The Calgary Flames didn’t expect to be in a position where they were pondering about being sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that at least Rasmus Andersson would be heading out of town. However, after a dream start for Dustin Wolf and the Flames, Calgary finds themselves in the second wild-card spot. The Vancouver Canucks have the same number of points and the St. Louis Blues are a point behind, so it’ll be a grind to claim that spot by the end of the season.
The Flames already made a deal this season before the trade deadline, acquiring Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Philadelphia Flyers over a month ago. The deal gives a good idea of the Flames’ strategy this season: acquire young pieces that can help them down the road and stay with the core.
The Blues are the most interesting team in this group. They are on a 6-2-2 run over their past ten games but are still considering selling at the deadline. If they do, Calgary’s chances increase significantly. However, if the Blues are buyers or stay the course, the Flames must match that strategy to help their postseason chances. It’s hard to know what general manager Craig Conroy’s plan will be on Friday, as he might not even know yet himself.
Adding 2 essential needs at trade deadline would be a dream for Flames
The Flames are in an intriguing spot. They aren’t necessarily contenders but are on the cusp of a playoff spot. It seems like Craig Conroy has no intentions of trading any of their core, so he’s staying the course to try and sneak into a wild-card spot with this group. It wouldn’t be wise to add rentals to do that, but there are some other moves the Flames can make.
So, how can the Flames bolster their lineup for a playoff push and build for the future? It’d take some of their prospects and picks, but they should call the Buffalo Sabers and see if they are open for business. Two needs for the Flames are a right-shot centre and a left-shot defenseman, and the Sabres precisely have what they are looking for.
Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram are two players who could be looking for a fresh start. The Sabres are also looking for a fresh start as a group, and this big shake-up for their core could be the thing to do. The Sabres aren’t a better team with Cozens and Byram off the roster, but sometimes a team has to go backward to start moving forward. Sitting last in the Atlantic Division in a year in which they were supposed to begin contending is as rock bottom as possible.
It’s hard to land two players of Cozens and Byram’s quality, and the Flames being able to do it in one trade would be a long shot. If you’re looking for a dream scenario, it’s so out of left field that a dream might not be a strong enough descriptor.
Staying the course could turn into a nightmare
What do the rumors of Conroy staying the course mean? Will he make zero moves and head into the post-trade deadline portion of the schedule with the same roster? Conroy might not want to move some of his assets like Rasmus Andersson, but it wouldn’t be wise to let this deadline pass without improving the team.
It might not be a Cozens/Byram acquisition, but there are some avenues the Flames can explore at the trade deadline. A bottom-six center to add depth and leadership down the lineup would be a good start. They have been kicking the tires on Boston Bruins defenseman, Brandon Carlo. Carlo’s value isn’t as high as you might think, and he is on the books for another two seasons at $4.1 million annually. Carlo checks the box of not being a rental, but the Flames could use a left shot instead of a right shot.
However, the Flames’ fans worry that Conroy will be weary of making a deal and keeping the same roster. Calgary won its first game in four on Tuesday night, but the results in the previous three games are worrying. They failed to score in back-to-back games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers and then lost 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Conroy might want to find a player who can contribute some offense when the going gets tough. It’s okay to stay in a quest to get some of their young roster players some big-game experience down the stretch. However, you don’t want to fall apart over the last 20 games. It’ll be an interesting month and a half in Calgary, with a possible big payoff if they make a miraculous playoff run, but a potential nightmare if they don’t and don’t use their tradeable assets.
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