It's going to be an interesting season for the Calgary Flames in 2023-24. Will all of Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Mikael Backlund be traded after it was reported that none of them were planning to re-sign in Alberta and walk in unrestricted free agency? Will new GM Craig Conroy be able to convince any or all of them to re-up with the team? It's tough to paint a clear picture of what the campaign is going to look like until those questions are answered.

Elias Lindholm has seen his name swirling in trade rumors throughout the offseason, and the same goes for Noah Hanifin. It only makes sense that both players are dealt before their contracts expire, but that's obviously a lot easier said than done. For this list, we are excluding Mikael Backlund, as the 34-year-old has been a lifetime Calgary Flame and the front office probably has the best chance of convincing him to stay.

The futures and potential returns for Lindholm, Hanifin and Backlund will go a long way in determining how competitive this team is in the near-future. Let's discuss the team with probably the most prime trade candidates in the National Hockey League.

Elias Lindholm, C

Not only is Elias Lindholm the best trade chip the Flames have to offer, he could be a top three candidate in the entire league. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported earlier this offseason that the team is holding out hope that the Swedish superstar will stay put in Alberta, regardless of how much he will cost to keep around.

“They met with him last week and rolled out the red carpet, tried to impress upon him just how big a part of their future he is, and have let him know in no uncertain terms exactly how valuable in terms of a contract extension,” Seravalli wrote.

There's been no indication that Lindholm has given Calgary an answer either way, and the longer it drags on, the worse it is for the team. There has been widespread speculation that he will leave the Flames either by trade this year or in free agency next summer, and if the latter becomes true, Craig Conroy will have no choice but to act. It's a less than ideal situation, but after another standout 64-point season for the 28-year-old, his value remains high.

Noah Hanifin, D

Noah Hanifin is in the same boat as Elias Lindholm. Conroy has already gauged the market on the 26-year-olds value in the event that the Boston native chooses not to re-up next summer. And, like Lindholm, no decision has been made yet. In Conroy's initial press conference, he made it clear that the Flames want proper “asset management” on any skater heading into the last season of his deal after Johnny Gaudreau walked to the Columbus Blue Jackets for nothing last summer.

Hanifin's value is also high after putting up an excellent 48 points in 2021-22 and following it up with 38 in 81 games last season. He's a responsible defensive player who can jump into the attack, and he's earned significant playoff experience with the Flames since he was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. He will almost certainly be traded before next summer.

Dan Vladar, G

It was difficult to leave Mikael Backlund off this list, but as mentioned, the Flames lifer is probably the best bet to be convinced to re-sign in Calgary for a few more years. It was rumored that the team would be giving him the well-earned ‘C' next season, so maybe that will convince him to stay. But a more under-the-radar potential trade target is backup goaltender Dan Vladar.

Conroy has already acknowledged that Dustin Wolf has earned an NHL shot. Wolf was selected by the Flames in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft, and had a great season with the American Hockey League's Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23. With Vladar being four years older, he could be the odd man out next year with Jacob Markstrom set to continue starting duties. The Czech netminder is signed for two more seasons at a very reasonable $2.2 million, and he could be valuable on the trade market either in exchange for a young player or a future draft pick. Dan Vladar is a highly tradable commodity, and with very few goaltenders remaining on the NHL free agent market, it could make sense.

Although there are more questions than answers surrounding the Calgary Flames as they look to return to the postseason in 2023-24, the short-term future of this franchise will really all come down to the decisions of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin.