The 2023-24 Calgary Flames were a mess.
Several of their best players, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin, were on expiring deals. Moreover, there were many rumors surrounding netminder Jacob Markström. The three skaters were traded before the 2024 trade deadline, with Markström being traded in the summer.
With all the distractions, the Flames finished with a 38-39-5 record with 81 points, 17 points back of a Wild Card spot. While there were a bunch of trade rumours surrounding the team, the loss of those four players certainly made them worse, right?
Surprisingly, no. The Flames are just a point out of a Wild Card spot thanks to a 28-22-8 record with 64 points. With that being said, the team is in a rebuilding phase and it’d be wise to get what they can for a few of their high-valued veterans.
Let’s take a look at who the Flames may trade before Mar. 7’s trade deadline.
Blake Coleman
There aren’t a whole lot of forwards the Flames could trade. Anthony Mantha and Andrei Kuzmenko were their two notable pending unrestricted free agents, but Kuzmenko was already traded and Mantha suffered a season-ending surgery early in the season. Nazem Kadri has been in a few trade rumours, but he has a full no-movement clause.
The one player who makes sense for the Flames to move is Blake Coleman. The 33-year-old forward scored a career-best 30 goals and 54 points last season with the Flames and has won two Stanley Cups in his career. Unfortunately for the Flames, he has just 12 goals and 29 points in 58 games this season.
With a handful of young forwards playing well in the American Hockey League (Rory Keirns and William Strömgren), Coleman’s role on the team can be replaced with fresher legs. His 113:54 penalty minutes killed are the second most on the team for all forwards.
Coleman signed a six-year deal worth $29.4 million, or $4.9 million a season. He has a 10-team no-trade list and the Flames have two retention spots remaining.
Rasmus Andersson
Of the Flames players that fit the Oilers the most, the right-shot defenceman is the guy. Of the Flames players they may want to capitalize on before the trade deadline, Andersson is the guy. This season, Andersson has eight goals and 21 points in 58 games, with a career-high of 11 goals coming in 2022-23 (49 points) as well as 50 points the season before.
It’s worth noting that Andersson’s play has dipped over the past 50 games. He started the season with four goals and 10 points in eight games but only has four goals and 11 points and is a -24 to boot.
Andersson plays tough minutes, as his 152:39 minutes on the penalty kill is by far the most on the Flames. He also plays against elite competition often, with 338:50 minutes of his five-on-five time being played against elite competition according to Woodmoney. His 142 blocks rank fourth in the league, blocking a career-high eight shots in a recent victory.
As for his contract situation, Andersson has a cap hit of $4.55 million with a six-team no-trade list. Both the Flames and Andersson have stated that they wish to reach an extension when they’re eligible on Jul. 1.
There is some incentive for the Flames to trade Andersson if they fall out of the postseason race before Mar. 7’s deadline. They have a whole bunch of right-shot defenceman on the way, such as their top prospect Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews. Moving Andersson would get them a sizeable haul while giving spots to those prospects when they’re ready.
Daniel Vladař
The Flames have a handful of unrestricted free agents this season, but the only one of note is netminder Daniel Vladař.
It seems like out of any Flames player, Vladař is the only one who is almost guaranteed to be traded. It’s been a tough season for the Czechian, as he has an .891 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average in 23 games. He’s a perennial backup and isn’t much of an upgrade over Calvin Pickard, with Vladař’s best season coming in 2021-22 when he had a .906 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average.
While he isn’t much of a fit for the Oilers, the Flames have all the incentive to trade him in the world. For starters, rookie netminder Dustin Wolf has played spectacularly this season with a .913 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average in 35 games played.
The Flames also have a netminder waiting in the wings, the undrafted Devin Cooley. He played six games with the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks but has a .921 save percentage and 2.340 goals against average in 34 games this season with the Flames’ American Hockey League team.
Vladař has a cap hit of $2.2 million with no trade protection and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The netminder is the only Flame in Daily Faceoff’s most recent Trade Target list, ranking 36th.
If the Oilers look to get a goaltender, they can do better than Vladař.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
