This could be a busy week for Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames management team.
With Friday’s NHL trade deadline inching ever closer and the Flames sitting 10 points out of a playoff position, speculation is growing about who could be on their way out at the Saddledome.
Here, we’ll look at the players whose names have been included in trade rumours and why they could be attractive on the market:
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When, not if: Blake Coleman
Contract: US$4.9-million, expiring after 2026-27
Why he could (will) be traded: A 34-year-old two-way winger who has won two Stanley Cups and would remain under the control of whichever team acquires him for another season? Yeah, Coleman’s going to be a hot commodity for contenders.
His solid defensive game is Coleman’s calling card, but he produces consistent offence, too. He’s scored the second-most goals for the Flames this season, with 13, and would be leading if he hadn’t missed a month with an upper-body injury.
The Flames will be looking for a first-round pick, at least, for the rights to Coleman’s services.
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The biggest name on the block: Nazem Kadri
Contract: $7-million, expires after 2028-29 season
Why we could be traded: Kadri has fully earned his reputation as a hard-nosed player who rises up in big moments and he was a big part of the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. He signed with the Flames later that summer and has done everything that’s been asked of him in Calgary during some lean years.
There are lots of rumours out there suggesting he’d be open to a move to a contender, and at 35-years-old it only makes sense for him to want to be somewhere with a legitimate chance of winning a Stanley Cup instead of in Calgary, where the Flames are focused on getting younger.
Rumours of a return to the Avs are only growing louder. The challenge in dealing Kadri will be his contract. Not many contenders have the cap room to take him on, so the Flames will either need to retain salary or everyone involved will need to get very creative. You’d expect a big package in return, including at least a first-round pick, a young prospect and more.
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Seems unlikely: MacKenzie Weegar
Contract: $6.25-million, expires after 2029-30 season
Why he could be traded: There’s reported interest from around the league, for starters, and Weegar’s hometown Ottawa Senators have repeatedly been rumoured to be interested in bringing the 32-year-old home as they try to claw their way back into playoff contention in a competitive Eastern Conference.
They say that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but in this case, we really can’t be sure. Weegar has been nothing but a leader and a warrior for the Flames – he’s currently tied for the NHL lead in blocked shots, with 141 – and would be exactly the type of veteran voice you’d want to have help guiding young blueline prospects like Hunter Brzustewicz and Zayne Parekh along throughout the early stages of their careers.
You’d have to assume it would take a mindblowing deal to price him out Calgary.
MacKenzie Weegar and Flames goalie Devin Cooley defend against the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke on Sunday.
The blueliners: Brayden Pachal, Joel Hanley, Zach Whitecloud
Contract: Pachal ($1.187-million, expires after 2026-27) Hanley ($1,75-million, expires after 2026-27), Whitecloud ($2.75-million, expires after 2027-28)
Why they could be traded: The reality when you are sitting where the Flames are in the standings is that guys like Pachal, Hanley and Whitecloud could all be moved. Rumours surrounding Whitecloud have swirled since he was acquired as part of the deal that sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s been great since arriving and teams will be calling about him, for sure, although he’s playing top-pairing minutes these days and has a tonne of value to the Flames.
Hanley has been remarkably consistent throughout his tenure with the Flames and can play with any defensive partner. He’s got a lot of value to the team as a guy who can help bring out the best in young defenders. Pachal, meanwhile, has a physicality that is sometimes lacking on the Flames blueline. He’s often been the odd-man-out this season, though, and has been limited to only 27 games.
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The fan favourite: Ryan Lomberg
Contract: $2-million, expires at end of season.
Why he could be traded: Lomberg is the only unrestricted free-agent among Flames forwards this off-season, and that naturally makes him a candidate to be moved. He’s a fan-favourite in Calgary who fights, hits and brings a tonne of energy to the rink. He also loves playing in Calgary, so re-signing him is absolutely an option.
Lomberg’s contract running out in the summer makes him a candidate to be moved, though, and his style-of-play should make him attractive to contenders who are building up towards a long, physical post-season grind. Nobody wants to see Lomberg go, but the possibility has to be acknowledged.
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