A lot has happened around the NHL over the last 24 hours, and things are starting to feel hectic. The biggest headline yesterday was the Quinn Hughes trade, which sent the star defenceman to the Minnesota Wild. That move alone may have shifted the trade market.

For Calgary Flames fans, the Hughes deal has only added to the anxiety. With other teams making bold moves, the question now is when the Flames are finally going to pull the trigger on a major trade of their own. Calgary has several high-value players available, and it feels like at least one significant move is coming sooner rather than later. Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman, and Nazem Kadri are all names drawing attention around the league. Right now, Andersson appears to be the most likely to move first. After Minnesota’s blockbuster trade, the Central Division is shaping up to be a grind, with contenders loading up fast.

One of the teams that has shown interest in Andersson is the Dallas Stars. With their divisional rivals getting stronger, the Stars may feel the pressure to respond. That raises an interesting question: could Dallas and Calgary be lining up a blockbuster deal that helps both sides?

Dallas and Calgary make too much sense as trade partners

The more trade rumors that come out, the more it makes sense for the Stars and the Flames to make a deal. As mentioned above, the Central Division has gotten a whole lot better with Hughes joining the Wild. As for the Stars, they currently have a major hole in their lineup with Tyler Seguin being out for the season with an injury. Additionally, Andersson has also been connected to the Stars via trade rumors, as the team has shown significant interest in the Swedish defenceman.

Stars’ blueline via Daily Faceoff

Lindell – Heiskanen

Harley – Petrovic

Kolyachonok – Capabianco

While the Stars are dealing with some injuries, there’s no denying that adding a player like Andersson would do wonders for this team on the backend. You can make the argument for Kadri and Coleman to also be worthy additions to the Stars’ forward core. As of right now, the Stars and Flames look like a match made in heaven for being trade partners.

Could a blockbuster trade between these teams be on the horizon?

There have been many trade proposals flying out there on what a potential trade between these two teams could look like. Here’s a mock trade from us at the Win Column that would send both Andersson and Kadri to the Lone Star State.

A trade like this would be absolutely massive for both teams. For the Stars, they’re getting two players who could help them win now, while the Flames get assets for the future. Andersson would need to be a part of the deal, as his addition just makes too much sense for Dallas. You could potentially replace Kadri with Coleman, but the Flames would still be getting these types of assets back.

A look at Dallas’ assets

Assuming a blockbuster trade were to happen, the Flames would want significant assets in return. Let’s take a look at what some of these assets could be:

Roster players

In a deal revolving around Andersson or Kadri, a roster player would be included, likely for cap reasons. For example, the Flames could take on a player like Ilya Lyubushkin in order to make the money work. If Kadri was also included in the deal, would the Flames consider taking Seguin as a potential cap dump? This seems like less of a possibility as Seguin has a full NMC and likely wouldn’t agree to a trade to Calgary. The Stars also likely still view him as an important veteran piece. But you never know.

Draft picks

The good news for the Flames is that the Stars still have draft capital. They have their own 1st in 2027 as well as their own 2nd. Getting a 1st round pick is a non-negotiable as it’s a must in an Andersson or Kadri trade. For Dallas, it makes sense to part with futures, as they’re strictly in win-now mode.

Prospects and young players

The Stars also have some young players that they could include in a trade. Starting with the obvious two in Mavrik Bourque and Lian Bischel. In a trade involving Andersson or Kadri, I’d want at least one of these players coming back for the Flames. My preference leans towards Bischel as he’s a young left-shot defenceman with great promise. As for prospects, the player who stands out to me is Cameron Schmidt. Drafted in the third round in the 2025 draft, Schmidt is having a strong year in the WHL, currently having 42 points in 30 games with the Vancouver Giants.

Besides those players, it gets sort of slim. If either Kadri or Andersson end up in Dallas, the Flames will likely be interested in one or multiple of these young players listed above.

There’s a deal to be done here

With Hughes getting dealt, the trade market may start to heat up quickly. The Flames must start shopping their veterans, as the returns could be substantial.

Regarding the Stars, I definitely think there is a deal that could be made involving Andersson, Kadri or Coleman. Obviously, Dallas isn’t the only fit for any of these players, but it’s the team we’ve heard most about. Either way, the Flames just need to take the best package available, and it starts by letting other teams know that they’re indeed open for business.

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