The Calgary Flames are doing a good job of turning things around under the guidance of general manager (GM) Craig Conroy, but more is needed before players around the NHL begin to take notice. Oftentimes, Canadian markets are less desired by players due to the cold weather and pressure from fans and media alike.
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That can often make it tougher for Canadian markets to compete, though the good enough teams are able to overcome that barrier and bring in top-end talent. The Flames haven’t been an elite team for a lengthy period, however, and it’s affecting them.
Flames Rank High on No-Trade Lists
The Flames are by no means the least desirable market in the NHL, though they do rank near the bottom. A recent anonymous survey conducted by The Athletic in which they polled 111 players proves just that (from ‘NHL player poll: Best/worst facilities? NBA-Style tournament? Season too long? Should Bettman retire?,’ The Athletic, 2/5/25).
In the survey, players were asked which team would be at the top of their no-trade list, whether or not they have one in their contract. It’s tough to view if you’re a Winnipeg Jets fan, as over 48 percent of the players picked them. The Flames weren’t nearly as high, but still had 3.66 percent of the vote, tied for fourth worst with the Ottawa Senators amongst all 32 NHL teams.
As mentioned, being in a Canadian market doesn’t help, but being located north isn’t the sole reason. The Edmonton Oilers, for example, who are even further north, did not appear on the list.
Positive Sign for Flames Fans
While seeing your favourite team pop up on this list isn’t a fun feeling, there is reason for Flames fans to be optimistic. Seeing a team like the Oilers – who for years would have been an easy top-three team on such a list – no longer on it goes to show that if you can put together a contending team, players will want to come.
The argument that landing superstars such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is valid, but the success of the Oilers as a whole has led to free agents selecting them over other organizations. Current examples in their lineup include Zach Hyman, Jeff Skinner, and more recently defenceman John Klingberg.
The Flames, while putting together a successful season, have a ways to go before being viewed as anything close to a Stanley Cup contender like the Oilers currently are. That said, they are taking the right steps under Conroy, and have plenty of prospects in place to suggest that they could be a contender in the years to come.
As they continue to build their roster closer to the point of becoming a contender, they should slide further and further down that list until the point that they are off entirely. They may never attract players like certain southern markets such as the California and Florida teams do, but they can and should be able to become much more favourable in the eyes of players moving forward.
Flames’ New Management Improving Outlook
A big part of the issue for the Flames, as mentioned, is that they haven’t been a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for a long period of time. They’ve had some good teams, but never ones that felt like they could go the distance. That was largely due to Brad Treliving, who seemed to prefer building mediocre rosters rather than bottom out and obtain talent through the draft.
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Though Conroy hasn’t bottomed this team out, he moved on from many veterans last season to help allow some of the organization’s younger pieces to push for NHL spots. He and his scouting staff have also done a fantastic job at drafting, which greatly improves the outlook for this franchise. There’s still plenty of way to go, but they are headed in the right direction. It may not be too long before Calgary is a hot spot for NHL talent.
