We’re a quarter of the way through the 2025-26 NHL season, and it’s getting to the point where Calgary Flames fans are desperate for the team to start moving forward and make some trades. At this stage, it feels almost inevitable that the dominoes will start to fall, but the who, when and where remain unclear. That doesn’t mean we can’t start speculating on potential targets and what the Flames might be looking for.

An early-season trade request has seemingly emerged. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Anaheim Ducks defenceman Pavel Mintyukov has informed the team he’d like to be moved. In his latest 32 Thoughts blog, Friedman wrote this regarding the Ducks defenceman:

As noted in the quote above, Mintyukov was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. The six-foot, 207-pound Russian defenceman has two full NHL seasons under his belt and has recorded nine goals and 41 assists in 149 career NHL games.

It’s not that Mintyukov has been struggling — he has simply been beaten out of a job for the moment. He played the first 18 games of the season, but when Ducks captain Radko Gudas returned from injury, Mintyukov was the odd man out because Ian Moore, who earned a spot out of training camp, has been stellar to start the year.

When looking at the Flames and their needs, a defenceman could fit the bill. Rasmus Andersson should be on his way to a new team in the near future, Joel Hanley could follow, and Jake Bean isn’t a long-term option for this club. Could Mintyukov be a strong long-term fit?

At 21 years old with plenty of promise, he fits the profile of what the Flames are trying to add to their roster. As long as the aforementioned defencemen are moved out at some point, Mintyukov would be well-positioned for a real opportunity in the NHL to show what he’s capable of.

He’s regarded as a highly touted offensive defenceman who excels in skating, puck-handling and vision, though he still needs to round out his defensive game. That description does sound a lot like Zayne Parekh. Parekh is more highly regarded and has a higher ceiling, but the Flames may not be eager to add another defenceman of that type — especially with Hunter Brzustewicz in the wings also with a similar playing style. But sometimes it might be worth the risk in hopes that Mintyukov could bring it all together and find some success.

When a recent top-10 draft pick becomes available, teams usually swarm like vultures. Interest across the league will be high, and it’s unclear whether the Flames have the assets the Ducks would be looking for. With a defence logjam, it’s hard to imagine the Ducks would be interested in any of the Flames defencemen currently on the market.

This could also play out the same way it did with Mason McTavish over the summer. There was speculation McTavish might be looking for a fresh start after his role diminished slightly, but he ultimately signed a long-term deal to stay in Anaheim. In Mintyukov’s case, this might be an overreaction to a couple of healthy scratches, but it’ll definitely be a story to watch as NHL trade season approaches.

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