Although they have recovered from it a terrible startThe feeling is that the Calgary Flames will be sellers at this year’s trade deadline. How many players they end up moving remains to be seen, but you can expect general manager Craig Conroy to be working the phone lines as the trade deadline approaches.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise, as the Flames are still in the relatively early stages of what they consider a rebuilding phase. The fans’ hope now is that Conroy is able to maximize returns on players he may move, as this could greatly help accelerate the Flames’ timeline when it comes to a contender. That said, here are eight Flames who could be traded, from most likely to least.
Rasmus Andersson
While there aren’t many players on the Flames who are guaranteed to be moved this season, they are almost certainly Rasmus Andersson. The 29-year-old is reportedly in the final year of his contract far apart on expansion talks with the Flames.
Andersson is having one of the best seasons of his NHL career, with seven goals and 22 points in 32 games. He is playing some heavy minutes for the Flames, as he has done many times throughout his career. There should be plenty of interest in the right defenseman in the coming months, meaning the Flames should be able to land a decent return.
Blake Coleman
After Andersson, there is some uncertainty about the future of everyone else. That said, one player we could liquidate looking out is Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old is under contract through the 2026-2027 season on a deal that carries a reasonable cap hit of $4.9 million.
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Coleman would be a solid top-nine winger for any Stanley Cup contender because he can do a little bit of everything. He was one of the Flames’ bigger offensive producers this season with eight goals in 32 games. He also has two Stanley Cup championships to his name, which makes him all the more intriguing to many teams.
Ryan Lomberg
He hasn’t been mentioned much in trade speculation yet, but Ryan Lomberg is a player to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches. The 31-year-old, who carries a $2 million cap hit, is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next summer.
The hit off Lomberg’s cap can make him difficult to move, although the energy he provides in the dressing room should not be forgotten. Are teammates absolutely love himand he is willing to drop the gloves at any time to give his team a spark. He brings next to nothing offensively, but can provide some physicality in a fourth-line role.
Nazem Kadri
Despite being under contract for the 2028/29 season, the name Nazem Kadri was involved in trade speculation dating from the 2024-2025 campaign. Part of the reason is so he would collect a king’s ransom for the Flames. The other is that he might want another chance to try to win a Stanley Cup, which probably won’t happen in Calgary for a few years.
The problem with moving Kadri is that he makes a significant $7 million per year. That’s a tough contract for contenders to meet at the deadline, and the Flames won’t be interested in keeping a deal with that much life left. The chances of him being moved before the summer don’t seem very high, but if a team blows them away with an offer it’s certainly not impossible.
Jake Boon
Another pending UFA that has not been discussed much, if at all, in trade speculation is Jake Bean. The 27-year-old defenseman never lived up to his 13th overall ranking in 2016 and has been somewhat disappointing since signing with the Flames ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
Bean is a fringe NHL defenseman, and one who won’t generate much trade interest. That said, if the Flames are offered a late-round pick from a team looking to add depth to the blueline, it’s a deal Conroy would almost certainly accept.
Joel Hanley
After a very impressive 2024-2025 season, the Flames rewarded Joel Hanley with a two-year contract. The 34-year-old has regressed somewhat in the 2025-2026 season, but certainly hasn’t been terrible. He only has $1.75 million, which is a very reasonable cap for what he delivers.
The Flames are certainly not shopping Hanley. That said, they have plenty of young defensemen in the pipeline who can step in and fill his role if moved. If a team comes along hoping to acquire him, it probably wouldn’t take much for Conroy to strongly consider trading him.
Brayden Pachal
Like Hanley, Brayden Pachal has one additional season left on his contract. That said, he has an even smaller cap hit at just $1.18 million. The 26-year-old will never blow anyone away, but has done a good job of knowing his role and bringing a ton of consistency to the Flames since being claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights late in the 2023-24 season.
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Where Pachal could have a little more value than Hanley is the fact that he is a right-handed shot. Teams always appreciate that, which could be enough for a team looking for a cheap, deep defenseman they can acquire for nothing more than a late-round draft pick.
Devin Cooley
Last but not least is backup goaltender Devin Cooley. The 28-year-old wasn’t a shoe-in to crack the Flames roster to start the season, but has impressed when called upon behind starting netminder Dustin Wolf. Through twelve games this season, he has a respectable 2.35 goals against average, along with a .914 save percentage.
Cooley is in the final year of a two-year contract with a cap hit of just $775,000. That number could make him intriguing for teams looking to strengthen their fold, although the fact he has only made 18 NHL appearances to date will make front offices wary. Should he be able to put together some strong starts between now and the deadline, a team could pull the trigger on a deal.
Flames can be busy
While the Flames certainly won’t trade all eight players mentioned above, it’s not unreasonable to think at least three could leave. It will be an exciting time for Flames fans, who will want to see younger players come in and ensure this team grows into a Stanley Cup contender years down the road.
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