The Calgary Flames decided to stand pat at the 2025 trade deadline, holding onto their veterans and staying the course. That may change sooner than later, though, depending how the next month goes for the team. If the organization misses the playoffs for a third straight season, it may push the team and some of its key veterans to reconsider their future.
A summer reset is a very real possibility
On Tuesday’s edition of Flames Talk, Pat Steinberg had the below to say when it came to the Flames trading veteran players this summer:
“They’ve put themselves and continue to have themselves in the playoff race which is ahead of all expectations…internally the Flames didn’t expect to be here and quite where they are at this stage either. Conroy decided to send the right message to the room and not make any deadline moves, but that has never prohibited them re-evaluating and resetting in the summer. I think there is a decent chance they do just that… I think yes there is a possibility of a reset… and we do see a couple of bigger names moved or talked about moving in the summer time.”
Now, of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt as Pat was more spitballing than stating actual hard facts, but it’s hard not to take something away from a quote like that from arguably the most connected media member in Calgary.
It’s clear to everyone that this team is not exactly a juggernaut in the making right now. Another early end to the season may be enough to push the organization to look to move key pieces out the door in an effort to build towards the future, despite what their stance was at the trade deadline. Two names in particular make the most sense, according to Pat.
Keep an eye on Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman
In terms of who could be the first veterans moved if the Flames decide to shake things up, two names seem like the most obvious candidates. Pat had the below to say on the two veterans:
“What if they miss the playoffs and now that’s three straight years out of the playoffs for a guy like Nazem Kadri that wants to win the Stanley Cup? Does that change his outlook on the final four years of his time in Calgary? Same with Blake Coleman, who will be entering the final year of his contract.”
Both Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman are nearing the final years of their careers. Do they really want to stick around on a middling Flames team in the middle of a retool? Probably not, and Pat echoes that sentiment by stating a finish outside of the playoffs could have the two veterans questioning their future in Calgary, given their age.
Coleman seems like the most obvious candidate to be moved in the summer. Still a useful middle-six player with two years left on his deal, it makes a ton of sense to move Coleman to a contender before the final years of his deal.
Kadri’s situation is a little more interesting, given he has three years left on his contract after this and a much less moveable $7M cap hit. But there would no doubt be a ton of interested teams looking to acquire the centre’s services. Kadri still has a lot to give at this point in his career and may want to explore his options if the Flames once again miss the playoffs.
The playoff result could determine the path forward
It wouldn’t be a season in Calgary without the final month of the season determining the team’s long-term plans. If the Flames go on a miracle run similar to the 2014–15 season they may look to keep the band together, if not, it could open the door to some major changes. Here’s what Pat had to say:
“The first domino would be do they make the playoffs and what does that look like. How competitive are they in the postseason… do they pull off a first round upset, do they push it to six or seven or do they get bounced in four. I think all those things would also play into the mindset of some of these veterans.”
As Pat mentions, how the season unfolds is very much going to guide how Conroy goes about his business this summer and how the veterans on this team view their future. If the team misses the playoffs or gets stomped in the first round, there’s a good chance players like Kadri and Coleman decide it’s time to move on and advise Conroy they’d like to be moved.
However, if the team manages to shock the world and go on a run, it may convince everyone to stick around and have another go at it next year.
Needless to say, the final four weeks of the NHL season are set to have some pretty massive ramifications on the future of the Calgary Flames and how their summer unfolds.
