They’ve stayed in the fight.
And by adding two ‘age-appropriate’ forwards in a late-night deal with the Flyers, Flames General Manager Craig Conroy has given his team a just reward for their hard work this season.
Calgary acquired centre Morgan Frost and winger Joel Farabee in a six-piece blockbuster, adding skill and experience, but also youth to a team that will wake up Friday sitting in the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
“I definitely wanted to give the team something,” Conroy said following the Flames’ 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night. “They deserved it, and they’ve earned it. To give ‘em a boost, a shot in the arm - whatever it is - we felt like these players could do that.
“They’re at the right age. They’re 24 and 25-year-old guys that we can grow with, and that’s always been the plan. For right now, we really want to find guys that we can grow with (for) the long-term.”
Frost was fourth among Flyers scoring leaders with 25 points (11G, 14A) this season.
Farabee, a two-time 20-goal scorer in Philadelphia, has 19 points (8G, 11A) on the campaign.
Both were former first-round picks by the Flyers in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
“Morgan Frost obviously is a centre, a natural centre that we don’t have,” Conroy explained. “Really nice play-making, great hands. Sees the ice, vision. I watched him tonight on the powerplay, he made some real nice plays, quick one-touches. He gets the puck in, so he can transport the puck and get the puck in.
“With Joel, he’s got some jam and he can score. Maybe his minutes are down a little bit there, but we’re going to be able to give him a really good opportunity here in Calgary. So, I think he’s going to bring - we talked a little bit about it - when you watch him, he’s like a younger, maybe, Blake Coleman-type player, where he chips in offensively, he can score, he can put up points, but he’s got some grit. You feel very comfortable when he’s on the ice in all situations.”