In rather surprising fashion, the Calgary Flames sit in a playoff spot nearly 20 games into the 2024-25 season. It’s been a promising start for a team many projected to finish near the bottom of the standings, though many signs, including a struggling power play, suggest they may begin piling up more losses in the near future.
That, of course, isn’t a bad thing, as management never had their sights set on the playoffs this season. They instead opted for somewhat of a rebuild-on-the-fly approach, with the goal of being a competitive team once their new arena is ready for game action.
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What that means is that the Flames will likely still continue focusing on their future, rather than getting excited over this solid start. They are still looking to add more prospects and draft picks to their cupboard, and may very well look to do that ahead of the trade deadline. Here are five Flames, not including the obvious option in Andrei Kuzmenko, who could be moved at or ahead of the deadline.
Tyson Barrie
One player who was seen as a true pump-and-dump signing was Tyson Barrie, who inked a one-year deal after coming to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO). The 33-year-old has been in and out of the lineup this season as the Flames are trying to give their young guns a shot, but in the nine games he has dressed, he’s been solid.
Barrie’s defensive deficiencies are well noted around the league, but he still has strong offensive instincts and is very capable of running a power play, as he proved for many years with the Edmonton Oilers. The Flames won’t get much for him, but a playoff team needing some more offence from the back end may be willing to part ways with a mid-to-late-round draft pick.
Kevin Rooney
Though many Flames fans don’t feel Kevin Rooney is an NHL-calibre player, his strong work in the faceoff dot as well as his penalty-killing ability has been enough for head coach Ryan Huska to give him a regular role on the fourth line. He’s on an expiring contract, and it’s almost impossible to envision the Flames re-upping him.
If a team gunning for the playoffs feels like they could add to their centre-ice depth, they may view Rooney as an option worth acquiring. The return would once again be low, but it may be worth it for the Flames given that Rooney is easily replaceable for the remainder of the season.
Joel Hanley
Much like Barrie and even more so Rooney, Joel Hanley likely doesn’t have much value on the trade market. In fact, he may not have any at all. It’s a bit puzzling as to why he remains on the Flames roster given that he’s appeared in just two games this season, though he proved last season that he is capable of coming in and out of the lineup when given third-pairing minutes.
Hanley is yet another blueliner a playoff team could consider adding for depth in case of injury. He has NHL experience having played in 195 career games, and has suited up for an additional 33 in the playoffs. The fact that he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season may actually make teams more interested in taking a flier on him.
Rasmus Andersson
Of all the names on this list, Rasmus Andersson is without a doubt the one other teams around the league will be inquiring about. Though he does have one additional season on his contract, his ridiculously team-friendly $4.55 million cap hit helps add even further to his value.
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Andersson is arguably a top-pairing defenceman, but if not, is one of the best second-pairing blueliners in the NHL. He already has 11 points on the season, and is even better in his own end of the ice. If all that wasn’t intriguing enough, he’s also a right-hand shot, which front offices heavily value. Should the Flames move him, they would be getting a boatload in return.
Dan Vladar
After two rough seasons in which it has since been revealed he was playing at less than 100%, Dan Vladar underwent hip surgery last spring, and it’s done wonders for his game. He’s played very well in a tandem role with Dustin Wolf, posting a 2.65 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .906 save percentage (SV%) through nine starts.
Vladar is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, making it likely that he gets moved, assuming his solid start to the year has given him some trade value. The reason it makes sense for the Flames to do so is that Devin Cooley has an additional year on his contract, and is quickly proving he’s ready to be a full-time NHLer, having posted a ridiculous 1.51 GAA through 12 American Hockey League (AHL) starts.
Flames Quickly Looking Promising
Assuming at least two players on this list are moved, it will help add to the already many draft picks and prospects the Flames have added under general manager Craig Conroy. While it will still take a few years for this team to evolve into a true contender, it’s quite remarkable how quickly he has been able to change the outlook of this franchise for the better.
