Meet the Sellers: 3 Calgary Flames the Canucks could target in a trade

The title for this segment could probably be ‘What do the Flames have left to sell?’, considering just how many times the Canucks have already raided their cupboards.

After trading defencemen Nikita Zadorov in December and the highly-coveted Elias Lindholm to Vancouver just before the All-Star break, Flames GM Craig Conroy might be eligible to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup if the Canucks win it this year. But the reason Conroy’s in that position at all has to do with the work his predecessor left him.

When Brad Treliving mutually parted ways with the Flames and became GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, he left behind a complete mess of bad contracts, a depleted prospect pool, and just two playoff series wins to show for nearly a decade of work. Johnny Gaudreau’s exodus to Columbus and a lopsided trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers left the Flames without a real identity, and it’s culminated in a disappointing season and a half since winning the Pacific Division in 2021-22.

The wisest thing for the Flames to do right now is to begin a rebuild, but it sure seems like they still believe they can compete for a postseason berth. Jacob Markstrom, Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson lead a supporting cast made up of relatively big names like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman; but it’s barely translated to a winning team on the ice.

The Flames have won three of their last four games and are slowly clawing their way back into the postseason hunt, so they could still change their mind about selling before the deadline hits. But for now, a few of their players remain as some of the most highly sought after names on the market.

There is no player more obviously on the Canucks radar than Chris Tanev.

Tanev fits everything the Canucks need in a defenseman right now. He blocks shots, he throws hits and he makes opponents’ lives miserable in the defensive zone. And – little known secret – he’s already been a Canuck before!

Just as he was an absolute fan favourite in Vancouver, Quinn Hughes loved his one full season playing alongside Tanev so much that Hughes reportedly has already approached management about bringing Tanev back. Quinn nearly got his wish during the Elias Lindholm trade, but the logistics of adding Tanev to an already complex deal was a bridge too far.

The only arguments against Tanev are the cost to acquire him and, more crucially, the hard mileage the 34-year-old has racked up over the course of his career. If we collected a dollar for every joke that’ve been made at the expense of Tanev’s many lost chicklets, we could probably afford to pay his dentistry bills. But through his time with the Flames, he’s only missed 20 games across four seasons (though he’s had a few scares in recent outings).

As for the price tag, the Flames seem hellbent on getting a first round pick for Tanev, which the Canucks do have. But with so much of the team’s future already mortgaged, Allvin and Rutherford going to be extra careful about who they part with that pick for.

If Tanev represents the defensive side of the blue line, then Noah Hanifin represents the offensive side.

Hanifin is currently the top name on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets board, and that’s because of his scoring skills. Hanifin’s 29 points makes him one of the highest scoring defenders on the market, and while the Flames have made it clear they’re interested in extending him, Hanifin doesn’t seem prepared to put pen to paper.

The Canucks already have an abundance of offensively-minded defencemen, and it’s doubtful that they’d add another one in Hanifin unless the cost was too cheap not to make a deal. The Flames will likely be able to price Hanifin far out of the Canucks’ range, but we’d be remised not to at least mention him anyway.

He’s not on a lot of trade boards, but I’m a big fan of what Oliver Kylington could potentially bring to a blue line.

When Kylington suited up for the Flames on Jan 25, it was his first NHL game after a year and a half long absence to care for his mental health. In 2021-22, his last full season, Kylington posted 31 points and finished top ten in Flames team scoring. Whether he can recapture that scoring prowess after being away from the game for such a long time is anybody’s guess, but Kylington’s dedication and perseverance make him a player I’d gladly bet on to do so.

How much the 26-year-old pending UFA would cost to add is unknown, but if the price were a mid to late-round pick or a Abbotsford roster forward, he just might end up as a sneaky big reward.

I mean… *waves in Lindholm and Zadorov’s general direction* we already know the answer to that.

As far as what the Flames have left at the garage sale, Tanev is absolutely a missing piece for a franchise with one big shot at the Stanley Cup. If Allvin and Rutherford’s recent working relationship with Craig Conroy is any indication, the Canucks certainly have the inside track to any of these players if they’re willing to foot the bills.

Out of the three Flames defenders, Tanev is the only one worth potentially overpaying for based on what the Canucks need. But Kylington could be a smart depth bet if Calgary isn’t asking too much.