The Calgary Flames came into the 2026 off-season with plenty of moves and big decisions to be made, and on Tuesday, they made the first big shocker of the summer, acquiring Simon Nemec in a deal with the New Jersey Devils.
While Craig Conroy has confirmed Zayne Parekh will start 2026/27 on the left side of the defense, there's still plenty of players to fill out the right with Nemec, Zach Whitecloud, Hunter Brzustewicz and Brayden Pachal. On top of that, the team now have five NHL ready left-shot defenseman, signalling that before the regular season begins, there's likely to be at least one more trade involving a blue liner.
For the most part, fans have expected that deal to involve veteran Zach Whitecloud, who was acquired by the team during the 2025/26 season in exchange for Rasmus Andersson. Immediately, Whitecloud drew interest, and with his increased production in a bigger role in Calgary, many believed he could be dealt for some good assets this off-season.
We're yet to see a deal made, but according to Insider Anthony Di Marco, he has continued to draw interest, naming the Ottawa Senators as one team that could be aiming to land the 29-year-old.
CGY defenseman Zach Whitecloud continues to generate interest from teams but it would be hard for the #Flames to move him; sounds like they have a specific price in mind.
— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) June 24, 2026
The #Senators continue to be a team linked to him as they hunt for a RHD.@DailyFaceoff
While he's never been known for his offensive game, after arriving in Calgary, Whitecloud had 10 assists across 31 games played, with his combined 17 points between Vegas and the Flames being the second highest mark of his career. Of course, Whitecloud's strength is his safe and very strong defensive game, and for a Senators team that's looking for that, he would be the perfect fit.
With the 2026 NHL Draft just a matter of two days away, there's a chance we see a resolution on this front before the event, but with the Flames potential D core of Bahl-Nemec, Parekh-Whitecloud, Kuznetsov-Brzustewicz heading into 2026/27, there's also a good chance the Flames keep their veteran moving forward.
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