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Calgary Flames make last-minute trade for Ryan Strome

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Mar 6 2026, 8:12 pm
Calgary Flames make last-minute trade for Ryan Strome
Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images

The Calgary Flames made one trade on deadline day in the last few remaining minutes.

Though neither Blake Coleman nor Nazem Kadri was moved, the Flames instead chose to bring in Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks. In return, the Ducks have acquired a seventh-round pick in 2027.

Strome is a 32-year-old centreman who has struggled this season with three goals and nine points through 33 games. He’s under contract through the 2026-27 season on a deal that carries a $5-million cap hit.

Selected fifth overall in the 2011 draft, Strome has logged 897 career games in stints with the Ducks, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers. He’s racked up 169 goals and 489 points over that span.

Given Strome’s age, this is a puzzling move for the Flames, and one that was certainly unexpected. That said, this may have been done simply to add some salary to the books.

The Flames entered the trade deadline with $44 million in cap space, as per Puckpedia. Should they move out Kadri and Coleman in the offseason or during the 2026-27 campaign, they will need other contracts on the books to ensure they don’t fall under the league minimum threshold.

This marks the third NHL trade Conroy has made this season.

The first came in mid-January, when he shipped Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Zach Whitecloud, prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional 2027 first-round pick, and a 2027 conditional second-round pick.

The next move came this past Wednesday, as MacKenzie Weegar was sent to the Utah Mammoth in a surprising move that saw the Flames acquire Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three second-round picks in 2026.

Thanks to those two moves, along with others Conroy has made in his tenure as GM, the Flames find themselves with 25 picks over the course of the next three drafts. They could add to that even further should they move one or both of Coleman and Kadri in the offseason.

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