The Flames may be headed for another rebuild-heavy season in 2026-27, and that puts GM Craig Conroy in a familiar spot: seller. In an interview with Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic, Conroy said defenseman Zach Whitecloud has made it clear he wants to be part of the long-term answer in Calgary. Whitecloud, who arrived last season in the Rasmus Andersson trade, has taken on a far bigger workload this year and is averaging more than 20 minutes per night.
That kind of role matters, and so does the contract. Whitecloud is signed through next season at a $2.75MM cap hit, and interest in him has already been around since last season.
Even so, Conroy also said he wants to keep dependable veterans around his young core. That combination makes it sound like Calgary would need a substantial offer before even thinking about moving him.
Ryan Strome feels like a much more straightforward trade candidate. Conroy praised the veteran’s impact after Calgary picked him up from Anaheim at the deadline last season, but he also said the team needs time to sort out his situation, with a decision due before the March 1st deadline. Strome is on an expiring $5MM deal and has four points in 11 games this season, which makes him a player the Flames are very likely to move by then.
Calgary’s Wednesday game against Edmonton also came with some injury trouble. The team announced that goaltender Devin Cooley, who left with a lower-body injury, and winger Brennan Othmann, who exited with an upper-body injury, did not return. Cooley appeared to get banged up on a collision in the first period, while Othmann didn’t come back after an early fight.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, the Sharks are showing interest in Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in a recent TSN Insider Trading report. San Jose makes sense as a landing spot for the restricted free agent because of its young core, though fitting him into the cap picture could be tricky after the long-term deals handed out this summer. Detroit’s preference is still to get Edvinsson signed before the December 1st deadline, but if that doesn’t happen, the Sharks would be a compelling option.
And in Edmonton, goaltender Devon Levi is getting back to work as he recovers from an undisclosed injury he suffered last week. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reported that Levi faced some shots in practice, but third-stringer Matt Tomkins is traveling with the team on its three-game road trip, which suggests Levi probably needs a few more days. Levi has handled the starting job early this season, winning six of seven starts with a 3.11 GAA and an .887 SV%.
In Other News...
Oilers May Be Finding Goalie Stability At Exactly The Right Time
Tristan Jarry gave the Oilers exactly what they needed in a 4-0 win over Calgary, turning aside 24 shots and delivering a composed, timely shutout. It was the kind of performance Edmonton has been hoping to find amid a shaky stretch in goal, and one that fit neatly with the rest of the clubs work in front of him.
Jarrys strong night comes at a critical moment for Edmonton, which is leaning on him more heavily than it planned to because of injuries and absences elsewhere in the crease. Head coach Mike Babcock and Connor McDavid both praised the effort, and if the Oilers can keep getting that kind of stability from Jarry, it could buy them some much-needed breathing room while they wait for their depth to return. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Trade Theory Has Fans Wondering What Team USA Stars Know
Mike Babcock has been sending a message from the bench as well as behind the microphone, and it has little to do with salary. The Oilers coach has already shown he is willing to sit Jake Walman when the mistakes keep showing up on video, a reminder that a bigger contract does not buy automatic ice time. For a team trying to keep standards tight, that kind of hard line matters almost as much as the results on the scoreboard.
The same sort of blunt roster reality is making the rounds elsewhere in the league, where Vancouver is said to be weighing veteran trade possibilities after a rough skid and New Jersey has suddenly become the center of some unusual Olympic-era chatter. The Devils recent move for Connor Hellebuyck has only fueled speculation that Team USA names like Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes could be looking at the same destination, though nothing has been confirmed. For Edmonton fans, it is another reminder that the leagues rumor mill can turn fast, even when the real answer is still sitting a long way from public view. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Eyeing More Size For A Bottom Six Fans Will Debate
The Oilers search for a little more heft in the bottom six is starting to look like more than just idle roster chatter. Edmonton is reportedly interested in adding Rangers forward Matt Rempe, a move that would fit with the push for more physicality around the lineup as head coach Mike Babcock looks to toughen up the group and general manager Stan Bowman keeps scanning the trade market for help.
Rempe has seen limited action this season, and his situation adds another layer to the discussion because he is eligible for waivers. For Edmonton, the appeal is clear: a bigger, harder-to-play-against presence in a part of the lineup that can matter in the playoffs. For fans, though, the debate is just as easy to predict, since moves built around size usually come with plenty of opinions before anyone ever steps on the ice in an Oilers sweater. [Read more 🡒]