The Flames lost one of the key members of their Western Conference Championship squadron today when centerman, Assistant Captain and former Flames Captain Craig Conroy signed a 4-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Conroy had previously turned down a 3-year, $6.75M contract offer from the Flames to test out the free agent market.
This could be a huge blow for the Flames...if Steve Reinprecht can't stay healthy. Stephane Yelle, Marcus Nilson & Matthew Lombardi proved solid as pivots for the Flames during the playoffs. Conroy probably got a LOT of help from Jarome Iginla, considering his numbers before joining the Flames (and playing with Iginla) were fairly tiny compared to his numbers playing with Iginla.
CALGARY FLAMES: Your 2004 Western Conference Champions DVDs I Own
True, Conroy's status really went up while playing with Iginla. That said, I don't think it's fair to imply that the benefit was one way. I don't see any of Reinprecht, Yelle, Nilson, or Lombardi as a #1 centre. Hard to blame Conroy for leaving; an offer of a little over two million dollars a year, or $750,000 over three years more than Sean O'Donnell got yesterday is insulting considering what he has done with the Flames.
Originally posted by BigVitoMarkTrue, Conroy's status really went up while playing with Iginla. That said, I don't think it's fair to imply that the benefit was one way. I don't see any of Reinprecht, Yelle, Nilson, or Lombardi as a #1 centre. Hard to blame Conroy for leaving; an offer of a little over two million dollars a year, or $750,000 over three years more than Sean O'Donnell got yesterday is insulting considering what he has done with the Flames.
But what has he done? He's been riding Iggy's coat tails...that's all he has done. He will wash up in LA.
Originally posted by raygunThis is why the NHL is in trouble. Conroy has compiled a whopping 340 points in his 10 year career, and he's worth over 2 mil a season?
Just imagine what he would have gotten if Glen Sather hadn't decided to sit on his checkbook this offseason....
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Originally posted by raygunThis is why the NHL is in trouble. Conroy has compiled a whopping 340 points in his 10 year career, and he's worth over 2 mil a season?
There is more to hockey then scoring points, though. He's a good leader and a great defensive player as well. He'll be a tremendous influence on the LA dressing room. LA is hardly a huge spender so they wouldn't have given him that contract if they didn't think he was worth every cent.
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Conroy barely cracked the top 50 Flames in terms of point production all-time, yet he made more than 95% of them.
I'm not saying that Craig Conroy isn't an awesome hockey player. The Flames shipped Cory Stillman to the Blues for Conroy BECAUSE he's an awesome hockey player. But at the time the Flames had a glut of young offensive talent and needed to make room, so they got a solid two-way player for an aging forward. Conroy benefitted from Iginla (and visa versa), but to say that Conroy's the reason Iginla was any good is crazy.
I think whoever they put with Iginla will do well, probably Reinprecht.
CALGARY FLAMES: Your 2004 Western Conference Champions DVDs I Own
Originally posted by Freeway420Conroy barely cracked the top 50 Flames in terms of point production all-time, yet he made more than 95% of them.
So what?
Conroy's been a Flame for three seasons, including one in which he missed around 20 games with injury, playing in a league where scoring isn't what it was even ten years ago.
If you think Conroy's overrated, be happy that he's gone and the Kings overpaid. If you can get a top line centre for just over two mil though, you take that. Relying on an unproven guy coming off a serious injury like Reinprecht is just irresponsible.
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