The NHL’s trade deadline for the 2024-25 season is
this coming Friday at 1 p.m. MT. It’s the last chance for clubs to make substantial changes to their rosters before the end of the season – and for some teams, before the playoffs.
The Calgary Flames remain, improbably, in the playoff mix. As we await the final league-wide moves, let’s dive into the mailbag!
I discussed this a bit in a video on my YouTube channel, but I think the Flames are going to stand pat.
Why are they not going to buy? I think the prices they would need to pay for anything that would substantially increase their chances of winning a playoff round wouldn’t be worth it. As it stands, they’re a low-event team that needs to rely on goaltending and timely goal-scoring to win games. This season, they are what they are, and it would likely derail the future progress of their roster revamp process to spend enough to change that.
That said, why are they not going to sell? Well, the group they have has been good enough to get to this point. Flames management asked the players to keep the volume down this season (after a chaotic, noisy 2023-24 season) and just play. The veterans proclaimed that the group wasn’t nearly as bad as the hockey establishment thought they were. And with 22 games left, that is the case. The players have done as asked of them and they’ve gotten the club to this point. I think management wants to allow this year’s group to see things through, and either make or miss the post-season on their own merits.
Before the trade deadline? I think they trade zero of the “core six” veterans – Mikael Backlund, Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, Blake Coleman, MacKenzie Weegar or Rasmus Andersson.
Something I think the Flames will explore – and I would recommend they do so –
is being a broker for trades. Remember last season, when New Jersey and Philadelphia stepped in and got draft choices for helping facilitate the Chris Tanev trade to Dallas and the Noah Hanifin trade to Vegas? I suspect the Flames will explore being a facilitator for moves, retaining cap hits in exchange for draft choices.
If your hockey team is lousy, free agents aren’t going to be swayed by a nice building. It’s like if your office is nice, but your job is horrible – a good environment can only go so far.
But if the Flames are a competitive team and the team continues to build towards being a future contender, players will probably be swayed between Calgary and other places based on the quality of the city and the building. If you have a choice between the same chances to win and the same money, quality of life definitely factors into player decision-making.
I think it’s too early to really judge these guys too harshly. I’ve noticed Morgan Frost a bit more than Joel Farabee, but that may be a product of Frost being a centre and being on the top power play unit and having an opportunity to be around the puck more often than Farabee. I’ve liked bits of Farabee’s game, especially on the penalty kill, but I need to see more of both of them before really feeling comfortable making a full evaluation of either.
I don’t have the breadth of knowledge of Ontario junior hockey history that some of my colleagues do, but when you’re getting multiple 30-goal seasons and are drawing historical comparisons to Bobby Orr’s junior performances, that’s not nothing. In terms of post-draft performances of recent Flames draftees, Zayne Parekh is on an island by himself.
If the Flames were to trade Rasmus Andersson, at $4.55 million with a year left on his current deal, I would suspect the asking price would be something like a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player. I don’t think the Flames are actively exploring the market for Andersson as of yet, but that’s probably what they would hope to get.
No. Both Flames players and management rave about how Ryan Huska has handled the team this season, and I suspect at the very least he’ll play out the final year of his contract in 2025-26. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s given an extension that takes him beyond next season. The group is making progress under Huska and young players are being integrated into important roles and having success. I suspect he’ll get rewarded for that.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan [at] TheNationNetwork.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
The FlamesNation Monday Mailbag is presented to you by Village Honda
Looking to sell your vehicle? Village Honda wants to buy it. We offer complimentary, no obligation appraisals, payment in 24 hours, top value trade in values and best of all, no stress. Skip selling your vehicle privately and stop in Village Honda today. No appointment necessary.
Village Honda is proud to be your dealership for life in Calgary since 1987. We are located in the Northwest Auto Mall under the giant Canadian flag or online at www.villagehonda.com. 
