The Calgary Flames stumbled at the beginning of the 2023-24 season, sitting near the bottom of the standings, only avoiding the final spot because a handful of teams had worst starts. Of course, the fanbase is screaming for a complete overhaul of the roster to start a dreaded rebuild that appears to have been set in motion after the 2022 playoff loss to provincial rival Edmonton Oilers.
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Instead of selling high on several key players in the lineup once Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk left town, the Flames struggled in one-goal games during the 2022-23 campaign. Meanwhile, they waited for new acquisitions Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri to find their games. However, after an entire season in red, those two superstars are still searching for answers while netminder Jacob Markstrom tries to regain his confidence to stop pucks.
Surprisingly, at the time of this writing, the Flames have compiled a 4-2-1 record in November, with an injection of youth igniting a fire in some of the dormant players in the lineup. However, after a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Nikita Zadorov requested a trade, which caused quite a stir on social media. So, for the past week, everyone in the hockey community has had an opinion on what general manager Craig Conroy should do about a handful of players while the team sits four points out of a wildcard spot.
However, whatever Conroy does, we know certain players are untouchable, and several veterans have full no-trade clauses, which leads us to discuss who is unavailable in the Flames organization.
Flames’ Untouchable Young Guns
Last season, with a playoff spot within grasp, head coach Darryl Sutter finally gave in and called Jakob Pelletier up to the main roster. Ultimately, his youthful energy rubbed off everyone, and he had an immediate impact, leading to a permanent roster spot on opening night in 2023-24. However, he’s injured, recently had surgery, and may not play again this season. But, as one of the core members Conroy can build a contender around, there’s no chance his name will come up in any discussions.
Meanwhile, Connor Zary, a 22-year-old with points in his first five NHL games, keeps finding ways to contribute on offense, warranting a long-term stay in the lineup. During his two-year stint with the Calgary Wranglers, he tallied 68 points in 78 games, which prepared him for his current role as a spark plug for an NHL team with a relatively quiet offensive attack. Realistically, just like Pelletier, Zary will have a long future with the Flames and will not be available if any teams come calling.
Interestingly, Martin Pospisil is another young player skating on a regular shift in the NHL after a call-up at the beginning of November. Additionally, just like Zary, he’s finding his name on the scoresheet almost every night with four points in six games with a plus-four rating, the second-best total on the team. Even though he has one season left before becoming a restricted free agent in July 2024, his performance guarantees a raise and a secure spot in the Flames lineup for upcoming seasons.
Moreover, Adam Ruzicka is another young skater in the final year of his entry-level contract and has been a part of the Flames roster since 2021, appearing in 86 games thus far. Although he’s getting out-scored by Zary and Pospisil, being just 24, there’s a chance he remains in Calgary and factors into the team’s long-term plans.
Another Flames prospect with limited NHL experience is Matthew Coronato, who hasn’t skated with the Flames since the end of October. Even though he only tallied two points in ten games this year, he’s one of the organization’s recent first-round picks (2021) and is just 21. As one of the top prospects in the system, it’s unlikely he will go anywhere this season with two years remaining on his entry-level deal.
Finally, one of the franchise’s untouchable prospects is young goaltender Dustin Wolf, who has earned numerous accolades at various levels of hockey outside the NHL. Unfortunately, with Markstrom locked into the starter role, Wolf’s path to the job is blocked for at least three more seasons. However, if the team decides to move backup Dan Vladar, there would be a chance for him to become Markstrom’s understudy.
But until Conroy and other executives clear the path for Wolf, there’s no guarantee he will get an opportunity to showcase his abilities until he’s at least 25. So, unless the player and agent request a trade, the organization will keep him in their back pocket until the time is right.
Flames’ Veterans With Full or Limited Movement Clauses
Unfortunately, Huberdeau has yet to live up to his $10.5 million salary, much like Kadri, the team’s second-highest-paid player at $7 million. Even though both players have no-movement clauses, it would be challenging to move either former All-Star because of their contracts and salaries. However, never say never, and anything is possible (see Wayne Gretzky getting traded), but Flames fans must understand these two are not going anywhere in 2023-24.
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Additionally, newly appointed captain Mikael Backlund just re-signed for two seasons and will not be part of any trade rumors until next season, when he’s on the verge of becoming a free agent again. Whether he chooses to chase a Stanley Cup somewhere else or decides to spend his entire career with the Flames is a discussion for another season.
Even though nine skaters have some movement restrictions built into their contracts, MacKenzie Weegar is another player who will not soon depart the franchise. Despite not collecting as many points during his first season in Calgary as expected, he’s become an invaluable part of the defensive core. So, with eight seasons left on his deal, he will most likely outlast anyone else on the back end.
Further Perspective
Before anyone points out that this list is missing names like Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane, Blake Coleman, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev, who all employ movement clauses in their contracts, every skater could be moved in the right circumstances. Statistically, since becoming a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2021-22, Markstrom has struggled to keep the puck out of his net and has compiled a 27-27-13 record in the past 70 games. Even though the entire team struggled in front of him, Markstrom could use a change of scenery to finish out the back end of his career.
Furthermore, Hanifin and the Flames recently came to a pass with contract negotiations, and despite not being moved last season, he remains one of the top candidates to be dealt with this year for prospects or draft picks. Additionally, with a slow start, Tanev’s name has popped up in the rumor mill, and is a prime candidate to get the organization a good deal on a return.
Meanwhile, Mangiapane has not duplicated his success from 2021-22, when he scored 35 goals for the only time in his career. Considering he’s got two years left on his current deal, at 27, there’s a chance he gets moved at some point before becoming a free agent when the team emphasizes youth. The same could be said about Coleman, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who would bring invaluable experience to a team looking to go on a deep playoff run.
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Overall, anything is possible in professional hockey, and despite what contracts say, there isn’t anyone who is untouchable for the right price. Whether the Flames move any of these players to jump-start a rebuild or keep most of them to stay the course will be the season’s story, win or lose.