Frank Seravalli released his top 20 trade targets board yesterday over at DailyFaceoff.com and there are a lot of intriguing names on his list. And there are some players who the Calgary Flames could potentially have interest in.

As we all know, Craig Conroy is leading the Flames through a re-tool where he wants to continue to add young players to his lineup while also having a strong group of veterans to keep the team competitive. We saw exactly that this past season with the Flames picking up an impressive 96 points with young players taking major steps forward.

Conroy is not going to trade assets for older players. If he is going to make a trade, it’s going to be for a young player who is looking for a larger role on a new team.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at Seravalli’s list and see if there are any players who might be a realistic trade target for the Flames.

Left Wing, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 23

Stats: 77 PG, 27 G, 41 A, 68 P

Contract: Pending RFA

One element the Flames are missing on their NHL roster is high end talent on the wings. Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato are both good players, but I don’t think they have the same ceiling as a guy like Peterka.

Peterka played at a 72 point pace last season as a 22/23 year old winger on one of the worst teams in the NHL. Very impressive numbers for a guy in his third full season in the show.

The Flames could absolutely use someone with the skillset of Peterka.

Yes, the wing is a crowded position right now. But Conroy could easily make space for Peterka by moving on from a guy like Joel Farabee as an example.

The issue will be finding a deal that works for the Sabres. The Flames don’t have much to offer in terms of players to help Buffalo win now. Every veteran player that Buffalo might have interest in, all have a form of trade protection. You can almost guarantee that all of them have Buffalo as a team they would not be willing to go to.

The deal would have to revolve around young players, prospects, and draft picks.

To Calgary: JJ Peterka

To Buffalo: Connor Zary, Henry Mews, 2025 1st-Round Pick (18th Overall)

Centre, Minnesota Wild

Age: 23

Stats: 82 GP, 24 G, 36 A, 60 P

Contract: Pending RFA

Rossi had himself one heck of a season with the Minnesota Wild putting up a career high 60 points. But it looks like he has entered Bill Guerin and John Hynes’ doghouse. He played fourth line minutes for Minnesota during the playoffs.

The Flames desperately need to find high end, long term options down the middle of the ice. And Rossi could fit that description nicely.

My one concern is that Rossi played 488:04 with Kirill Kaprizov last season, who was on track to be a front runner for the Hart Trophy before he got injured. Rossi is not going to be playing with anyone close to the calibre of Kaprizov in Calgary. How will that affect his point totals moving forward?

Even without Kaprizov, Rossi still has the potential to be a top six centre for a long time in this league. It might be a worthwhile gamble to make a trade for the 23 year old.

The good news for the Flames is that some of their veteran players might be willing to waive their no trade clauses to go to Minnesota. And I think the Wild would be okay with a futures based trade package as well. They could use those assets to go out and acquire someone on the trade market who they actually like.

To Calgary: Marco Rossi

To Minnesota: 2025 1st-Round Pick (18th Overall), 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2025 5th-Round Pick

Left Defence, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 24

Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 31 A, 38 P

Contract: Pending RFA

The left side of the Flames defence is lacking in talent and quantity. It’s one of the reasons why going after Bowen Byram makes sense.

As of May 28, the left shot defencemen signed for next season include Jake Bean, Ilya Solovyov, Etienne Morin, Joni Jurmo, and Artem Grushnikov. Kevin Bahl and Yan Kuznetsov both will likely sign new contracts this summer.

But that group doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence moving forward. The Flames need to add a difference maker to that group.

And Byram could be that guy.

The Cranbrook, B.C. native has had an up an up and down career. He’s shown flashes of brilliance with the Colorado Avalanche. Especially during their Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

If the Flames think they can get that version of Byram, then make the deal yesterday. If they think they are going to get the inconsistent performer from his days in Buffalo, then they might want to wait for another player to become available via trade.

The deal would have to be futures based for the reasons I outlined in the JJ Peterka portion of this article.

To Calgary: Bowen Byram

To Buffalo: 2025 1st-Round Pick (18th Overall), 2025 2nd-Round Pick, Henry Mews

Left Defence, New York Rangers

Age: 25

Stats: 74 GP, 7 G, 20 A, 27 P

Contract: Pending UFA

K’Andre Miller reminds me a lot of Noah Hanifin. They’re both good skaters and puck movers. They lack physicality and intensity, but they’re both smart players with decent hockey IQ. Hanifin has a little more offensive upside.

Like I previously mentioned, the organizational depth on the left side of the defence is lacking in Calgary. Miller could help fill that role. He could potentially be a great fit on a pairing with MacKenzie Weegar.

My worry with Miller is his willingness to sign a 6-8 year contract with the Flames. It would have to be a sign and trade to ensure the Flames get his signature on a contract before making a deal with the Rangers.

To Calgary: K’Andre Miller (with a contract extension in place)

To New York: Rasmus Andersson (50% salary retained by Calgary)

Centre, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 26

Stats: 64 GP, 15 G, 30 A, 45 P

Contract: 7 Years Remaining, $11.6 million AAV

This is a fascinating conversation to have. And it’s one I’ll discuss in greater detail in the future.

What has alluded the Flames franchise since 1995? A legit, number one centre.

When Elias Pettersson is confident, healthy, and on his game, he is exactly that. These types of players rarely hit the trade market.

But there is a reason why he might be available. He’s coming off a year and a half of really bad hockey for his standards. From February 1 2024 to the end of this season, Pettersson has only put up 16 goals and 76 points in 110 games. That includes the regular season and playoffs.

He’s been dealing with injuries for almost all of that time period.

Can he ever get back to being the elite centre he was in his first five and a half years in the NHL? Or is he going to be the guy he was the last year and a half?

Trading for Pettersson would be a huge risk. The payoff could be massive. Or It could be a complete disaster.

The Canucks want to remain competitive next season. A trade package might have to include a mix of win now assets and futures. The Flames would likely have to take on the entirety of Pettersson’s contract. The Canucks would have to take on a contract from Calgary to make it work long term.

To Calgary: Elias Pettersson

To Vancouver: Connor Zary, Yegor Sharangovich, 2025 1st-Round Pick (18th Overall), 2025 2nd Round Pick