Flames secure vital piece, add key components to team's future

Over the course of the two-day NHL Draft, Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy both secured a vital piece of his team’s present and added key components to the organization’s future.

Kevin Bahl, a relatively unknown blueliner who was part of the trade with New Jersey for Jacob Markstrom last summer, will remain a Flame for the next six seasons after signing an extension on Saturday morning worth over $30 million. The 25-year-old relished his first season in Calgary and was intent on remaining part of a franchise he feels is on the upswing.

“People harp on stuff like the culture and willingness to win and wanting to get better,” he said on Saturday.

“That’s a key [for] me, being around guys and a team that, everyday, they’re competing. They’re working. They want to get better, regardless of what else is going on or regardless of the results.”

Bahl praised the atmosphere around the club and city, saying that he knew early on in his Flames tenure that he wanted to stick around long-term.

“It was within the first couple of months,” he said.

“I felt like just in the city, it just feels comfy. It’s not too overwhelming … it’s meeting your neighbours, going out and talking to them, stuff like that and really just enjoying the community aspect of life here.”

Bahl played most of last season alongside blueliner Rasmus Andersson on the team’s second defence pairing. The two had more minutes together at five-on-five than all but two other defence pairings in the league and started just 41 per cent of their shifts in the offensive zone, but that could change next season given potential movement on the Flames’ blueline. Andersson is a pending free agent and has been the subject of trade speculation. 

Bahl was paired with top prospect Zayne Parekh in his NHL debut at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Conroy hopes that they remain together, at least to start next season. 

“[Bahl] came in and did an amazing job for us, so now we’re looking for him to take another step next year,” the general manager said. 

“I can see that being a pair moving forward.”

Bahl drew parallels between the Flames and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“They’re a gritty, hard-forechecking team that’s just gonna grind you to the nub, and our style of play I felt like was similar,” he said.

“How we’re going to get pucks deep, we’re going to grind you down. We’re going to forecheck hard. We’re going to compete … if you’re able to build that base of the pyramid, that’s huge.”

To get there, the Flames’ burgeoning prospect pool will play a major role. 

Conroy targeted centres early and often at the draft, drafting three with his first three picks. First rounders Cole Reschny (92 points with the Victoria Royals) and Cullen Potter (22 points with Arizona State University) project as top-six pivots, while second rounder Theo Stockselius (51 points with Djurgardens junior team) could be a middle-six fixture.

“I see the style the Flames play, that hard, gritty hard-nosed game and don’t take no for an answer, and they go to those dirty areas,” Reschny said. 

“That will suit me.”

Potter’s mom, Jenny, is one of the most-decorated U.S. hockey players of all time with 16 medals. 

“It’s huge having a mom who played hockey at a high level before, being able to talk to her after games,” he said.

Conroy and director of scouting Tod Button have targeted high-ceiling offensive players with most of their picks the last two drafts – a departure from previous years when they drafted bigger, more physical players who projected lower in the lineup. Conroy and his staff feel they can add blue-collar players who play supporting roles in other ways.

“You can find players on waivers sometimes,” he said.

“You can find certain types of players a little more easily, but those high-skilled players are tough to find. I think we have to, internally, find those players ourselves, develop them, and get them in the lineup and have them be here long-term for us.”

Eventually, the goal is to have Bahl suit up alongside Reschny, Potter, and other Flames’ prospects as Conroy builds a long-term contender in Calgary. He joked that Bahl sped to the Saddledome when he knew he was getting $30 million.

“I know how to get guys here quickly,” Conroy said, with a grin. 

The general manager surely hopes that years from now, he’s having similar conversations about his recent draft picks.