[Calgary4LIfe]

Coleman - I would only accept a trade if he returned something more than a 1st round pick. I think he is a very solid vet to help teach prospects how to be pros on and off the ice. I doubt any team is going to offer that anyway, so I will gladly keep him. There is value in having guys like him as mentors for the new core. I don't believe in scorched-earth rebuilds.



Hanifin/Tanev/Lindholm - these guys are the three that I feel the Flames must trade. They will all bring good assets back for a rebuild. Critical assets, actually.



Markstrom - With retention, he can definitely be worth something good. i expect a 1st at least with retention.



Vladar - you keep him if Markstrom is being traded, otherwise I think you trade him when you get at least a 3rd round pick as an offer (get back what you paid for him).



Backlund - Nobody mentions Backlund as a trade target. I think he has a value contract with practically zero risk. He wanted to win, so maybe he still prefers being traded? I am not sure. After being made Captain, and him starting to realize that he does have an opportunity to start and finish his career in Calgary, rather than chasing a cup without guarantees of even getting out of the 1st round, perhaps he doesn't want to move. Interesting conversation to have with him anyway. Like Coleman, Backlund holds a lot of value to this team in terms of what he brings on and off the ice.


Dube - has he forgotten how to play hockey, or do you negotiate a new one-year deal at a lower price? I would actually rather see him re-signed for another year at a lower dollar, and see if he doesn't rebound back up. He has wheels, he hits surprisingly hard, and he has hit 18 goals two seasons in a row with the Flames prior to this one. If there is a good offer, sure, I will take it now. I just feel you are selling Dube at the very lowest point possible. I do think he has been mostly terrible this year, but is this who he is? Or will there be a rebound?


Kadri - I can't formulate an argument as to why Kadri should be kept. Last off-season, we mostly felt that this was the second worst contract on the Flames, and one that the Flames would have to buy-out or attach assets to in order to move. He has been having a great season, and has been a catalyst out there more games than not. I don't like the player, but I legitimately have very little to bad to say about him this year at all - at least since Zary and Pospisil were put on his line. I, however, didn't forget about how he 'quit' last season, and how terrible he looked to start the year as well. If there is an offer on the table at some point this season, I would take. Flames aren't likely to be competitive for a couple of seasons at least, and Kadri will be 34 when the 2024-25 season starts, with 4 more seasons after that. I actually put him 4th in the trade priority after Hanifin, Lindholm and Tanev. I think he has been great this year, but I would accept 'future considerations' just to remove the risk. I don't view Kadri as any sort of positive contributor in the 2025-26 season and later, which will be the earliest point at which this team will start becoming competitive (and that's being wildly optimistic with that date). If I knew the Flames were going to be doing a scorched-earth rebuild, then it wouldn't matter, as these often end up taking a decade (and I know they aren't, and I would not want them to either).


Pospisil and Ruzicka are easy re-signs for me. Greer I would take whatever I could at the deadline (and I bet there will be teams knocking), or I would simply re-sign and give him 2 years at sub 1-million. If he wants more, I would let him walk. I like what he brings, and how hard he works every shift.



Mangiapane probably won't get any offers that I would be interested with. One more season with Backlund and Coleman, and then trade him for something good next deadline. He is starting to be a solid player again since he has been reunited with those two (as expected). Sell high on him next deadline when I expect him to have another career year with no term left.


Sharangovich I would try and re-sign in July, and if his demands are too great, then I would trade him at next season's deadline too with Mangiapane. I like what he brings, and I think he hasn't hit his ceiling yet.


Oesterle I would trade for any team giving up a pick for a depth defencemen (hello Treliving! I kid, I kid..). Gilbert I would rather keep and re-sign. Desimone I would trade for a depth pick (though it isn't likely to happen). Kylington is an interesting case. I would just try and re-sign him. With his recent history, I am not sure a move somewhere else is beneficial - and if it is beneficial for him, I will wish him luck. I can't imagine any offers would be incoming for him anyway, unless he returns soon and completely exceeds expectations.


Andersson - Nobody really talks about him either. As I stated twice already in this post, I am not a fan of scorched earth rebuilds, and trading him away (and looking at what is left on D), it would make it essentially a scorched earth rebuild. I do think he is worth a king's ransom, considering his current contract. The offer would have to blow my socks off though.


Weegar - ditto for him. I don't have an issue with his deal, and I bet it will be looked at as a bargain deal in the years to come.


Everyone else that I haven't mentioned has term. Doubt that there would be any teams making offers on anyone else for now.


I think that the writing is clearly on the wall right now - this is a team that is playing very well, but it is solidly closer to the bottom of the standings than to the top because they simply don't have enough talent. Sometimes you have to take a couple of steps back in order to move forward again. The Flames is like a car that is stuck in the snow and can't move forward. Sometimes it is impossible to move forward without putting your car in reverse, and giving yourself a little runway. When I watch them, I see a car that is burning rubber out there, but isn't moving much. Highly entertaining, and i love how they are really not looking like a 'mish mash' of pieces that don't fit any longer. Now it is clear to me that this team simply doesn't have enough talent, period.