The Calgary Flames have not had a good start to the 2023-24 season at all, and things took a turn for the worst last week when defender Nikita Zadorov requested a trade out of Calgary immediately after their loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zadorov quickly saw a handful of suitors emerge for his services, but for the Flames, it may have convinced them to make a bigger decision.

With just a 5-8-2 record, the Flames are clearly not finding a way to meet expectations right now, which is following a concerning pattern that was established last season. With Zadorov already looking to get moved, this has prompted the Flames to let other teams know that they are open to offers on other top trade targets such as Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev.

“Nikita Zadorov’s trade request made headlines Friday, but it was just a part of a bigger-picture reality for a Flames team that sounds ready to shift gears. With GMs gathering in Toronto the past couple of days, word spread on the fact the Flames are willing to listen on most of their pending unrestricted free agents, a list that includes Zadorov but also Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. Flames GM Craig Conroy politely declined to comment on the team’s plans Tuesday, but the buzz is growing from front offices around the league.” – Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic

Flames impending fire sale could reshape the NHL

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Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov in Calgary after shockingly requesting a trade

The Flames may be struggling, but they still have a lot of talent on their roster. Zadorov has already drawn a ton of interest, and with Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev seemingly joining him on the trade block, the NHL could see some major moves get made early in the season. The Flames have only played 15 games, but are already considering moving on from key pieces of their team.

Given how early in the season we are, the Flames aren't necessarily going to be in any sort of rush to move these players, which should help them get the best deal possible. And who knows, maybe they are able to right the ship and decide to hold off on a fire sale. But as the Flames' struggles continue, it looks more and more likely that a full-scale fire sale could be taking place in the near future.