Analysis of Calgary Flames fan-made trade proposals – The Win Column

The Calgary Flames are just a few points out of a Wild Card spot, which is pretty miraculous considering they were at the bottom of the league not too long ago. Regardless of what the standings say, a lot still needs to happen to be a true playoff contender.

The Flames should take a closer look at their roster and compare it to recent Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers or perhaps a rebuilding team like the San Jose Sharks. There is plenty of inspiration around the competition. It’s up to the Flames to do the real work and build a contending team.

Let’s take a look at some fan-created Calgary Flames trades and see if they make sense:

Zadorov back to Calgary?

Nikita Zadorov would probably chain herself to TD Garden in protest. Although he enjoyed being a Flame, Zadorov was a bit burned when the Flames weren’t interested in extending him. The Flames are a forward group. They don’t need to add another forward in the bottom six positions, especially if they aren’t replacing veterans like Ryan Lomberg or Blake Coleman. Dean Letourneau is currently in his second season at Boston College. He’s a 6’4 center who was drafted 25th overall in the 2024 NHL draft. I don’t think the Flames are the right choice.

Pronunciation: Just send the first round pick.

Will a former Flame come home again?

Would the Flames be willing to help their neighbor to the north? Andrew Mangiapane has struggled a lot this season and is one of many names floating around. Do I like it out of nostalgia? Yes of course. Is most of the group he played with gone? Also yes. The Flames don’t need a new forward. They need to remove pieces and adjust what they have before bringing in more or less of what they already have.

Pronunciation: Sorry, Breadman, it’s a no from me.

Can desperate times call for desperate measures?

We all know the Flames could get a lot more by trading Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri separately. I don’t think the Flames would even consider trading Kadri unless it was initiated by the player. However, let’s suspend reality here for a moment and pretend this is something that’s cooking. First, is Buffalo on any of their no-trade lists? Probably. Okay, again, let’s use our imagination here. Josh Norris is a 26-year-old center with 5 goals and 12 points in 13 games. Before being traded from Ottawa, Norris was coming off one 20-goal season. He is consistently on the score sheet. By moving on to Kadri you do have room to adjust the setup. Norris would be a solid addition to this Flames lineup.

Verdict: I have doubts about this. It doesn’t feel like enough for Calgary, but no one is trading their real stars for Andersson or Kadri.

Toront NO way

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my standard, “Toronto has nothing of value to the Flames” trade. I’m also going to shout from the mountaintops that Craig Conroy would probably lose his job if he tried to trade Mikael Backlund for no reason.

Verdict: No. Please stop trying to make it happen.

What will the Calgary Flames do?

While the team has been on the rise lately, the reality is that this core is simply not strong enough to hang with the best teams in the league. It is more likely that this run of form fades away and the team finds itself among the cellar dwellers of the league again. When that happens, expect a few moves around the trade deadline, but hopefully a better move than any of these suggestions.

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