Calgary Flames: What Could They Have Done At The Deadline?

The Calgary Flames currently find themselves right at the top of the Western Conference. With the trade deadline gone, what are the Flames needs and what should they have done at the deadline?

The first question that needs to be asked when looking at the Calgary Flames is if this is the year and the time to really go for it and go all in on winning now. They seem to be consistent enough to have a strong postseason run.

So, I said go for it.

There is no time like the present and no guarantee that you will have a better chance in the near future. This is the year and I would have liked to see Brad Treliving swing some deals. But, like you, I’m just a fan.

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One obvious concern with making any move is that it could break up the chemistry that the team currently has been enjoying. Bill Peters has found line combinations that work and the Flames have had the depth scoring this year that they so desperately lacked in years past because of it. The Calgary Flames still do have some good depth pieces that currently do not have a place in the “normal” lineup. Austin Czarnik and Andrew Mangiapane have both been in and out of the lineup but have played well when called upon. In the AHL, Dillon Dube, Spencer Foo, and Kerby Rychel have been having tremendous seasons.

Looking on the blue line, Michael Stone has missed most of this season with an injury, as well as Juuso Valimaki. Despite this, the Flames have been able to call upon their other defensemen who have stepped up in a big way. The point I am making here is that the Flames already do have good depth that they have relied upon for much of this season already. Still, you can never have too much depth. This is why the Flames added Oscar Fantenberg to their blue line for a fourth-round pick. This was the only move they made, but I like it. Why not?

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Calgary Flames had been linked to a whole bunch of forwards. He listed the Flames as a “stealth suitor” for Matt Duchene. I don’t know if Duchene made a lot of sense for the Flames, but after seeing the price tag for him, I wish the Flames would have made more of an effort for him. Also from Ottawa, Mark Stone had been the biggest name tied to the Flames. He is the kind of power forward that I would love to add to this lineup. The Flames were reportedly back and forth with Ottawa about Stone but ultimately did not want to pay the price for him. The price was certainly high, but still, Stone going to the rival Golden Knights instead certainly hurts. Now we have to play against him for the next eight years. Mats Zuccarello and Wayne Simmonds were also reported possibilities. I am glad the Flames did not acquire these guys. I don’t see the fit, and I do not see either resigning. It is clear that the Flames were focused more on forward help than anything else. The Calgary Flames are showing trust in their young defense to continue their stellar play into the postseason.

Calgary did not have a ton of cap space to acquire these mentioned players. This could have played a role in the negotiations. One thing they could have done is place forward James Neal on the LTIR, which would effectively free up his contract from their cap hit. They could still activate Neal for the playoffs and be okay since there is not a salary cap during the playoffs. Friedman noted this possibility, citing the Blackhawks in 2015 and how they did this exact thing with Patrick Kane.

I found it interesting that the Calgary Flames didn’t seem to be tied to any goalies. Treliving has stated several times that he believes that Mike Smith and David Rittich can allow this team to win. He is comfortable with them, but I was still surprised to hear the Flames elected to not even inquire about any goalie. Of course, Treliving could very well be keeping things like this hidden from the public. The Flames are first in the Western Conference despite the inconsistent play from their goaltenders. It is possible that Treliving is comfortable moving forward with these two.

Regardless of what the Calgary Flames ended up doing this trade deadline, it is clear to me that they are going all in this year to bring the cup home. This is exactly what they should be doing. It will be a fun rest of the year, “C” of Red.