Why now is the perfect time for the Calgary Flames to fuel – The Win Column

Despite recently going on a two-game winning streak, the Calgary Flames are still in last place in the NHL and well outside of a playoff spot. Despite this, team owner Murray Edwards is reportedly unwilling to trade veteran Nazem Kadri, and likely other veterans as well. Once again, the Calgary Flames appear unwilling to tank.

This is why this decision lacks any common sense, and why this is the perfect time for the Calgary Flames to tank.

The play-offs are already a distant dream

Even though it’s only the seventh of November and the season has only started a month ago, the Flames’ catastrophic start has already left them in a huge hole. Although it’s still early, the playoffs already seem like a tall order. Below are the teams’ playoff odds for some key models.

Those aren’t exactly the kind of numbers you look at and think, “This team is a playoff team.” The Flames are below 15% in all three models and even at 6% in the Athletic model. A 6% chance means the Flames make the playoffs about 1 in 17 times in that model. That’s what a 4-9-2 start can do. As hard as it is to admit, this team would be incredibly lucky to make the playoffs this season.

You’d have to go all the way back to the 1998-99 season to find the last time a team was in last place on November 1 but ultimately made the playoffs. That season, the San Jose Sharks went from last place to the playoffs on November 1, finishing in seventh place in the Western Conference. They ultimately lost in the first round of the play-offs in six games.

Essentially, the Flames will have to accomplish a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in 26 years. The last time a last-place team advanced to the playoffs on Nov. 1, Mikael Backlund was 10 years old.

The 2026 draft loads at the top

So we’ve established that the Flames are having a hard time making the playoffs. As weak as this year’s draft class looked, you might be able to argue that it’s not worth tanking for the rest of the season. However, that is not the case. The 2026 draft looks to be one of the strongest classes in years, especially at the top.

Despite his slow start in the NCAA, Gavin McKenna is a superstar in the making, and one of the best prospects we’ve seen in years. McKenna being available in the draft is a huge bonus for any team looking to hit deep this year.

It’s not just McKenna though, there are a number of other elite prospects at the top of the draft as well. Defenseman Keaton Verhoeff seems like an absolute stud and future number one in the NHL. You have people like Ivar Stenberg, Tynan Lawrence, Ryan Lin and Ethan Belchetz. All four names mentioned above have serious top potential in the NHL and all could be franchise-changing talents. In other words, even if you don’t get the top pick in 2026, you’re still likely to get a top talent somewhere in the top six of the draft.

The market favors sellers

If the Flames decided to hit rock bottom and sell some veterans, there’s no better time than now. The market for centers in the NHL is always hot, but it appears this season is more competitive than ever. With many of the 2026 free agent class having already re-signed, that leaves a weak center group for the summer of 2026. That means teams will look to the trade market this season to add to their center depth, rather than waiting for the offseason. Nazem Kadri enters.

The best market in years. That’s all the Flames need to read to know that trading Nazem Kadri is the right decision. Kadri is 35 years old, late thirties and has some decline. He must be moved now before it is too late. It’s only a matter of time before his play starts to decline, and interested teams are hesitant to acquire a center on the wrong side of his 30s.

For now, though, Kadri is still considered one of the NHL’s best second-line centers, and the Flames could undoubtedly pull off an outright win for him. Keeping him in the offseason and into next season would be a big mistake as the market will likely dry up as Kadri ages. For a player who was once considered untradeable due to his contract, Kadri would now be one of, if not the hottest name on the trade market. Any organization serious about winning would trade Kadri.

It’s now or never

We all know the Calgary Flames hate tanking. They even said they can’t use the word “rebuild.” But with their rocky start this season, combined with a loaded 2026 draft class and a market favoring their top trade assets, it’s clearer than ever that tanking is the right thing to do for this organization. Even if it’s just for one year, you’ll never have a better opportunity to add top talent to this roster than now.

This is a team that currently doesn’t have a single top forward on its entire roster and holds the title of the NHL’s worst offense. The best way to get those types of players in a small market like Calgary is through the draft. Your move Craig.

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