Subscribe
Follow Us
After back-to-back fifth place finishes in the Pacific Division — and two consecutive missed postseasons — the Calgary Flames are at least in the hunt in 2024-25. After winning 38 games in each of 2022-23 and 2023-24, the squad has already secured 16 in 34 contests, sporting a solid 16-11-7 record after the holiday break.
The Flames' front office is certainly in a tricky spot ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. On one hand, the team has a plethora of assets that could be flipped for draft capital before then. On the other hand, this is a roster that should be competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference all campaign long. As of Friday, Calgary is just a single point back of the final wildcard berth.
Will the Flames sell if in a playoff spot?
Right now, general manager Craig Conroy is probably in wait-and-see mode. The Flames have a relatively difficult schedule in the month of January, and if they're still in the hunt come February, it might make the front office hold off on selling. But there's also a very real chance that the team declines in the New Year, making the executive decisions much easier.
The Flames have a couple pending UFA's who could be on the move, including forwards Anthony Mantha, Kevin Rooney and Justin Kirkland, defensemen Tyson Barrie and Kevin Bahl, and goaltender Dan Vladar.
None of those players would fetch a great return from a Calgary perspective; Mantha is currently injured, and the other aforementioned players haven't moved the needle too much this season, outside of Vladar. The same can't be said for Rasmus Andersson, who has been a heart and soul player for this team since he was selected 53rd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Flames have a tough decision to make on Rasmus Andersson
Andersson would be a phenomenal add for a ton of contenders around the National Hockey League, and Conroy and the front office know that. After having a bit of a down year in 2023-24 with nine goals and 39 points in 78 games, he has already chipped in six goals and 15 points in 34 games. Although he's at a minus-six on the campaign, he's still a valuable right-shot defenseman.
Here's what hockey insider Nick Kypreos had to say about the 28-year-old Swede:
“A right-shooting defender for the Calgary Flames, he’d be any team's dream pick up at the deadline. Andersson has one year remaining on his contract, so GM Craig Conroy has time. He doesn't have to make any decisions on Andersson now, especially as long as Flames fans are still engaged in the playoff race. But what if that fades? Andersson could bring back a ransom’s request to Calgary, especially if they moved him before he becomes a ‘rental' trade candidate next season.”
Andersson is currently one of Calgary's top scorers and the team's leader in ice time, averaging a shade under 25 minutes per game. It's looking more and more likely that the front office will try to re-sign him rather than make a trade, but if things go sideways in the New Year, his name could certainly be included in talks.
He may or may not get traded in the next three months, but one player who could be preparing for a change of scenery is Nazem Kadri.
It's time for the Flames to trade Nazem Kadri
After winning the 2022 Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, Kadri signed a massive seven-year, $49 million contract with the Flames. Unfortunately, Calgary went from a 50-win team in 2021-22 to a 38-win club in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and he hasn't yet played a playoff game at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Despite a fantastic offensive season that saw Kadri score 75 points over a full 82-game slate last year, the team was unable to advance to the dance for the second straight season. And this time around, he's again been effective to the tune of 13 goals and 22 points in 34 games. It's not as prolific as a couple of campaigns he's strung together in the past, but there probably isn't a player on the roster with more trade value — except maybe Andersson.
“Unlike a much younger Andersson, it’s more likely we’ll see Kadri in another uniform by the time the new Scotia Place arena opens in 2027,” wrote Kypreos about Kadri. “Making $7 million against the cap through the 2028-29 season, Calgary most likely would need to retain salary to try and build a deal around a top prospect like Toronto's Fraser Minten. Calgary has already used up one of their three retention slots on Jacob Markstrom, which will be on their books this season and next.”
Kadri does own a full no-movement clause this season and next, when it changes to a modified no-trade. That means that even if Conroy has a great deal on the table for the Canadian, Kadri could choose to veto it. Still, per Kypreos, “Calgary management is well aware that if the right fit comes along, the 34-year-old centre will be willing to work around it.”
Despite a surprisingly decent season so far for the Flames, the Pacific Division is a tough go. There are quite a few teams with playoff aspirations, and it's hard to see any of the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings not advancing to the postseason next spring.
There are only so many spots to go around, and the odds are still against the Flames in 2024-25. Whether that will lead to a player like Kadri or Andersson getting moved ahead of the deadline is up in the air, but Conroy has a couple of great trade chips to work with in the New Year — and a couple of really hard decisions to make.
After a full week off — the Flames beat the Chicago Blackhawks at home on December 21 — Calgary is back in action against the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center on Saturday night.
