The Calgary Flames were hoping to turn things around this season after an ugly 2022-23 campaign, but they have done the exact opposite of that, crawling out to a 4-7-2 start to the season instead. Making matters even worse, one of their top defenders in Nikita Zadorov immediately requested a trade after the Flames latest loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.

Zadorov picked up a goal in the Flames latest loss, but quickly asked for a trade after the conclusion of the game. Initial reports suggest that Zadorov would be open to moving to the team that just beat Calgary in Toronto, or potentially landing with the Vancouver Canucks. Sure enough, both of those teams have strong interest in Zadorov, with the New Jersey Devils also exploring a potential trade for the talented defenseman.

Via Darren Dreger:

“Tor, Van, and NJD are the clubs with strong interest in Zadorov. Tanev, solid right shot Dman is a huge draw and, of course, Hanifin. The Flames are in no hurry to sell assets. If a team steps up in a big way, everything has to be considered. I’m not sensing urgency from Cgy.”

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The Flames could be headed for a massive fire sale headlined by Nikita Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov, Flames, Nikita Zadorov Flames

Zadorov's trade request was certainly shocking, but it paints a bigger picture of the bad situation in Calgary right now. Zadorov appears to be fed up with his playing time, and now that he's requested a trade, that could push the Flames to move several other pieces alongside him. There's no real rush for Calgary, but it looks like a full-scale fire sale could be on the horizon for them.

The whole situation for Zadorov right now is a bit murky, and while he has asked for a move, a deal likely won't be completed for a while. Given his strength as a defensive-minded defender who can lay out some truly punishing hits, it's no surprise to see that Zadorov already has a market for his services. This situation is still developing, but it looks like Zadorov's stint with the Flames could be coming to a swift end.