Craig Conway took his first step towards a rebuild or retool yesterday. We all knew Lindholm wasn't staying, so Conroy had to get what he could. The Flames wanted a roster player, a top prospect, and a first-round pick.
The Roster Player
They got Andrei Kuzmenko, who scored 39 goals last year. This season, not so much. Andréi is a player trying to find his niche. Kuzmenko is a third-line player who will help with the powerplay. He is better than he has been this year, but he's not the 39-goal scorer he used to be. I will say this much: if Andrei can mesh with Huberdeau, the Flames could hit a home run, but it's a big if.
Two Prospects
Hunter Brzustewicz
Hunter is an offensive defenseman with excellent puck skills. He is great on the powerplay because he can distribute the puck with the best of them. He is a great skater, but he needs to develop better in the physical and defensive parts of the game. He has excellent potential, but he's a grade B prospect right now.
Joni Jurmo
Joni is a big, steady, stay-at-home defenseman who excels in the physical part of the game but won't contribute much offensively. He is a sturdy number-six defenseman and is considered a C+ prospect.
I think Conroy did very well in the trade. He has expiring contracts, controllable pieces, and draft picks. If Kuzmenko doesn't work out, he can always trade him. I completely agree with that concept and want to see how Andrei does with Huberdeau.
Conroy's guts and fortitude were evident in this trade. He knows what he wants and how to get it.
My source says: "Conroy just showed the entire league that he will not wait around. He just showed that it's his price, or he will go elsewhere."
NYR, Colorado, and Boston all thought Conroy was bluffing when he told them he had a better offer elsewhere. All three teams were shocked last night.
The bottom line is: don't mess with Conroy.
Randy
