The Calgary Flames are only three games into the season, but already the phone lines are active around a few of their more movable names.
After a rough opening stretch that saw Calgary drop its first three games by a combined 16-3, the sense around the team is that general manager Craig Conroy could begin shifting pieces for future assets. Among the players drawing attention: Connor Zary, Zach Whitecloud and Morgan Frost.
David Pagnotta said on Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE that Zary had interest around the league, but the contract has complicated things.
“I mean, with Zary, I think there was interest, but he’s got a $3.775 million cap hit for the next two years, and that’s the reason why he wasn’t plucked. I think teams want to send back a little bit of money and not eat that full hit, so they’re going to continue having those conversations with Calgary and their GM Craig Conroy to see if maybe there’s a little bit of a way to ease up the money a tiny bit, rather than getting them for free.
Some of these teams that don’t have the full cap flexibility have told Calgary, ‘Well, we’re going to have to send something back. We like the guy, but we got to send something back. Doesn’t have to be even, but we got to make the money work in some capacity.’”
Whitecloud, meanwhile, sounds like the kind of defenseman plenty of teams could circle back on. Pagnotta said the 29-year-old has another year left on his deal at a $2.75 million cap hit, and that clubs were interested quickly after Calgary’s trade with Vegas was completed. He pointed to Whitecloud’s Stanley Cup ring and physical edge as traits that keep him in demand.
“He’s the guy that generated a lot of interest last season, almost immediately. Like, as soon as that trade with Vegas was completed, teams reached out to Conroy and said, ‘What’s your plan with Whitecloud?
What do you want to do with this kid?’ For his capabilities, at only 29…he’s got a Stanley Cup ring.
He brings some jam to his game. There are a lot of teams that wouldn’t mind, especially at that cap hit, that wouldn’t mind getting their hands on him.
I mentioned yesterday on Leafs’ Morning Take, Toronto being a team that’s looking at that type of defenseman. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if they escalate those conversations with Calgary to see if maybe something can happen there, but they won’t be the only ones.
There’s interest from other teams in Zach Whitecloud. I know Montreal had some interest last season.
I’m not sure where they’re at, right now, on that front, but just as an example of a lot of teams that do have interest in that player.”
Frost is in a different contract spot, but Pagnotta expects him to be on the move conversation all season long. The center is in the final year of his deal, and Pagnotta said he could wind up being a prime trade candidate before the year is out.
“Morgan Frost [is in] the final year of his contract. He’ll be another guy that’s going to generate interest throughout the season. I expect him to be a prime candidate to be moved at some point this season.”
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 🡒]