It’s the last chance to add players prior to the playoff push, so teams often make home run swings. The thing about home run swings is that sometimes they are gigantic, spectacular whiffs if they miss. But if you connect with the ball, you can crush it.

Elsewhere, we’ve discussed some whiffs. Here are five deals that have aged quite well among the 76 swaps the Flames have made in the final week before the trade deadline.

Mar. 11, 1986: The Flames trade Rich Kromm & Steve Konroyd to the Islanders for John Tonelli

If you’re a newcomer to Flames fandom, let me paint a picture for you: the Flames were a really good hockey team in the 1980s. They were amazing in the regular season, but they just couldn’t get over the hump in the playoffs. After making it to the third round in 1981, they lost in one of the first two rounds in the next four seasons – including two losses to the hated Edmonton Oilers.

By the 1986 trade deadline, Flames GM Cliff Fletcher – a man who often made big moves to improve his team – wasn’t messing around. Four-time Stanley Cup champion John Tonelli had a strained relationship with Islanders management coming off a contract holdout to begin the season, and so Fletcher sent forward Rich Kromm and blueliner Steve Konroyd to the Isles for his services. Known for being really good in the playoffs, Tonelli lived up to his reputation and helped the Flames reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.

Kromm and Konroyd were good, useful Flames. But Tonelli brought playoff experience and really helped the Flames on their march to the Cup Final.

Mar. 7, 1988: The Flames trade Brett Hull & Steve Bozek to the Blues for Rob Ramage & Rick Wamsley

Let’s get it out of the way: Brett Hull turned into a heck of an NHL player and he was a well-regarded young player when the Flames traded him in 1988 at the tail end of his first NHL season. However, the Flames had a stacked, veteran-laden team and likely felt they could swallow losing Hull if it meant they could have playoff success. (Steve Bozek was also a good NHLer.)

Rob Ramage gave the Flames much-needed depth on their blueline in the form of a shutdown defender to compliment their offensive-minded blueliners. Rick Wamsley gave the Flames a reliable backup to spell off Mike Vernon and keep him fresh during a gruelling schedule. The Flames won the Stanley Cup the following season with Ramage and Wamsley on their roster.

Mar. 11, 2003: The Flames trade Mathias Johansson & Micki DuPont to the Penguins for Shean Donovan

While Darryl Sutter as a GM definitely has earned criticism for some of his moves, some of his depth trades as he built up the 2004 Flames roster look really smart. On its face, this one seems pretty minor: Mattias Johansson was a 28-year-old first-year NHLer that had become a decent depth forward, while Micki DuPont was a talented if undersized AHL blueliner with unclear NHL upside. Sutter turned those two players into Shean Donovan, who instantly helped give the Flames’ checking line an identity and was a huge part of the 2004 Cup Final run.

(DuPont’s son, Landon, has turned into an incredibly promising youngster.)

Mar. 4, 2009: The Flames trade Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson & 2009 second-round pick to Avalanche for Jordan Leopold

In our “worst 5 trade deadline moves” countdown, we picked on the Olli Jokinen trade from the 2009 trade deadline because it felt like an overpay and added yet another forward to what seemed like a pretty stacked, cohesive forward group.

We like the Jordan Leopold add a lot more for a few reasons:

Giving up a second-rounder is easier to swallow than a first-rounder.
Ryan Wilson was a pretty good young AHL defender, but felt like a decent enough sacrifice to upgrade the NHL blueline group offensively.
Lawrence Nycholat had been claimed off waivers from Vancouver the previous day.

In short: the Flames gave up zero players from their roster (and a second-round pick) to add Leopold to their blueline group.

Mar. 1, 2015: The Flames trade Curtis Glencross to the Capitals for 2015 second-round pick & 2015 third-round pick

The Flames were pushing for a wildcard spot heading into the 2015 trade deadline, but were by no means guaranteed to make the post-season. Hedging his bets, Flames GM Brad Treliving moved out pending free agent Curtis Glencross in exchange for a couple of draft choices from the Washington Capitals.

The Flames ended up making the playoffs anyway, but this move opened up ice time for young players, gave Glencross a chance to play and audition for a potential future deal, and gave the team much-needed draft capital at a time where Treliving was trying to accumulate assets to replenish the depleted farm system. Win-win.

What Flames trade deadline moves do you think have aged the best? Let us know in the comments!

Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

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