NHL rumors: 15 teams ‘circling’ Flames on Zach Whitecloud trade

The Calgary Flames have decided to be sellers heading into the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6. They have already traded MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth. That’s after Rasmus Andersson was shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year. Now, the focus is moving to other players.

One of those other players is Zach Whitecloud, who is garnering significant interest from other teams, according to hockey insider Darren Dreger of TSN.

“No surprise Zach Whitecloud has a large audience of teams circling. 15 or more. Flames need to be blown away by an offer to trade him. He’s key in helping their young D. Tons of interest in Coleman. Offers aren’t good enough,” Dreger posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Whitecloud went undrafted after playing at Bemidji State University. He signed an entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, playing one game in 2017-18, before returning to the NHL in 2019-20. He played 368 games with the Golden Knights, becoming a solid defender for the team. Whitecloud was traded in January to Alberta as part of the deal for Andersson.

The 29-year old defenseman is in the fourth season of a six-year extension he signed with the Golden Knights. At an AAV of $2.75 million, it is a desirable contract for a top-four defenseman. Whitecloud has been great in his 12 games with the Flames so far, which could lead to the team keeping him, as hockey insider Frank Seravalli is reporting.

“No surprise, but Flames moving MacKenzie Weegar means that Zach Whitecloud is likely staying put. He’s been a good fit in Calgary,” Servalli wrote on X.

The Flames will still be active as the trade deadline approaches. Nazem Kadri could be one of those players moved in the next day, as could Coleman.

For all of the NHL Trade Deadline reporting ahead of the Friday 3 p.m. ET deadline, stick with ClutchPoints as stories break and develop.

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