Olli Maatta
The Calgary Flames were one of the NHL's most active teams at the trade deadline, and to the surprise of everyone, that included trading Mackenzie Weegar, despite everything he meant to the team and the city of Calgary. In doing so, the team acquired not one, not two but three second-round picks, along with prospect Jonathan Castagna and veteran Olli Maatta, who was seen as a throw in to the trade.
Maatta was dealt after playing in just 22 games for the Mammoth, but when he arrived in Calgary, he hit the ground running, as he tallied 2 goals and 14 points in 21 games played. Sure, that offensive output likely isn't sustainable over a long season for the 31-year old, but given how he played earlier in the season when given a chance, it was a major shock to everyone in Calgary.
Now, the team will likely hope he can keep up that level of play this year to dangle him as a trade piece at the deadline, but given what we thought the Flames were getting, Maatta had a fantastic run with the Flames in 2025/26.
Grade: B+
Brayden Pachal
While the future for the Flames on the blue line is right, they needed a veteran presence in this lineup, and that's where depth players like Brayden Pachal come into play. Unfortunately for Pachal, he wasn't able to find a consistent role on the team in 2025/26 with the team prioritizing the future, but late in the year, he showed he can still be a solid contributor.
The former Vegas Golden Knight appeared in 39 games this season, and after his first career three-point game late in the year, he ended his campaign with 1 goal and 7 points. Ultimately though, Pachal's impact was limited given the very little game time he got, and while he's got one-year left on his current contract, it's unlikely that we'll see him play a massive role moving forward.
Grade: C
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