The Anaheim Ducks may be an ideal trade partner for the Calgary Flames.
With less than a month to the National Hockey League’s trade deadline, the Flames are in an odd spot. Despite being in a rebuilding year, they sit just three points back of the final wild card spot with 27 games left.
On Jan. 30, the Flames traded two picks, Jakob Pelletier, and Andrei Kuzmenko the Philadelphia Flyers for Joel Farabee (24 years old) and Morgan Frost (25 years old). Let’s call those two moves “hockey trades”, as they both fit the Flames’ age scheme.
Depending on the standings come Mar. 7’s deadline, the Flames could look to acquire a cheap rental if there’s one to be had. On the contrary, they may sell if things go poorly once they return for the 4 Nations Face-Off because the rest of their schedule is pretty tough. However, the Ducks certainly won’t be looking to buy at the deadline so that’s not a concern for this article.
With that being said, who could the Flames target from the Ducks?

Trevor Zegras

Sometimes a change of scenery is all a young player needs to find his game again. Take Kaapo Kakko for example. Selected second overall in the 2019 draft by the New York Rangers, he had a solid 2022-23 season with 18 goals and 49 points but never lived up to expectations in red, white, and blue. After scoring four goals and 14 points in 30 games, the Rangers traded him to the Seattle Kraken where he has five goals and 17 points in 24 games.
Another prospect from the 2019 draft, Trevor Zegras, could do with a change of scenery. After scoring three goals and 13 points in his first 24 games in 2020-21, Zegras broke out in 2021-22 with the Ducks, scoring 23 goals and 61 points in 75 games. The forward followed that up with a 23-goal and 65-point season in 81 games in 2022-23.
However, something changed in 2023-24. With the hiring of Greg Cronin, Zegras fell to six goals and 15 points in 31 games while having an injury-filled season. Through 32 games this season, he has the same goal and point title.
Zegras hasn’t been involved in many trade rumours this season, but he ranked in the backend of Daily Faceoff’s Trade Target articles last season. Whether the Ducks need a new coach to unlock the best out of Zegras or he needs a trade to an organization that believes in him, something has to give.
The 23-year-old has a cap hit of $5.75 million and he’ll become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. Of course, the Ducks aren’t contending and would likely want a young player or two in return, but Zegras is a player the Flames should at least consider.

Robby Fabbri

The Ducks only have two players who’ll be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Forward Robby Fabbri is one of them. Last season, the forward scored 18 goals and 32 points, his highest point total since his rookie season back in 2015-16 when he had 18 goals and 37 points. Fabbri also has a Stanley Cup in his career, winning with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19.
Fabbri has a cap hit of $4 million, but that isn’t much of a concern for the Flames as they’re only  $5 million away from the cap floor with about $18 million in cap space left.

Brian Dumoulin

Brian Dumoulin was acquired by the Ducks in the off-season for a fourth-round pick after scoring six goals and 16 points in 80 games, down from his 25 points in 2022-23. Through 54 games with the Ducks this season, he has a goal and 13 points in 54 games. Moreover, he has Stanley Cup experience, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
Dumoulin has a cap hit of $925,000 and is a free agent after the end of the season. He also has a 10-team no-trade list, so who knows if the Flames are on it. The defensive defenceman may fetch a second-round pick, so it may not make too much sense for the Flames to trade for him.
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