If it wasn’t already clear, the Calgary Flames’ moves in recent months prove that they are very much in a retooling state. Some may even go as far as to call it a rebuild, though the organization itself doesn’t want to use that word. Nonetheless, they are making moves that, while hurting the current team, will help improve the future.
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They’ve moved out four NHL players this season. The first to go was Nikita Zadorov, followed by Elias Lindholm, then Chris Tanev, and most recently Noah Hanifin. General manager Craig Conroy was able to pick up some solid assets for those players to start putting together a solid foundation of young talent and picks. That said, he is nowhere near being done, and could even look to move some more players this offseason to help speed up the process. Here is a look at three that could be on the move.
Jacob Markstrom
The Flames were reported to have been in serious talks with moving Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils prior to the trade deadline, but the deal fell through. The Devils are believed to still have significant interest in him, however, and may very well look to target him again this offseason, as they are still in need of goaltending help.
Other teams will also show interest in Markstrom, if made available, and given some frustrated comments he made recently, that appears likely to be the case. With the season he is having, the Flames would get a haul for him, and would be able to remove his $6 million cap hit which runs through the 2025-26 season.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Though Andrei Kuzmenko was only recently acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Lindholm deal, he is a player that could soon be moved again in exchange for even more future assets. His struggles with the Canucks this season led to him falling out of favour with head coach Rick Tocchet, but he has seemingly found his game once again with the Flames. In 13 games since being acquired, he has five goals and eight points.
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Teams in need of some scoring may look to add Kuzmenko in the offseason, as there isn’t a whole lot of risk involved. While his cap hit of $5.5 million isn’t easy to fit in, the Flames may be willing to retain some of that deal given that they are expected to have plenty of cap room next season. If his number could come down to $4 million or so, playoff calibre teams may look to add him in what will be the final year of his contract.
Nazem Kadri
Nazem Kadri didn’t sign up for this. When the 33-year-old signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Flames prior to the 2022-23 season, he did so with the intention of joining a winning team. At the time, the Flames were coming off of a second-round playoff exit, and were expected to be contenders once again with the addition of Jonathan Huberdeau.
Things have gone completely off the rails since, though not to Kadri’s doing. He has been the Flames’ best player this season with 22 goals and 55 points, and still has some great hockey left in him. With the direction this team is going, moving him for a chance to compete for another Stanley Cup while picking up some pieces in exchange is something we could see come to fruition.
Rough Seasons Ahead
While Conroy is starting to build a foundation of youth, these next few seasons could be tough for the Flames. With the players they have already moved, along with potentially moving one or two more from this list, this is a team that may bottom out in the standings. As frustrating as that will be, it will help them get better picks in the next few drafts, and hopefully have them turn back into a playoff calibre team by the time their arena is ready for the 2026-27 season.