Calgary Flames Rumors: New GM Hints At Goalie Trade Upcoming

New Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy has a busy summer ahead of him, trying to right the ship in Cowtown. Clearly, one of the team's biggest strengths is between the pipes, where they'll have three competent netminders who are all deserving of ice time. 

Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar are already established in Calgary, and are under contract. Now 22-year-old Dustin Wolf has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that he's more than ready for the NHL, as the two-time reigning AHL goalie of the year, and the newly-crowned AHL MVP.

Conroy told Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff that this situation leaves him no choice but to investigate a trade; the Flames would love to bring in another top-six forward. 

The one thing is, with two goalies under contract, those are the kind of conversations you have with other teams. Wolf definitely put himself right in the mix, it’s a good problem for me to have three goalies that we feel very comfortable with. So, as I start talking to GMs around the league, is there an opportunity, does someone need a goalie, because I think all our guys want to play every night. That’s the one thing. But I do think, at some point, Wolf needs to come up... He needs to play. 

After a coach and tackling UFAs, #Flames GM Craig Conroy has a goaltending question to answer.

Conroy says Dustin Wolf has earned #NHL opportunity. What does that mean for Vladar?

Frankly Speaking | Ep. 15: https://t.co/yA7ZevQuiL

Pres. by @OLGproline: https://t.co/W0NLcrQgeP pic.twitter.com/W6M2pZaN1C

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 29, 2023

                                                            —— New Flames GM Craig Conroy 

Markstrom, 33, is smack in the middle of a six-year contract with a $6M cap hit annually. That would be a tough contract to trade. 

Vladar, however, is eight years younger than Markstrom, and signed a two-year extension back at the beginning of the season, with a $2.2M AAV. Naturally, he doesn't have the resume of Markstrom, but he would be an eminently more tradable commodity, and we should be hearing his name come up plenty in the weeks ahead.

Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports