The Calgary Flames are entering the 2026 offseason with a crowded forward group and a clear need to move some pieces for future assets. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, Blake Coleman and Connor Zary are all mentioned as possible trade chips, but that doesn’t mean Calgary is only looking to subtract.
There’s at least a path for the Flames to add, especially if the right deal helps ease the logjam up front. In his latest Summer Trade Watch, David Pagnotta connected Calgary to two veterans on the market: Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins.
Marchenko is the more intriguing name on paper. He’s a winger, which doesn’t exactly scream obvious fit for Calgary’s current roster, and the report notes he would be leaving Columbus in search of a contender.
Still, at 25 years old, he has the kind of production that can change the conversation. Over the last two seasons, the former No. 49 overall pick has scored 58 goals and piled up 141 points in 155 games.
With the Flames looking for high-end skill around Matvei Gridin and Matt Coronato in the top six, it’s easy to see why he’d show up on the radar.
Lohrei has been tied to Calgary before. The report points back to the 2026 trade deadline, when there was apparently a deal lined up to send Rasmus Andersson to Boston before it collapsed because Andersson did not have an extension.
Lohrei, also 25, has put up 12 goals and 59 points from the blue line over the last two years. But the fit has changed.
With Simon Nemec and Carson Carels added, the need for another defenseman like Lohrei is no longer there.
For now, the message is pretty simple: Marchenko would require Calgary to clear out several forward pieces without giving up much draft capital, and Lohrei no longer looks like a natural target. So even with the Flames being mentioned in trade chatter, a deal with either Columbus or Boston does not seem likely anytime soon.
In Other News...
Why Are The Flames Being Linked To This Veteran Idea
The Flames head into free agency with a fairly clear message from Craig Conroy: this is not shaping up to be a big buying summer. Calgary has already created two retention slots through recent contract expirations and trades, which gives the front office some flexibility on the trade front, but the broader plan still points toward patience rather than a splashy pursuit in the open market.
Still, TSNs speculation has pushed one veteran name into the conversation, even if the fit looks shaky on paper. The issue is less about whether the player can still help and more about where he would fit on a roster that already has plenty of bodies on the wing and is trying to keep its youth movement on track. Any real move in that direction would likely require the Flames to clear out veteran room first, which is why the rumor feels more like a concept than a likely next step. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Just Sent A Clear Message About Which Young Players Matter
The Flames latest round of roster housekeeping offered a pretty clear glimpse at which young players remain in the clubs plans. Calgary handed qualifying offers to Simon Nemec, Brennan Othmann and William Stromgren, a move that keeps those restricted free agents in the fold as the organization continues sorting out its next wave of depth and development. It also fits the broader timing, with prospect camp now on the calendar and a fresh group of young players getting their first real chance to make a case at WinSport.
The development camp roster adds another layer to that picture, bringing together recent draft picks and a handful of undrafted invites for a brief but important evaluation window. In a summer where free agency questions are still swirling and nothing major has been confirmed beyond the paperwork in front of them, the message from Calgary is straightforward enough: some young players are being pushed forward, others are being left to find a new path, and the battle to define the next roster cycle is already underway. [Read more 🡒]