3 early Flames trade candidates after missing 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Calgary Flames came nowhere close to making the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, finishing with 77 points. They made plenty of trades in the regular season, parting with Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson. But the Flames should be making more trades in the offseason, with Blake Coleman firmly on the block. Who else should Calgary move this offseason?

The Flames have a decent young core coming together at the NHL level. Matt Coranto, Zayne Parekh, and Dustin Wolf will all be 26 or younger when next season begins. But they are not enough to take this brutal group of overpaid veterans to the postseason. Wolf took a significant step back in his second full season, but even a bounce-back from him won’t be enough. It’s time for the Flames to trade.

Who should be on the block for the Flames? And do they all make sense as offseason deals, or can they wait for the offseason?

Blake Coleman should no longer be on the Flames

At the NHL trade deadline, there were plenty of rumors around the Flames. Andersson was already gone, and there was fire to the Kadri-to-Colorado smoke. But there was also a lot of conversation around Coleman, who now enters the final year of his deal. With two Stanley Cup titles under his belt and a 20-goal season just last year, Coleman should be a valuable asset.

This is where the Flames can look at the Stanley Cup Playoffs to find the best trade candidate. Who gets bounced too early because of a lack of depth scoring? If that is the Ottawa Senators, who are down 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes, he would be a great fit there. Matthew Tkachuk played with Coleman in Calgary, so why not link up with brother Brady in Ottawa?

The Flames have an extra first-round pick in each of the next three drafts, so securing another is not a priority. But if they can get it for Coleman, or use him to move up in the first round, it would be a great use of assets.

Can they turn Ryan Strome into a pick?

The Flames took on Ryan Strome at the trade deadline after the Anaheim Ducks figured out they did not have playing time for him. A proven veteran, Strome has slowed down in recent years. In 52 games across the two stops, he scored just eight goals. But the Flames did not give up a pick to get him, so can they convince some team that they need Strome? Even a mid-round pick would be a great turnaround for Calgary.

Strome is entering the final year of his deal, which pays him $5 million. Only Kadri remains on the books with a retained salary after July 1, so once that date passes, they can trade Strome with a $2.5 million cap hit. That is a much more digestible number for a team looking for a bottom-line center.

The Flames need to be taking as many swings in the NHL Draft as possible, so even getting a mid-round pick for Strome will be a huge win.

Olli Maatta should be sent right back out the door

The Flames also traded Mackenzie Weegar at the NHL trade deadline, sending him to the Utah Mammoth. In return, they got three second-round picks and took on the final 2.5 years of Olli Maatta’s contract. With two full years at $3.5 million per season left on Maatta’s deal, Calgary should be trying to send him right back out the door.

The New York Islanders desperately tried to repair their defense on the fly last year. The trade for Carson Soucy was a disaster; their top defensive prospect, Kashawn Aitcheson, is not ready yet, and Tony DeAngelo is a free agent. They have some picks to trade and need a body to play on the blue line. Maatta would be a solid fit.

The Flames should be trading anyone with value this offseason, preferably before the draft. With a new arena coming in 2028, they want to put a competitive team on the ice for that season. That means their draft picks have to come soon.

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