Should the Calgary Flames be Targeting Two Young Washington Capitals in Trades?

The Calgary Flames picked up their first win of the season on Tuesday night, but with a 1-5-0 record to start the year, the team absolutely need to continue prioritizing the future of the organization moving forward.

Early in the season, the Flames have seen steps forward from the likes of Matt Coronato, Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec and especially Aydar Suniev, as the building blocks of the franchise are being quickly put into place.

As the season rolls on, the Flames will look to add future pieces to the organization, and given recent speculation, the Washington Capitals are emerging as potential suitors for Craig Conroy and the Flames.

Who Should the Flames be Targeting in a Trade With Washington?

On a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that Ivan Miroshnichenko was a name to watch out of Washington, as the team don't have room for the 22-year-old, and likely believe that he wouldn't pass through waivers.

On paper, he's an absolutely perfect target for Calgary being 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, and with 14 goals and 34 points in the AHL a year ago, he's clearly capable of producing at a middle-six pace. In the NHL this year, he's appeared in just one game for Washington, and with a goal, his totals in the NHL now read like this; 53 games, 6 goals, 14 points.

It's unclear whether or not the Flames have much interest, but with the wing spot being clogged by the likes of Maxim Tsyplakov, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich and others, there's certainly a move to be made here. Beyond Miroshnichenko, the obvious target should be 21-year-old Andrew Cristall, and given that he's yet to make his NHL debut in Washington, there's a chance that the team are open to moving him for a win-now piece.

While he's undersized at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Cristall's skill level is exactly what the Flames need, and early in the AHL season in 2026/27, he's been dominant, posting 8 assists across 4 games, following up last year when he tallied 20 goals and 60 points in 72 games played.

Should the Flames be Targeting NHL-Ready Pieces?

Obviously, the Flames priority this year should be adding future draft capital, and with the likes of Morgan Frost, Zach Whitecloud, Ryan Strome and Yegor Sharangovich among others as trade chips, that could be achieved.

However, this past summer, Craig Conroy put several chips on the table in order to land Simon Nemec, proving that he's happy to acquire NHL-ready talent if they fit the age range. Being 22 and 21 respectively, both Miroshnichenko and Cristall fit the bill, but without knowing what Washington are seeking right now, it's unclear if there's a deal to be made.

Ultimately, if the Flames can fit either into the NHL lineup, they'd be no-brainer additions for Conroy, but for now, these are pieces that the organization need to be keeping a close eye on.

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