Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy was determined to take advantage of what had turned into a very uncomfortable position leading up to the trade deadline.
After the deadline, he may not be on many analysts’ lists of “Winners,” but he did make some smart moves for a general manager who is on the shortlist for the Calder Trophy.
That’s why the Flames are indeed in a better place now than they would have if Brad Treliving had not been relieved of his duties and replaced by Conroy last summer. That’s because there’s almost no way Treliving would have had the stomach to break up the roster he had built, and it’s hard to find him at fault for that. GMs are a little like the athletes when it comes to this kind of thing. They’re sometimes the last to realize what needs to be done.
