The story for the Calgary Flames this season has been their histroically bad start. With that comes the conversations regarding what the team is going to do with some of their veterans on the roster. Players such as Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have all been involved in trade rumors as the expectation is that the Flames will be sellers near the trade deadline.

However, another name has been thrown around here and there, and that’s Devin Cooley. There’s no doubt that Cooley has cemented himself as a fan favourite in Calgary, but given where the team is, if an older player is playing well, their name is bound to pop up in trade talks among the fanbase. Cooley has had a surprisingly strong season so far, and if that continues, would the Flames entertain the idea of moving the 28-year-old goaltender?

Cooley has surprised fans and the team

While Cooley hasn’t exactly been hot as of late, his emergence as the Flames’ backup goalie has been quite remarkable. Cooley currently ranks in the top 10 among NHL goaltenders for GAA, currently sporting a 2.35 average. He’s also amongst the top 10 for save percentage, as Cooley currently has a 0.913 in 12 games. Not too shabby for a player that only has 18 games of NHL experience under his belt.

While it’s technically not a fair assessment, numbers-wise, Cooley has been the better goaltender for the Flames so far. It’s a surprise given that at the start of the season, the coaching staff had little to no confidence in Cooley, and since then, he has completely flipped the script.

Could Cooley be a potential trade chip?

The Flames, as of this season, should be fully open for business. While Andersson, Kadri and Coleman have dominated rumors and headlines, the question is whether more players should be added to the list. Could Cooley be one of them?

It really depends on how deep the Flames go when it comes to trading players. As of right now, Andersson really seems like the only player who fans can confidently say is likely out. Given how the Flames value their “culture”, would they trade a player like Cooley, who is well-liked in the locker room?

Regardless, the Flames should be open to moving players if they get a good offer for them. If they don’t make deals, they should at least be open to the idea of it. Given Cooley’s emergence this season, I don’t see a true scenario where the Flames move him for a mid-round pick, for example. He’s a pending UFA, and I can totally see the Flames’ attempt to extend him. After all, he stole the backup job from Ivan Prosvetov, who theoretically was supposed to earn it but had a poor preseason, which resulted in him being sent down to the minors.

Selling helps the future

The Flames must adopt the selling mindset over the next couple of weeks. It doesn’t matter if they continue to win games, as their playoff hopes this season are over. It’s time for the team to truly embrace the tank in hopes of securing a top-three pick in the 2026 draft. The Flames have the potential to draft a franchise-changing player who can become a star for this team for the next decade.

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