If the Flames were to move up in the draft, which teams pick would they be most likely to target? And what would a package look like to obtain that pick?
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FlamesNation Mailbag: Draft week is upon us!
Photo credit: Mike Gould
The 2025 edition of the NHL Draft is this coming Friday and Saturday! If nothing else, the Calgary Flames will be adding a few promising young hockey players to their organization this coming weekend. But if history is any indication, a lot more could happen.
Let’s dive into the mailbag as we prepare for a hectic week.
"Moving up to X" as others have suggested , doesn't seem to be the right question. Considering the picks that might be available, which players would you "move up for"? Who would you want if you could acquire dangled picks?
Will the flames trade up?
Flames general manager Craig Conroy chatted with Pinder and Boomer for over 40 minutes last week, and considering the draft was a big part of their conversation, head on over there for a lot of important details and context from the man in charge.
Preamble aside: yeah, they’ve checked in on prices and willingness to potentially move up. The willingness of teams above them to trade down probably depends on what players that team was hoping to get at their particular pick (and if they’re gone by the time they pick) or just how many picks they have. I would suggest that teams with fewer picks would be more likely to trade down and swap with the Flames than teams with many picks. Just off the top of my head, considering they’re the only team really doing a tear-down right now, Pittsburgh (11th overall) could be a good candidate.
Long story short: a lot of different things could happen on Friday night.
Can you see the Flames trading Ras for youth or prospects but still go out and pitch top-4 UFA D? This would seem to be the approach to stay competitive and manage assets.
I’ve written a longer, more detailed answer in a separate piece on the site on Monday, but I would suggest that I think the benefit of the Flames moving Rasmus Andersson sooner rather than later is that you have a clearer opportunity to pitch potential free agent defenders on. “We have a top four spot open right now” is a better pitch than “We will eventually move Andersson and open a top four spot.”
Ryan, what are your thoughts on the Flames trading both 1st this year to bolster the roster. Next year we have two picks in a deeper draft plus potentially a third if Rasmus is moved. Thanks!
If the Flames were one piece away from being a scary-good team, I would say it’s worth the price to trade their first-rounders to grab that piece.
I don’t think they’re there yet. But that’s why, when you move on from veteran players on expiring deals, it sure would be nice to get a first-rounder in those sorts of trades. When you have first rounds, one or several, it allows you the ability to make those sorts of moves.
Expectations on return for Raz. He is good warrior.
Hi Ryan, what return are the Flames willing to trade Andersson for? It sounds like they won’t trade him if they don’t get what they want.
Likelihood we see an Andersson deal before the draft? If so, what return are you expecting?
I think the Flames have a price in mind for Rasmus Andersson and, like with Elias Lindholm’s trade, they’ll make a move when their price is met. Time is on their side right now.
As noted, I have a piece with some more details on that possible price on the site on Monday, but for shorthand: first-rounder, good prospect and a young NHL player that can fill an organizational need. If an offer hits all three of those needs, I think there’s a conversation to be had.
I do not know. I think Buffalo has a lot of really interesting young players that could meet their potential elsewhere. But it’s hard to guess if the Flames and Sabres might connect on a trade, because it really depends on the needs of both teams, and I’m not entirely sure what Buffalo’s trying to do lately.
Cody Glass is 26, he’s 6’3″ and 200 pounds, and he’s a right shot centre. He was selected sixth overall in 2017, the draft the Flames selected Juuso Valimaki in. Moreover, he’s a WHL product who played junior for the Portland Winterhawks. The Flames definitely have familiarity with him, and he seems like he’d be a really nice “buy low” candidate for the fourth line mix. If his price tag isn’t too high, I think they would be all over it.
Thoughts on a Zary extension? Close or are they far apart?
The Flames really like Connor Zary, and I suspect they’ve had some conversations about a new contract for the pending restricted free agent. But I would suspect their focuses, in the short term, are the draft and figuring out Rasmus Andersson’s situation. Typically, after the draft, we see RFAs locked up fairly quickly, as resources that were tied up elsewhere get freed up to focus on those contract negotiations.
How do Conroy and co plan on getting a first line center or any elite wingers if they aren’t willing to tank?
If they’re not going to bottom out, they’re really relying on some of the players they select later in the first round (and elsewhere in the draft) developing into players of the same quality as players taken super early in the draft. It puts a lot of onus on the team’s drafting and development apparatus to find and develop players effectively. We’ll see if it pans out.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
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