3 highly talented young players the Flames could look to target in a trade

It is only a matter of time before the Calgary Flames begin making some moves.

Due to their disappointing start to the season, there have been many reports that Craig Conroy is shopping some of his most valuable pending UFAs, including three defencemen in Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. Rather than looking to get picks or prospects in return, the Flames GM is instead searching for young, talented players who can make an immediate impact. Here are a few that should be considered.

1. Nils Höglander

One team who has popped up in plenty of trade rumours with the Flames as of late is the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have had a fantastic start to their season but could still use some help on the blue line. Luckily for them, the Flames have three defencemen who are likely to be on the move between now and the trade deadline.

While Tanev is the defenceman that most believe is the best fit for the Canucks, Conroy would likely be willing to move any of the three to Vancouver for the right price. One player that he should strongly consider getting in the trade is talented Swedish forward Nils Höglander.

Höglander, 22, hasn’t burst on the scene as quickly as the Canucks had hoped but boasts plenty of potential. He spent most of the 2022-23 season in the AHL, putting up 14 goals and 32 points in 45 games. In 14 games with the Canucks this season, he has himself three goals and five points, and that has come despite averaging less than 11 minutes in ice time. With a change of scenery and more opportunity, there is plenty of reason to believe he can become a top-six forward in the NHL.

2. Alexander Holtz

One team believed to have plenty of interest in Zadorov is the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are once again a very talented team this season, but they lost two stalwart defencemen a year ago — Damon Severson and Ryan Graves — leaving their blue line thinner than they would prefer.

Zadorov would be a great fit on their third pairing, as he has plenty of size, toughness, and, as he has proven over the past year and a half, some offensive ability. In this case, the player Conroy should be trying to get back is the seventh overall pick from the 2020 draft, Alexander Holtz.

This may be too much to ask given Holtz’s potential, but early on in his NHL career, he has struggled to get ice time due to all the skilled players the Devils have upfront. What this ultimately comes down to is whether or not the Devils see this as a year they can truly contend in. With their struggles as of late, they may prefer to hold off on any deal involving Zadorov. If they believe this could be their year, however, the Flames should push as hard as they can for Holtz.

3. Nicholas Robertson

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to improve their blue line and are believed to have interest in a few of the Flames’ available defencemen. What could make the Flames such an intriguing team to trade with is that Brad Treliving would know exactly what he is getting in any such deal. That said, if he does want to make a move for one, he will have to move a valuable piece, given his limited options.

That valuable piece that Conroy should be looking to get is Nicholas Roberson. Hockey fans in Canada have been hearing about Robertson for quite some time, partially because he’s a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization but also due to his fantastic OHL career.

Despite the hype surrounding Robertson, the 22-year-old has yet to make the impact fans were hoping for, largely due to injuries in recent years. While health hasn’t been on his side, he remains supremely talented and has two goals and four points in four games with the Leafs since recently being recalled from the AHL. If he can stay healthy moving forward, he has star potential and would be a fantastic addition to the Flames.

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