CALGARY — So far, 2026 hasn’t been kind to the Calgary Flames. 

After scratching and clawing their way back into the playoff race in December, including getting back to .500 on New Year’s Eve, the Flames have come crashing back to earth in January. 

Calgary has lost nine of 12 this month (3-7-2), scoring just 24 goals in the process, and as of Wednesday sits nine points back of a playoff spot. Along the way, the Flames completed a long-awaited Rasmus Andersson trade with Vegas, which has fans in this market wondering what’s next. 

Now just over a month away from the March 6 trade deadline, our latest Flames mailbag has a certain theme to it. 

The top question is the one we’ll tackle here, because it’s one we got in some form or another a few times.

First, the belief is Calgary is open and willing to listen on veteran players. And while that doesn’t mean a full-on fire sale, it does mean general manager Craig Conroy is ready to make moves if offers move the needle. 

And that’s why it feels so likely Blake Coleman, who won’t return until after the Olympic break with an upper-body injury, does indeed get traded. 

Coleman is the ideal deadline acquisition for any contender for all the reasons he’s been a perfect fit in Calgary. He’s a leader, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and an extremely effective two-way winger. With the chance to acquire Coleman for two playoff runs, it would be quite surprising if the Flames don’t get the type of offers that convince them to pull the trigger. 

The Nazem Kadri case remains more complicated. 

As recently as Tuesday, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos suggested offers haven’t blown Calgary out of the water. There’s undoubtedly interest in Kadri, as he’s the premier centre potentially available before the deadline. As such, there’s a decent enough chance he gets dealt. But with three years remaining at $7 million per, it’s hard to gauge a realistic return. And if the Flames aren’t getting what they believe Kadri is worth, there’s truly no urgency to do a deal this spring. 

This question brings up another complication. 

With Calgary retaining salary on the Andersson trade, and still doing so on Jacob Markstrom, the team has just one retention slot available leading into the deadline. And the fact the Flames get those two slots back on July 1 is why this question is being asked. 

Retention could end up being a crucial part of a deal involving Kadri or Coleman, which means waiting until the off-season on the former might fit the bill. That would then allow Calgary to retain salary on Coleman’s $4.9 million AAV before the deadline and likely get a better return as a result. 

That’s not to say a Kadri deal this season would be off the table. There are other ways to make salaries work and the Flames have plenty of cap space to take money back the other way. That said, salary retention is something to consider as March 6 draws closer. 

We’re going to tackle the first question here, as Zach Whitecloud’s future in Calgary has been a hot topic. Acquired from Vegas as part of the Andersson trade, Whitecloud has been discussed as a potential flip candidate at the deadline since joining his new team. And you can understand the logic. 

Whitecloud is a right-shot defenceman who defends well, has won a Stanley Cup, can play up and down the lineup, and is raved about by current and former teammates. Like Coleman, he’s exactly the type of piece contending teams are looking for before the playoffs. 

At 29, you can include Whitecloud in the same conversation as other Flames veterans. If the offers are strong, Calgary will be open to moving him. But with two years remaining on his contract, there’s also no urgency in doing so. And observing how well Whitecloud has instantly fit on his new team lowers that urgency even more.

“I’m in a new place where we’re trying to win games, we’re trying to build this culture in the direction Flames fans want to go and expect it to go,” Whitecloud told Flames Talk in a revealing interview earlier this week. 

“I want to be a cog in that machine to help push that forward for Flames fans to enjoy that, enjoy winning every single night, (and) coming to the rink expecting to win. For me, that’s why I play the game. I play to win every single night, and that’s what the opportunity is here: To drive a culture forward and to help come in and be a part of that.” 

Knowing Calgary might be in for a few tough years as it attempts to build a contender, personalities like Whitecloud’s could prove invaluable. When you add Whitecloud’s contract situation to the equation, it feels like a win-win proposition for the Flames.  

This answer has a few moving parts. 

Top prospect Zayne Parekh is on an AHL conditioning loan with the Calgary Wranglers, which is set to expire this weekend. As a 19-year-old subject to the current CHL-NHL agreement, Parekh can’t remain with the Wranglers beyond this weekend and thus will rejoin the Flames before the Olympic break. 

Finding a spot in the lineup for Parekh is the next thing to figure out. Calgary’s right side on defence is crowded, with Parekh, Whitecloud, MacKenzie Weegar, Hunter Brzustewicz and Brayden Pachal all on the roster. 

But solutions are available. 

The most immediate workaround is moving Weegar to the left side, which is something he’s done frequently throughout his NHL career. Knowing how difficult this season has been for Weegar, trying something different down the stretch seems like something worth trying. It would also make it easier for head coach Ryan Huska to play both Parekh and 21-year-old Brzustewicz on the right side in the same lineup. 

A little further down the road is the possibility of trades impacting Calgary’s blueline before the deadline. If Whitecloud, Pachal or even 34-year-old left shot Joel Hanley are dealt this spring, the Flames would end up with that much more flexibility going younger on defence.