Trade trees can look messy at first, but every branch tells the same story: one move keeps living long after the original deal is made. The David Rittich path is a perfect example for the Flames, starting with a Czech free agent in 2016 and ending, for now, with Joe Iginla.
Rittich arrived in Calgary as an unknown goaltender from the Czech league and turned himself into a real NHL story. By 2017-2018, he had moved into the backup role behind Mike Smith.
In 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, he became a 1A/1B option. Then Jacob Markstrom’s arrival pushed him back into the backup spot in 2020-21.
With Rittich headed for unrestricted free agency and fresh off a stretch that included an All-Star nod in 2020, it was only a matter of time before he moved on. That happened before the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline.
The first stop came when Calgary sent Rittich to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Toronto’s 2022 third-round pick. Toronto wanted insurance in goal because of the injury histories of Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell, but the depth wasn’t really needed.
Rittich appeared in only four regular-season games for the Leafs, putting up an 0.888 SV% and a 2.72 GAA, and he didn’t get into a playoff game. He later signed with the Nashville Predators in free agency, spent a season there, and has since also spent time with the Winnipeg Jets, LA Kings, New York Islanders, and just recently signed with the New Jersey Devils.
Calgary didn’t sit on that pick for long. A few months later, on free agency day, the Flames moved Toronto’s 2022 third-rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks and got Nikita Zadorov back.
Zadorov quickly became a player fans noticed in Calgary, especially as part of a strong third pairing with Erik Gudbranson. That duo was an underrated piece of the Flames’ 2021-22 success.
Chicago used the pick on centre Aidan Thompson, who has not played an NHL game yet. He spent a few years in the Blackhawks system before being moved for defenceman Derrick Pouliout in an AHL deal at the trade deadline.
Zadorov’s time in Calgary had its moments, including the surprising 14-goal season in 2022-23, but the relationship eventually frayed in 2023-24. After a big night in Toronto that featured a goal and a massive hit, his agent Dan Milstein posted a few tweets that added fuel to the tension.
He said the Flames couldn’t keep the Flames defenceman because he wasn’t getting much ice time, and Kevin Weekes later confirmed a trade request had been made. Twenty days later, on November 30th, the Flames sent him to Vancouver.
That deal brought back Vancouver’s 2026 third-round pick and Vancouver’s 2024 fifth-round pick. Calgary had paid a third to get Zadorov and turned him into a third and a fifth.
Zadorov made an immediate impact with the Canucks, finishing the rest of the 2023-24 season there and contributing eight points in 13 playoff games. Vancouver tried to keep him, but Boston outbid them with a six-year, 5M AAV offer. Zadorov has now finished his second season with the Bruins.
The 2024 fifth-round pick was the next piece to move. At the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Calgary sent it to the San Jose Sharks for Nikita Okhotiuk.
That one didn’t last long in the Flames’ system. Okhotiuk played nine games on the Calgary blue line, picked up one assist, and then signed with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
That left the 2026 third-rounder from Vancouver. With the Canucks finishing last in the NHL standings in 2026, the pick became the first selection of the round, and Calgary used it at 65th overall on RW Joe Iginla.
Joe Iginla is 17 years old, so the rest of his story is still unwritten. But it’s a pretty striking ending to the chain: a goalie signed out of Europe in 2016 eventually helped lead the Flames to drafting the son of a franchise legend.
In Other News...
Morgan Frost Just Became Calgarys Next Tough Rebuild Decision
As the Flames keep sorting through the next stage of their rebuild, Morgan Frost has quickly become one of the more interesting names on the board. Calgary is already getting trade inquiries for the center, and that kind of attention is no surprise with a player who just put together a solid season and is heading into the final year of his contract.
The real question is what the Flames want to do with him from here. There is genuine interest from around the league, but Calgary still has to decide whether to move Frost now or hold him closer to the trade deadline, with his no-trade protection adding another layer to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have Another Mid Round Steal Brewing In Their System
Ethan Wyttenbach has already put himself on the radar in a way that tends to matter for the Flames. The 2025 sixth-round pick made the jump to Quinnipiac after there had been talk he might return to the USHL, and he wasted little time showing he could handle the college game. As a freshman, he posted a scoring pace that stood out across the NCAA and gave Calgary another reminder that value can come from well outside the top of the draft.
For a team that has seen patient development pay off before, Wyttenbachs start is the kind of early signal that invites a longer look. He is still at the beginning of the process, and the next steps will be about whether that production can hold as the competition gets tougher and the path to pro hockey gets narrower. For now, though, he looks like another prospect worth following closely in a system that could use a few more pleasant surprises. [Read more 🡒]
Connor Bedard News Just Took A Brutal Turn For Blackhawks Fans
Connor Bedards long-term future in Chicago is now locked in, with the Blackhawks committing to their franchise centerpiece on a five-year deal worth $15 million annually. Its the kind of move that signals the organization is ready to build around him for the long haul, even as the rest of the roster continues to take shape around one of the leagues most closely watched young stars.
Around the NHL, other young names are getting paid in ways that help set the market, too. Jamie Drysdale landed a four-year deal with the Flyers at $6.5 million annually, while Connor McMichael secured a six-year extension with the Blues after his move from Washington, another reminder that teams are trying to buy stability before those players get any closer to their next big leverage point. [Read more 🡒]