Currently sitting tied for a wildcard spot while also sitting four points ahead of a potential top-10 draft pick, the Calgary Flames are in an interesting spot as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches.

They could sit back and sell for the sake of “restructuring,” go aggressive and push for a playoff spot, or maybe, they can do both.

Looking through Daily Faceoff’s first Trade Targets list of 2025, there are two very intriguing targets for the Flames to consider.

GM Craig Conroy has made it well known that his club is in the market for a top six centre. It just so happens that there are two intriguing options on Daily Faceoff’s latest board.

Dylan Cozens: 5th on Seravalli’s list

While the noise surrounding Cozens has seemingly quieted down over the past few weeks, he is certainly still at the top of the list for many NHL teams.

In terms of the Flames, Cozens is precisely what GM Conroy is looking for. Aged 23, the young centre has already proved he can produce at the NHL level. Two seasons ago, he put up 31 goals and 37 assists, good for 68 total points.

While his production has slowly dwindled since – to the tune of 47 points a year ago and 8 goals and 20 points in 41 games so far this season – you would hope you can unlock the offensive ability shown in the past.

But Cozens is still young. There’s time. You can only hope there is still a lot left in that tank. Perhaps other factors in Buffalo are contributing to the offensive regression. With the right system and the right linemates, Cozens still has the potential to be a top centre in the NHL.

That being said, there are certainly obstacles in the way of this deal being an easy one to pull off. . Cozens is in the second year of a 7-year deal worth $7.1 million annually. The Flames would need to absorb all of that, which isn’t a total deal-breaker by any means, especially with Andrei Kuzmenko’s $5.5 million coming off the books this summer.

Reports indicate that Buffalo wants to add players that could help them immediately. This could lead to someone like Rasmus Andersson heading the other way. It would be tough to see the fan favourite leave Calgary, but that’s likely what it will take to make the money work, make both teams happy, and ultimately get a deal done.

Elias Petterson: Ranked 25th

Alright, we’re all on social media. I don’t think I need to backtrack and explain the current drama which has resulted in the Canucks’ centre being mentioned in trade rumours.

What an opportunity this could be for the Flames. It’s not every day a 26-year-old, elite, top-line centre becomes available on the trade market. Especially when it so happens that the Flames are looking for essentially just that.

Coming off three consecutive 30-goal seasons that have also seen him hit the 100-point plateau in 2022-2023, Petterson has the ability to step into any lineup and change the fortune of that team.

While Petterson’s production has not been fully up to standards to this point in the season, with 10 goals and 28 points in 34 games –which you could at least partly attribute to the off-ice drama and the injury that has kept him out of the lineup since December 23rd – you simply cannot disregard his track record. The production is there, and you can expect it to return in full force at some point.

For the Flames to acquire Pettersson, the price tag would be drastically higher than that of the previously mentioned Dylan Cozens. It’s going to take high picks, top prospects, and likely a top forward such as Nazem Kadri or Connor Zary. Not to mention Rasmus Andersson, to help address the Canucks’ issues on defence. That’s a hefty price.

The question to ask is, would it be worth the risk for Calgary to give up the building blocks for the future? Petterson could easily fast-track the “re-structure” and almost immediately make the Flames competitive again, but what if the production doesn’t return?

Flames fans don’t want a Huberdeau sequel while still watching the original (though it’s starting to get good). But realistically, when might an opportunity like this arise again? As teams around the league check in on the price tag for Pettersson, the Flames absolutely have to be one of them.

Do you want to see the Flames acquire one of these forwards? If not, who else would you like to see wearing a Flames jersey come March?

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