The Calgary Flames may not be buyers heading into the trade deadline, but general manager (GM) Craig Conroy has maintained that he’s open to making moves that improve his team not only for this season, but years into the future. He proved on Thursday night that he’s willing to do just that.
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The Flames made a big trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, sending Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks out in exchange for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. While several names have been discussed as a potential target for the Flames in their pursuit of a centreman, Frost’s was not among them. It was a surprising move, to say the least, but one that is being well-received by Flames fans.
Conroy Comes Out on Top
This trade was a confusing one to follow, as little pieces of information were being picked out here and there, but it wasn’t until late in the evening that everybody finally learned the entire package. At first, it seemed as though Kuzmenko was the only player heading out the door, but an hour or so later fans learned that Pelletier would also be involved.
From the Flyers’ perspective, it became clear early on that Frost was involved in the deal. It wasn’t until much later that fans learned Farabee would also be included. That piqued the interest of Flames fans even more, as both are young forwards who look like they could be a part of this organization for years to come.
Frost fits the bill for the Flames in many ways. The organization doesn’t have many prospects who play centre, and their current roster has two current centres in Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund that are well into their 30s. That made it imperative for Conroy to try and add one, and while it remains to be seen how Frost will fit in, he checks a lot of boxes at this time.
As for Farabee, he’s a bit more of a risk given his contract and inconsistencies. He is on a contract with a $5 million cap hit through 2027-28, and has only put up 19 points through 50 games this season. The change of scenery could benefit him, however, as he’s put up some solid stat lines in the past, and will have a much less demanding head coach in Ryan Huska moving forward.
Kuzmenko & Pelletier Aren’t Big Losses
As for the players the Flames sent out the door, seeing Kuzmenko go doesn’t come as a big surprise. In fact, the only slight surprise is the fact that another team was willing to give him a shot. He’s been bad this season, finding himself out of the lineup as a healthy scratch several times. He’s paid handsomely to be a goal scorer, but has found the back of the net just four times this season.
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Pelletier once had plenty of value in the Flames organization, but had seen that dwindle over the last year. He wound up being placed on waivers in October, when all 31 other NHL teams chose not to put in a claim for him. To his credit, he worked his way back into the lineup and got to the point where he clearly had trade value once again, but he has a long way to go in order to prove that he can be a regular NHLer going forward.
Perhaps the most impressive part of this trade for the Flames is the fact that they weren’t forced to move any of the four first-round picks they have over the course of the next two drafts. They instead shipped out a second-round pick in 2025, as well as a 2028 seventh-round selection. Conroy has done more than an adequate job at piling up draft picks over the last year, making the loss of these two fairly insignificant.
Flames Did Excellent in This Trade
As far as a grade goes, it’s hard to give the Flames anything lower than an ‘A’. Some may even suggest an ‘A+’, though it’s impossible to ignore the fact that there is some risk associated with taking on Farabee’s contract. Still, the fact that they were able to find their centreman in Frost and were forced to only move two rather middling players is a massive win. Flames fans are celebrating this trade now and could be continuing to do so years ahead.
