The Calgary Flames are heading into another season with a roster that could be ripe for movement, and the list of pending unrestricted free agents gives them plenty to think about.
After a heavy sell-off in the 2025-26 campaign, when the Flames moved out Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri, the offseason brought more turnover with Blake Coleman being dealt to the Minnesota Wild. With so many veteran pieces already out the door, Calgary is expected to struggle again in 2026-27 as the rebuild continues. That means the trade market could still matter, even if the Flames are not expected to be nearly as active.
A few players are entering the final year of their contracts and could become deadline chips if Calgary decides to chase draft picks and prospects. Here are the five Flames set to become UFAs after the 2026-27 season.
Morgan Frost sits at the top of the list, and the Flames have a major call to make on the 27-year-old centre. He is projected to open 2026-27 as Calgary’s number-one centre, which gives him a clear runway to pile up production and strengthen his case for a lucrative extension.
The Flames would like to keep him, but they also need to avoid overpaying him, especially with their lack of centre depth. If the asking price gets too steep, moving him to a playoff pretender for a strong return would make more sense.
Ryan Strome is another name worth watching. The 33-year-old carries a $5 million cap hit and finished 2025-26 with 52 games played, eight goals, 13 assists and 21 points.
But those numbers don’t fully tell the story of his late-season surge. After arriving in Calgary, Strome looked rejuvenated and produced five goals and 12 points in just 19 games.
If he keeps that pace for the opening stretch of 2026-27, playoff teams could come calling.
Maxim Tsyplakov’s situation looks far less promising. The 27-year-old has a $2.25 million cap hit and posted just four points in 49 games during 2025-26, splitting the year between the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils before Calgary acquired him in the Simon Nemec deal.
After a decent rookie season in 2024-25, his game dropped off sharply. He is expected to bounce in and out of the lineup next season, which leaves him with little trade value by the time the deadline rolls around.
Joel Hanley has carved out a useful role in Calgary since arriving late in the 2023-24 season. At 35, with a $1.75 million cap hit, he played 68 games last season and chipped in seven assists. He won’t bring back a huge haul, but teams looking for depth on the blue line could still have interest in him near the deadline.
Brayden Pachal rounds out the group. The 26-year-old posted seven points in 39 games last season and carries a $1.19 million cap hit.
He had trouble getting into the lineup in 2025-26 and will need a strong training camp just to make the roster this fall. Even if he does, he figures to spend plenty of time in and out of the press box, which makes it tough to picture much trade buzz developing around him.
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