Trade trees are always fun to look at because the moves you make today can impact an organization for years and years to come. There are always lots of turns and twists. For example, the Curtis Glencross trade tree has branched out into nine assets that the Calgary Flames currently have in their organization. Sven Baertschi turned into four assets the Flames hold today.
When the Flames signed David Rittich as a free agent in 2016, he was an unknown goaltender from the Czech league. He became a story in Calgary within a few years of that signing. For the 2017–2018 season, he became the backup goaltender to Mike Smith. He moved to become a 1A/1B goaltender in the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons. After the Flames signed Jacob Markstrom, Rittich went back to being the backup goaltender in 2020–21. As he was a UFA and had a few good years, including being an All-Star in 2020, it was likely that Rittich was going to move on from the Flames. That occurred ahead of the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline.
Trade #1: The Calgary Flames trade David Rittich to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Toronto’s 2022 3rd-round draft pick.
Toronto was looking to add goaltending depth at the deadline. With the injury histories of Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell in net, they wanted extra insurance going into the playoffs. Enter Rittich. This goaltending depth wasn’t needed, as Rittich only played four regular-season games with the Leafs, posting an 0.888 SV% and a 2.72 GAA. He didn’t see any playoff action. Rittich signed with the Nashville Predators in free agency. After spending a season with the Predators, Rittich has spent time with the Winnipeg Jets, LA Kings, New York Islanders, and just recently signed with the New Jersey Devils.
What did the Flames do with this 2022 3rd rounder?
Trade #2: The Calgary Flames trade Toronto’s 2022 3rd-round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Nikita Zadorov.
The Flames only held onto the Leafs’ 2022 3rd-rounder for a few months before moving it. They traded the pick to the Chicago Blackhawks on free agency day. In return, the Flames received hard-hitting defenceman Nikita Zadorov. Zadorov became a fan favourite to some in Calgary and formed a great third defensive pairing alongside Erik Gudbranson. That pairing was an underrated part of the success of the 2021–22 season for the Flames.
The Blackhawks used the 2022 3rd-round selection on centre Aidan Thompson. Thompson hasn’t played a game in the NHL to date. He played a few years in the Blackhawks system before being moved for defenceman Derrick Pouliout in an AHL deal at the trade deadline.
After a few memorable seasons in Calgary, including the shocking 14-goal season for Zadorov in 2022–23, things soured in the 2023–24 season. After an eventful night in Toronto where Zadorov had a goal and a massive hit, his agent, Dan Milstein, had a few tweets that stirred up the tension. He stated that the Flames couldn’t keep the Flames defenceman since he wasn’t getting much ice time. Kevin Weekes later confirmed that a trade request was made. The trade was finalized twenty days later on November 30th, sending the blueliner to Vancouver for draft picks.
Trade #3: The Calgary Flames trade Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Vancouver’s 2026 3rd round draft pick and Vancouver’s 2024 5th round draft pick.
The Flames paid a 3rd to get Zadorov and flipped him into a 3rd and a 5th a few years later.
Zadorov became a big hit in Vancouver, where he played the rest of the 2023–24 season. He contributed to the Canucks playoff run with eight points in 13 games. The Canucks attempted to re-sign Zadorov, but they were outbid by Boston. It was a six-year, 5M AAV offer by the Boston Bruins, and Zadorov has finished his second season with them.
Trade #4: The Calgary Flames trade Vancouver’s 2024 5th rounder to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Nikita Okhotiuk.
At the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Flames made one move. Okhotiuk didn’t exactly pan out in Calgary, only playing nine games on the Flames backend before signing with CSKA Moscow in the KHL. The LD picked up one assist in his nine games. That’s the end of this part of the trade tree. The one asset left was Vancouver’s 2026 3rd rounder.
Draft Pick: Joe Iginla
With the Canucks falling to last in the NHL standings in 2026, their 3rd-rounder became the first of the round. The Flames got to pick at 65th overall, and they selected RW Joe Iginla. That last name doesn’t need any introduction in this market, of course.
Joe Iginla is 17 years old, so who knows what the future looks like for him in the Flames organization. Pretty neat, however, that the Flames dealing a goalie five years ago stems into the Flames drafting the son of a franchise legend.
In summary, the Flames signed a goalie out of Europe in 2016. After a few years of being a solid goalie for the team, the Flames turned him into a mid-round draft pick. They, in turn, moved the pick for a rugged defenceman. After a few seasons, they turned that defenceman into a pair of mid-round draft picks. One of those draft picks was flipped for a defenceman who had a brief stint with the team before signing in the KHL. The other? Used to select Joe Iginla in the 2026 NHL Draft.
