The Flames have done a lot of their selling already, with Andersson, Kadri, and Weegar all being traded last season, among other names, the season prior. Despite this, there is still business to be done with this team, which is looking to get younger and build a core that can contend for years to come. They also need to make some room for the young players who will be hoping to make the team in the next couple of seasons, with Cole Reschny, Ethan Wyttenbach, Cullen Potter, and more knocking on the door. The Flames will most definitely be sellers next season, so who will be the first one that they shop? We asked, you answered.
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Who is the first Flame to get traded?
We presented the poll below to our readers.
Blake Coleman
Coleman was one of the most talked-about names last season as a potential trade chip. Despite all the speculation, Coleman remained a Flame for the rest of the season. This season, however, Coleman is all but guaranteed to be moved. He is the exact type of forward Stanley Cup-contending teams look to add to their roster. A proven winner and a player who thrives in a playoff environment. Coleman will be traded by the Flames, but is he going to be the first? To me, it really depends on whether the Flames decide to trade him at the upcoming draft or not.
Olli Määttä
Olli Määttä had an incredible run with the Flames as soon as he was acquired at the deadline. It looked like he just could not stop putting up points. However, even with his incredible production, this team does not seem to be a long-term home for him, mostly because there just doesn’t seem to be any room. The Flames have to find regular spots for Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Yan Kuznetsov again, and, depending on whether they select a defenceman in the upcoming draft, they will have a couple more players who will take up these spots in the upcoming years. I can see them keeping one of Määttä or Whitecloud, but not both.
Zach Whitecloud
Whitecloud has been adored by the team ever since he stepped foot into the Flames locker room. A player who was once looked at as a guaranteed flip candidate after being traded to the team is now looking like he may stick around for longer than many initially expected. The Flames would be willing to trade Whitecloud, but teams would need to give up a solid return, from the looks of it.
Morgan Frost
Frost is probably the most intriguing player on this list. He definitely has the most upside out of all these players, and he is a centre. The other factor is that he is an RFA at the end of next season. Teams may be very interested in trading for a player who has RFA protection. Frost has many years left in the NHL and could be a solid middle-six centre for other teams, but it’s still a question whether Frost fits the timeline of the Flames. With his contract ending next year and him likely looking for a long-term deal, Conroy will need to decide if Frost fits the Flames’ future.
It starts at the Draft
We very well may see one of these players traded at the NHL Draft, as the Flames are likely to try to move up in the draft. Do they package one of these players and one of their second-rounders to move up? Do they use it to acquire more picks in the future? We won’t know until draft day, but it sure will be interesting.
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