The Calgary Flames are back in action after the 4 Nations break. The Flames are currently one spot out of the second and final wild card spot, yet have gone 4–5–1 in their last 10 games played. The NHL trade deadline is March 7, and the Flames need to determine whether they will be making any deals. Whether those deals will be to help them add to their roster for a playoff push, or if they will be more focused on selling assets is to be determined.
Upcoming opponents for the Flames before the trade deadline include the best team in the league the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars. This is a heavy and difficult stretch for the Flames and depending on how it goes, it will likely determine how the team approaches the deadline and how many trades are made. So that begs the question, how many trades will the Flames make before the trade deadline? We asked, you answered.
Want to take part in Sunday Census polls? We send them out every week on our Twitter at @wincolumnCGY. Follow along or send in ideas for the next poll!
How many trades will the Flames make?
We presented the below poll to our readers.
How many trades will the #Flames make before the deadline?
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) February 22, 2025
Zero trades are made
Not many Flames fans will like this answer, but this is not out of the realm of possibility. The Flames have seven games remaining until the trade deadline. If they win around half of those games, Conroy may believe that the team is not good enough to be adding yet, and would instead focus on building the team from within.
This could be through AHL call ups or line shuffling, but either way, if the team does not prove decisively that they can compete with good teams and push for a spot, the risk just won’t be worth taking on. And don’t forget, Conroy already made a trade in acquiring Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
One trade is made
Perhaps the biggest trade candidate for the Flames is Dan Vladar. He is a name that I am sure the Flames have been looking to move to first, get a return for his expiring contract, and second, open up a spot for Devin Cooley to see what he is capable of at the NHL level.
However, it’s clear that the market just has not been there to explore a Vladar trade. At least not yet.
Does that market open up by the trade deadline? It’s possible. I am sure at least the Flyers and Penguins would be interested in upgrading their goaltending. Whether the answer for them is Dan Vladar and if they consider him an upgrade to their current backup goaltending is a question only they can answer, but the market can always change.
Two trades are made
Do the Flames dare to trade Rasmus Andersson or Nazem Kadri this year? All reports that have come out have practically shut this down, but in my mind, the only way the Flames make two trades before the deadline (excluding minor deals) is if Vladar and one of Andersson or Kadri are moved.
Andersson’s contract expires after next season, and he has repeatedly stated that he wants to stay in Calgary. The problem is, that he will command an eight-year contract and it will likely be around $7–8M at 30 years old. Does that fit the Flames timeline?
Kadri has gathered lots of interest from NHL clubs, and I am sure that Kadri would at one point want to be on a winning team. On the other hand, the Flames love having the veterans around to guide the younger players. Moving Kadri this year I think is unlikely, but everything can change if the right deal is on the table.
Three trades are made
Last year was a turbulent one for the Flames when it came to trades. The team had many players on expiring contracts and had to get a return back for all of them as they were not going to re-sign. As a result, the team made trades to ship out Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin all before the trade deadline, and they almost traded Jacob Markstrom at that time as well.
This year is different as they don’t have nearly as many players on expiring deals as last year. As a result, I don’t believe the Flames are in a position to make this many deals.
It may be a quiet deadline
Ultimately, it is up to Craig Conroy to decide how this deadline will go, but with the current number of expiring contracts, the trade made to acquire Frost and Farabee, and the weak market for goaltenders, I would be shocked to see an eventful deadline for the Flames.
You must be logged in to post a comment.