The Calgary Flames aren’t sounding eager to push Zach Whitecloud out the door, and the reason is pretty straightforward: veteran defensemen matter, especially on a young blue line.
Anthony Di Marco reported on Daily Faceoff that, after speaking with Flames sources, there’s no sense the team is in a hurry to move Whitecloud to open the season. In fact, his presence could make the price to acquire him climb even higher.
The other big name in the chatter is Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright, and the conversation around him is less about a move that’s happening now and more about what he could become. David Pagnotta discussed Wright on Daily Faceoff and raised the possibility that he could grow into a real weapon for Seattle - or become part of a trade package in a bigger deal.
Pagnotta pointed to Simon Edvinsson as the kind of player that could draw interest, though he also noted that the Detroit Red Wings have made it clear they want to re-sign Edvinsson and keep him, not trade him. Still, the idea is out there if Seattle ever decides to use Wright as an asset.
“He wants more responsibility. He’s got to earn that, but he wants to be given the opportunity to earn it.
And if he maintains his pace of play this season, maybe the whole, you know, cloud that’s been over him shifts. And by that I mean again wanting to play more, wanting to play top six, being able to be, you know, one of their main drivers for that team.
“It’s a catch-22, but you know, maybe you want to give him a bit of a longer leash. And if things work out in Seattle, awesome.
“Alternatively, this is a team that I believe has interest in a guy like Edvinsson. Do you utilize a guy like Wright in a package for him.
Well, I know there’s interest, but I’m also connecting, trying to connect some dots here. At the same time, I just want to reiterate as well that Shawn Horcoff ‘s been very adamant to all the teams that he’s not trading Edvinsson, at least not now.
“But I am curious if the idea or the desire or want- it’s not a burning desire, but you know- if he wants more of an opportunity somewhere else, if they utilize that asset to appease another part of the, of the roster. But if he continues to play well, he continues to eat minutes, and you know, the confidence is now a) in him, and b) within the team in him, then you know, hey, all right, we wash our hands of this.
It’s a thing of the past, and he becomes one of their main weapons for, for the Kraken. But that’s kind of a wait-and-see mode, right?”
For now, that’s where both situations sit: Whitecloud as a player the Flames may be willing to hold onto, and Wright as a player whose role in Seattle could either grow into something bigger or become part of a future trade conversation.
In Other News...
Flames Shake Up Lineup As Pressure Builds Before Avalanche Test
The Flames are making a noticeable set of changes as they head into a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, reworking both their forward group and defensive pairings in search of a cleaner look. Among the most telling moves is the arrival of Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna from the AHL, a pair of recalls that gives Calgary a fresh fourth-line option and adds a little more intrigue to how the bottom half of the lineup will be deployed.
Calgary is also turning to Devin Cooley in goal for the Avalanche test, a decision that puts added attention on a game already carrying some weight as the pressure builds. With middle-six forwards shuffled around and the back end adjusted as well, the Flames are clearly trying to find a combination that can steady things against one of the leagues tougher opponents. The question now is whether those changes give them enough structure to hang with Colorado. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Ugly Start Could Force Craig Conroy Into His Next Move
The early going has been rough enough in Calgary that the Flames are already looking at ways to jolt a flat offense before the season can really get away from them. After opening with a significant scoring deficit and a string of underwhelming performances, management has begun weighing roster changes, with Craig Conroy facing an increasingly familiar kind of early-season pressure: decide whether the answer is already in the room or whether help has to come from outside.
Patrik Laine is one of the names on the board, and the Flames are also in conversation with other veteran forwards who could add some finishing touch to a lineup that has struggled to create it. The sense around the team is that Conroy may not wait long if the current group does not start to produce, with a short-term addition looming as a real possibility if Calgarys internal options fail to spark the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Rumors Suddenly Point To A Much More Realistic Upgrade
The trade chatter around Detroit has started to drift away from the more sensational names and toward a possibility that feels far more grounded. Pierre LeBrun has downplayed the speculation tying Dylan Larkin to Florida, especially with Aleksander Barkov expected back in six to eight weeks, and that has shifted some of the focus to other options around the league. Among the clubs keeping an eye on the market are the Flames and Red Wings, both of whom have shown interest in Patrik Laine as they look for ways to add offense without paying the price that comes with a true blockbuster.
Laine remains unsigned despite drawing contact from multiple teams, which keeps the door open for a move if the right situation emerges. For Calgary, the appeal is obvious, but the timing matters just as much as the talent, with the organization watching how its younger players perform before deciding how aggressive to get. Around the league, there is also a separate goaltending thread involving Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets, but for the Flames the bigger question is whether this becomes the kind of measured upgrade that fits their timeline. [Read more 🡒]