The Calgary Flames are expected to be one of many sellers by the time Friday’s trade deadline rolls around. The team has an ample opportunity to continue stockpiling future assets in the hopes they can get a high draft pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Names such as Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have been the most prominent names coming out of Calgary right now, and both players are likely get traded. However, the Flames also have several other players who could be on the move, and that includes some defencemen.
Simply put, the Flames have had an issue all season of having too many defencemen who are able to play NHL minutes. The team should consider moving one or a couple of these players if there’s a market for them, or at least make it known that they’re willing to talk business.
The right side for the Flames is crowded
The Flames have an issue that many NHL teams wish they had. The team has too many right-shot defenders who are capable of delivering NHL minutes.
Trading out Rasmus Andersson did help, but the Flames acquired Zach Whitecloud as part of the return, a steady right-shot defenceman who was mainly included in the trade to make the money work. Besides Whitecloud, the Flames have MacKenzie Weegar, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Brayden Pachal, who have all played NHL games this season. This has resulted in players such as Parekh and Brzustewicz being healthy scratches at points during this season to ensure all players get a rotation through the lineup.
Making moves for the future
In an ideal world, Brzustewicz and Parekh would be getting consistent ice time and spots within the Flames’ defence pairings. Brzustewicz is currently in the AHL, while Parekh has been in and out of the lineup primarily due to injury. While both players are still very young, it’s time that they get a more consistent role with the club.
Bahl – Weegar
Kuznetsov – Whitecloud
Hanley – Parekh
These are what the Flames’ defence pairings currently look like. There’s no room for a player like Brzustewicz to slot in unless he plays the left side, which he doesn’t normally do. Moving a player like Whitecloud would allow Brzustewicz to earn that consistent spot in the lineup.
Will the Flames have a busy deadline?
With the trade deadline around the corner, many fans are expecting the Flames to be quite busy. Besides moving Coleman and/or Kadri, the team should also be looking at moving some defencemen.
Players like Pachal, Hanley and Whitecloud are all options. I’m sure contenders would look at these players as decent depth options for the blueline. Whitecloud stands out in particular because he has a strong reputation around the league for being reliable defensively.
Either way, it makes no sense for the Flames to carry this many right-shot defencemen forever. With the team essentially in a rebuild, it’s time to let the kids take over and capitalize on assets that aren’t exactly part of the future.
