Flames May Not Be Able To Resist Offers For Veteran

The Calgary Flames are 30th in the NHL and have some work to do if they want to get back into the playoff race. It has been stressed that the team doesn't want to rebuild, but that doesn't mean significant pieces like Rasmus Andersson or Blake Coleman won't be traded as they near the end of their deals and would fetch nice returns.

Pierre LeBrun spoke about Coleman and said, "There's no guarantee the Flames move him, but it's going to be tough to resist the calls that will come. I like the idea of Coleman being traded back to Tampa Bay."

Coleman is a good fixture as a middle-6 winger and is a strong two-way player too. Wingers don't generally receive as much attention for the Selke Trophy, but Coleman has received votes in two different seasons in his career. He is a four-time 20-goal scorer and even reached 30 goals in 2023-24.

Grabbing Coleman before the trade deadline would be a move for a team looking for a solid all-around player. He averages over a minute on the power play and over two minutes on the penalty kill per game. The 34-year-old has another year left on his deal after this season at $4.9 million AAV and has a 10-team trade list that he can be traded to without further approval.

Coleman leads the Flames with 13 goals and has 21 points in 43 games. He's also a +13 on a -17 Flames team. Calgary is only using one retention spot, so they have two to spare and will have a full three next season if nothing is done. There are certain contenders with more than enough cap space to acquire Coleman's full cap hit, but others, like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who would require cap retention and even a contract headed back.

It is a good time for the Flames to trade Coleman. It doesn't look like the team is going to make any sort of impact this season or next, and then Coleman will be a 36-year-old at the end of his contract. Value will come from a trade this season, especially how he's leading the charge in goals on the Flames and continuing to be a strong two-way player.