As of today, the Calgary Flames find themselves in the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. An impressive accomplishment for a team many had projected to finish at the bottom of the NHL standings.
Their spot in the wildcard chase puts Craig Conroy in an uncomfortable position as the general manager. His players are going to want the front office to make a trade or two to help the team get into the playoffs. At the same time, Conroy realizes that he is in the first year of a rebuild and needs to stick to his long term plan.
Are the Calgary Flames buyers? Or are they sellers?
One thing has become abundantly clear over the last week as we approach Friday’s trade deadline: It is a seller’s market.
The prices paid on the trade market by contending teams has been significant to say the least:
  • The Dallas Stars paid a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick for 33-year-old, pending UFA Mikael Granlund and a depth defenceman in Cody Ceci.
  • The Colorado Avalanche paid multiple draft picks and a couple roster players for Ryan Lindgren.
  • The Nashville Predators were able to fetch a second-round pick for Gustav Nyquist, a 35 year old winger who has only scored 9 goals this season.
  • Trent Frederic, Seth Jones, Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand also went for first and second-round picks.
Conroy has to look at these prices and think to himself “what could I get for some of my veteran players?”
The answer is probably a lot.
Now is the time for the Calgary Flames to prioritize asset management, and start cashing in on some of their more valuable assets.
Which contender wouldn’t pay an arm and a leg to acquire Rasmus Andersson at half of his salary? You get a right shot, top four defenceman for two playoff runs at a cap hit of $2.275 million. The Flames could get back a huge return for the 28-year-old defenceman.
Nazem Kadri is on pace for 62 points this season. He’d be a perfect second line centre for teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. Now is the time to sell Kadri because there is no guarantee he is going to play like this for the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2029 when he is 38 years old.
Blake Coleman has won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the kind of player and person you win with when you are a contender. He’ll be 34 years old next season. Wouldn’t now be a good time to cash in on his value?
Joel Hanley has played well above expectations this season. Conroy picked Hanley up on waivers for nothing. It would be a great piece of asset management if Conroy was able to get a mid-round draft for him via trade.
Brayden Pachal is another defenceman claimed off the waiver wire. Could the Flames get a draft pick for him?
And then there are guys like Dan Vladar, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, and Kevin Rooney. The trade market is not going to be strong for these players. But if there is a team out there who will give you assets for these players who won’t be with the organization long term, then you have to take it.
The Flames obviously don’t need to move every one of these players. That’s unrealistic. But if their asking price is met, they should be moved.
The great thing about draft picks is that you can use them in other deals. What if the Flames used a 1st round pick they acquire in a Nazem Kadri deal and flipped it as part of a package to bring in Dylan Cozens?
They could use those picks to move up in the draft to select a player they want.
Conroy could use those picks as part of a package to acquire a young, top four defenceman this summer.
The possibilities are endless.
Now is the time to cash in on some these players. They are not going to be around long term. They will not be part of this team when they hopefully become a contender a few years down the road.
Everything the Flames do over the next couple years should be to set themselves up to have the best chance to be a good team when Scotia Place opens. Keeping the likes of Andersson, Kadri, Coleman, Hanley, etc. to sneak into the playoffs this season doesn’t make sense.
Trade these players while they still have value. Acquire as many draft picks as possible. Select players with lots of upside like Conroy did 2024, and continue to build this team through the draft.
Doing that will give them a better chance at being good in the future instead of being in the mushy middle like they have been since 1995.
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!