good player.”

If anyone was going to be comfortable gambling on the ol’ rent-to-own gambit, as it pertains to Andersson, of course it would be the Golden Knights.

As one of the league's most desirable destinations, Vegas had already rolled the dice on a similar acquisition with Noah Hanifin two years earlier, with the ultimate payoff coming months later.

Given reports that Andersson had previously expressed interest in playing in Vegas, who would bet against Anderson eventually putting pen to paper on a long-term extension there?

With that in mind, the Golden Knights put together an offer that beat out four other teams, which included their first round pick in 2027, a conditional second in 2028 (that turns into a first rounder if Vegas wins the Cup in 2026), Zach Whitecloud, and rights to college prospect Abram Wiebe.

No, the deal doesn’t immediately address the Flames’ shortfall of skill. 

Patience is obviously required for that to materialize.

“You don’t see a lot of skill moving around — we have to draft skill, we have to develop skill, and that’s why you saw Matvei Gridin in the lineup yesterday, because he brings that skill,” said Conroy, who will also retain half of Andersson’s salary the rest of the year.

“I saw all the things online I should have got. There’s a difference between fantasy and reality, and we have to work in the reality part. How many young skilled players get given up?

“To get skill is tough.”

Whitecloud is a 29-year-old right-shot defenceman who is physical, kills penalties, can play big minutes and is a Stanley Cup winner.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has recently played alongside Hanifin on the second pairing — a role he’ll continue in Calgary for two more years at $2.75 million. 

Wiebe is a 6-foot-3, 209 pound left-shot defenceman at the University of North Dakota, where the unsigned seventh-round pick wears an ‘A’ and has one more year of eligibility left.

“A very solid, all-around player,” said Conroy, who saw him play at UND while scouting two other Flames prospects on the team.

“He’s going to see an opportunity for a young guy to play, and hopefully the guys at North Dakota put a good word in for us. I don’t see a problem signing him.”

The former captain of the Chilliwack Chiefs has three goals and 14 points in 24 games this season and is a native of Mission, B.C. 

Conroy gave Andersson plenty of credit for the way he elevated his game this year despite the fact he had no chance of staying here.

Andersson would not give the Flames any numbers to work with, in terms of what it would take to extend him.

Never made sense anyway, given his age and the youth movement the team needs to take.

“Where we are in the standings, and the way the season started, this was probably the way it was heading for sure,” said Conroy. 

“We love Ras as a player and what he’s done. I give him all the credit in the world to come in and play with all this stuff going on around him and he’s had one of the best seasons he’s ever had.

“But where the team is at, and where we are trying to get to, this made the most sense for us moving forward.”

Now was the time, well ahead of the self-imposed Olympic roster freeze the Flames wanted to deal Andersson by.

“This is something we needed to do sooner than later only because of injuries — you’re a little concerned every night,” said Conroy, citing two of his Kings teammates who returned home injured from the 2006 Olympics.

“One of the opening remarks I made when I took the job was I wasn’t going to just let guys walk for nothing. And if he would have gotten injured then who knows what I would have got.”

So what’s next?

“I don’t even want to speculate — we’re going to continue to work at it and see where this goes,” said Conroy, who is listening to offers on Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri, amongst others, as he decides just how deep the rebuild will go.

Andersson got a chance to say goodbye one day earlier, when he was called out as the game’s third star, clapped and waved to the crowd, and had earlier high-fived all his teammates as they left the ice.

Those who take umbrage with Andersson refusing to commit anywhere long-term are way off base. 

It's hypocritical and wrong to suggest any athlete should feel they need to sign long-term anywhere they don’t want, especially if the long-term offer isn’t considered optimal. He’s earned the right to choose on his timeline. 

As one of the Flames’ most successful draft and development stories in decades, he’s already done enough for the organization. 

The four-man package he earned the club Sunday is a generous parting gift.