Flames are in no rush to sell blue line assets: report

The Calgary Flames have several defencemen available for trade, but they are in no rush to move any of them.

The Flames, who have struggled to a 4-7-2 record through 13 games this season, have three key defenders in the final year of their respective contracts. It has been expected that both Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev are likely to be traded at some time, and with the recent news of Nikita Zadorov’s trade request, his days in Calgary appear to be numbered as well.

Given that all three players listed are quite valuable, Flames general manager Craig Conroy should be able to bring back some solid assets if he plays his cards right. To ensure that happens, TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that he and the rest of his management staff are in no rush to move any of the three defencemen.

“Tor, Van, and NJD are the clubs with strong interest in Zadorov,” Dreger wrote on X. “Tanev, solid right shot Dman is a huge draw and, of course, Hanifin. The Flames are in no hurry to sell assets. If a team steps up in a big way, everything has to be considered. I’m not sensing urgency from Cgy.”

Tor, Van, and NJD are the clubs with strong interest in Zadorov. Tanev, solid right shot Dman is a huge draw and, of course, Hanifin. The Flames are in no hurry to sell assets. If a team steps up in a big way, everything has to be considered. I’m not sensing urgency from Cgy.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 11, 2023

Another name who could be on the move is Elias Lindholm, who is also set to become a free agent this summer. There had been discussions between his party and the Flames regarding an extension, but the team’s struggles early on seem to have put those on pause. Unless things turn around in a hurry, it seems likely that several Flames will be on the move at or ahead of the trade deadline in order to help retool for the future.

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