The Calgary Flames are looking to make some noise at the trade deadline despite sitting outside of the playoff picture. They have not lived up to expectations after major changes in the offseason and don’t have a great chance of making the postseason, sitting in fifth in the Pacific Division.
Their uncertain future and playoff hopes may depend on the moves they make at the deadline. Despite the risk, a rental would be the most logical solution for the Flames, preferably a player who costs less than a first-round pick, but they should also consider Timo Meier as a rental despite that he will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after the season. Here we’ll look at why this is a plausible solution, the risk involved, and how it might be difficult, considering the competition.
Any Addition Is Risky for the Flames
The Flames will be one of the fringe playoff teams looking to make additions at the trade deadline. The salary cap isn’t much of a concern as they have some room and could have more if they move Oliver Kylington onto long-term injured reserve. This should give them enough space to acquire an impactful top-six forward as well as defensive depth.
Calgary can only afford to bring in someone for this season because contract extensions for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and Dan Vladar will kick in for an extra $9.05 million against the cap next season. The team will also really only freeing up $5 million or so with Milan Lucic‘s contract expiring after this season.
The risk involved in adding a rental is giving up solid assets and futures without a guaranteed playoff spot, and almost no chance they will win a Stanley Cup given their play this season. Will one top-six player be able to change the season? Maybe, but it also takes a new player time to settle in, and by then it could be too late in a very competitive Western Conference.
Related: Flames Should Target Flyers’ van Riemsdyk & Seeler in a Trade
If the Flames decide to pony up assets to acquire Meier, they could still use him as a rental but with team control. They could then flip him in the offseason to a team with the cap space to sign him to a long-term deal. Considering Meier will cost $8-$9 million AAV, the Flames can’t manage that without a lot more shuffling. I’m not saying it’s impossible, only improbable. Either way, they would have his rights to make a decision after the season and, at the very least, could get portion of what they paid for him back in the offseason.
Flames Competition to Acquire Meier
It’s no guarantee that the San Jose Sharks will find a trade partner that can sign Meier long-term before the deadline. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets are also in the rental conversation as they have the means, space, and motivation to add a playoff-type player like Meier.
I don’t think the Sharks care too much where Meier ends up as long as they get what they are asking for in a return. They are slowly tearing down their roster and won’t be competitive for a while, so matching up against Meier twice or four times a season shouldn’t make a big difference. Pierre LeBrun stated that a Meier trade could go down before the March 3rd deadline, so if acquired by the Flames, he would give them a bit of an early advantage over other teams also fighting for a playoff spot.
The Flames have their first and second-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft as well as a strong prospect pool that could help execute a trade. They have a few untouchables that won’t be on the table for Meier, but if a deal can’t get done, so be it (from “LeBrun rumblings: Vladimir Tarasenko, Timo Meier and the NHL trade-deadline domino effect”, The Athletic, Feb. 10, 2023). A reasonable solution to help the Flames this season would be to find a player whose contract status is like Meier’s in which, acquiring him won’t be detrimental to the future but could help them make the 2023 Playoffs.
